Earache Remedies for Children

Earaches are a fact of life. Believe it or not, there's even a good reason that earaches commonly happen in the middle of the night as opposed to during the day. No, it's not just because your child wants to stay up late. In fact, the more their ear hurts, the more they probably wish they could just fall asleep.

There are several remedies for earaches. They're all inexpensive and can go a long way toward dulling the pain so that the child can have a break from the pain of an earache and get some rest.

Prevent: If your child has a cold or is congested, take some preventative measures to eliminate as much drainage as possible. Sinus infections have a nasty way of spreading to the ears as the tubes within the ears begin to retain liquid. If you can head off the sinus infection, you might be able to prevent an earache.

Elevate: One of the reasons that earaches are so common late at night is that the tubes in the ears are not able to drain because the child is laying down. When the child is awake and mobile, gravity plays a large part in draining liquid from the structure of the ear so that it does not have a chance to buildup. After the child has laid down for a while, the liquid has a chance to buildup and apply pressure. Pain is the result. Put your child in a recliner if possible so they can try to get some rest, but the ear is able to drain.

Yawn or Chew: Ask your child to try to yawn or give them a piece of gum to chew on. The movement of the jaw muscles allows the various tubes in the ear to open and release some of the built up fluid or pressure.

Heated Oil: A couple of drops of warm oil in the ear can ease the pain of an earache. In a manner of speaking, the warmth "loosens things up" so that fluids can drain. It's the pressure of the accumulated fluids or an infection causing the earache, so it's important to allow or help this matter to escape. I personally use sweet oil and run it under hot water, then test in on my wrist, much like a baby bottle. A couple of drops in my sons ear usually works wonders. Others may use olive oil or mineral oil in a similar manner.

External Warmth: When my son has an earache, the first thing I do is use my mother's method of getting a nice warm washcloth for him to hold over his ear. Another option that may last longer than a washcloth is a heated cloth bag of rice. Remember to make sure that whatever you use is not so warm that it's going to hurt the child's skin.

Candles: If you know how to candle ears, then this might be the method for you. Again, the heat draws out the liquid or infection so that the earache pain can be decreased.

Keep in mind that there are several reasons for an earache. There may be an infection, wax buildup or some type of break in the eardrum. Do not ever put anything into your child's ear if you suspect that there is a break in the eardrum. Have patience with your child who has no control over the pain they are in. Keep in mind that as tired as you may be, they would probably like to get sleep even more than you would, only they have an earache that prevents them from doing so.