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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Earache

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Earache

If you've been spending a lot of time with a box of tissues and a bag of throat lozenges and now you're lying awake with an aching ear, you already know two things about earaches: They often accompany bad colds and sore throats, and they're always nastier at night.

A typical earache begins when a congested eustachian tube-which runs from the back of the throat to the eardrum-can't regulate pressure or fluids in the ear. Pain starts when mucus or pus builds up behind the eardrum. The more the fluid builds, the greater the pressure and pain.

While antibiotic treatment can resolve the infection that's causing the pain, there are some things you can do for yourself to get temporary relief.

Warm up to relief. "The greatest pain reliever is warm, moist heat around the ear," says Stephen P. Cass, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Eye and Ear Institute of Pittsburgh. A warm compress-such as a towel rung out in hot water and pressed against the ear-brings the most immediate relief, he says. Resoak the towel as it cools and use it as often as you need to, even while you are being treated for an underlying infection, he suggests.

Try a liquid pillow. A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel also makes a comforting pillow for an aching ear, says Dr. Cass. If you get a lot of earaches and need something more portable, you can invest in a mini hot water bottle that's made to fit directly over the ear, he says.

Press on a gel pack. Another ear-warming alternative: Use a dual-purpose first-aid gel pack that you can warm up in hot water or the microwave, suggests Anthony J. Yonkers, M.D., chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "Make sure the gel pack is not too hot, then press it right on your ear and it will make you feel better," he says.

Put your ear to the plate. Some people swear by old-time heat treatments like this: Warm up an oven-safe plate, wrap it in a towel, and rest your aching ear right on it. The plate should be warm and comforting, not hot, cautions Dr. Cass.

Find relief in your medicine cabinet. An adult with a cold or fever who develops ear pain can take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) or another nonprescription painkiller, says Jerome C. Goldstein, M.D., executive vice president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in Alexandria, Virginia. Children with earaches should never be given aspirin, and other pain relievers should get a doctor's go-ahead. Your doctor may recommend Children's Tylenol.

Get the drop on pain. A couple of drops of warm mineral oil may soothe a sore ear, says Clough Shelton, M.D., an otolaryngologist with the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. Warm the oil by putting it in hot water. Test it on your wrist as you would a baby's bottle. It should feel barely warm. Use an eyedropper to drip the oil in, and gently pull the outside of the ear to make sure it goes down, he says. One caution: You can't use this method if the doctor says you have a perforated eardrum.

When to see the Doctor

If your ear hurts when you chew, it may be a tip-off that you have trouble in the jaw joint, says Clough Shelton, M.D., an otolaryngologist with the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. You might be a nighttime jaw clencher or have an inflamed or misaligned jaw caused by temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)--which can be diagnosed by a doctor.

Also, sudden or severe pain in your ear without an accompanying cold or sore throat is not typical. See your doctor if you notice blood or pus in the ear, redness or swelling around the ear, dizziness or hearing loss. These could be signs of a severe infection that needs immediate attention.

Don't Be Bugged

Tiny insects that find their way into ears usually find their way out pretty quickly--but not always. Some get stuck inside.

What should you do if you're bugged by a bug in your ear? Using an eardropper full of alcohol, flood the ear to kill the bug, suggests Stephen P. Cass, M.D., assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Eye and Ear Institute of Pittsburgh. Then gently irrigate the ear with water from an ear syringe.

"Do not try to fish for it with a tweezers, pencil, fingernail or Q-Tip," he warns. You'll just push it in farther or damage your ear.

Decongest your head. If you're really congested, Sudafed or other decongestants can shrink your eustachian tube and bring ear pain down to size, says Dr. Goldstein. Ask your doctor what might be best for you.

Stay away from wind. If wind bothers your aching ears, wear a scarf when you're outside, or put cotton in the opening of the ear, suggests Dr. Cass. But don't push the cotton down where you can't retrieve it with your fingers.

Soar above ear pain in airplanes. If your ears hurt when the pressure changes during an airplane flight, chew gum or suck on candy, especially during descent and landing, which is the most troublesome time of changing pressure. The chewing or sucking will activate the muscles that send air to your inner ears, says Dr. Shelton. When you hear your ears "pop," you'll feel better, because pressure in the ear is balanced.

If chewing doesn't work, close your mouth, relax your cheek muscles, hold your nose, and blow gently until you feel relief, Dr. Shelton says.

Take a dose before and after. Experienced flyers who expect painful flights can take Sudafed or use a nasal decongestant at the recommended dose for a day before they fly, says Dr. Yonkers. And if the pain is unresolved after you land, use decongestants for a day after your flight, too, adds Dr. Shelton.

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