| If the last time you had an ear infection was back | | | | Using an eye dropper, drop 6 to 10 drops of an |
| in the second grade, consider yourself lucky. While | | | | equal mix of distilled white vinegar and water into |
| most of us do get our earaches out of the way | | | | your ear. The ear canal is usually a little acidic. An |
| in childhood, there are times when adults get | | | | infection causes the canal to lose some of that |
| them. One bad cold can trigger ear pain that can | | | | acidity and encourages bacteria to grow. The |
| make even a grown-up cry. Ear pain comes in | | | | vinegar rinses help restore this acidity and can |
| other forms besides earaches, such as | | | | help prevent an ear infection from worsening. |
| swimmer’s ear and “airplane ear.” And | | | | Avoid these rinses if you know that you have a |
| sometimes what you think is ear pain can be | | | | perforated eardrum, see or feel drainage from |
| traced to problems with your mouth, teeth, jaw, | | | | your ear, or develop any loss of hearing. |
| throat, or sinuses. Ear infections usually don’t | | | | 5. Drop In Some Drops |
| go away on their own. Here are some tips that | | | | Warm some mineral oil or baby oil and, using an |
| you can consider to adopt to get relief. | | | | eyedropper, gently drop the oil into your ear canal. |
| 1. Reach For Pain Relief | | | | Don’t use drops if you see or feel drainage |
| Take an analgesic such as Extra Strength Tylenol. | | | | from your ear. Drainage is actually a good thing. It |
| An over-the-counter pain reliever can help you to | | | | means that your eardrum has ruptured and the |
| feel more comfortable until you can see a doctor. | | | | pus can drain. Seeing your ear drain can be a bit |
| 2. Go For The Garlic | | | | alarming, but the pain is relieved, and you will feel |
| When you have ear pain, eat a clove or two of | | | | better quickly. |
| garlic a day. Garlic has natural antiviral and | | | | 6. Keep Your Head High |
| antibiotic qualities that kill many of the germs that | | | | Sit up rather than lie down. Reclining can make |
| cause earaches. If you are not a fan of fresh | | | | your ear pain worse. |
| garlic, try garlic supplements, available in most | | | | 7. Try Rubbing Alcohol |
| health food stores and many drugstores. | | | | To help to prevent ear pain such as |
| 3. Apply A Warm Pack | | | | swimmer’s ear, place a drop or two of |
| Wing out a washcloth in warm water and place it | | | | rubbing alcohol into your ear within an hour after |
| over your ear. Apply the packs for 10 to 15 | | | | you swim. The alcohol will dry out your ear canal |
| minutes every 2 hours. You might also place a | | | | but may cause your ears to itch. Don’t use |
| cotton ball that has been soaked in warm water | | | | alcohol if you have a perforated eardrum, see or |
| into the little crevice between the earlobe and ear | | | | feel drainage from your ear, or develop any loss |
| opening. | | | | of hearing. |
| 4. Fight Bacteria Or Fungi With Vinegar | | | | |