Keeping it Warm

• Warmth applied to the ear is a key step in easing the pain of an earache. A towel soaked in warm water and then wrung out is one of the most common methods. The towel may be reheated and reused as needed. You may prefer to wrap a hot water bottle in a towel to keep the towel from becoming cold rapidly. You could also try an electric heating pad which, although it is not moist, provides a level of relief similar to what a warm, moist towel often will. Gel packs, if they are not heated too much, work just as well.
  
  

Medicine

• Antibiotics, while they cure the underlying infection, will not relieve pain. Other medicines in your cabinet can. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen, taken in the doses recommended on the package, provide fast and effective relief for earaches. Even children suffering from very severe earaches can use these medicines in their children's or infants' strength or dosage without worry. For adults, aspirin is often the miracle cure for bad ear pain. Prescription pain killers left over in the medicine cabinet, unless recommended by a doctor for this specific ailment, should be avoided.
  
  

Eardrops

• Unless the eardrum is perforated, you can try a few different types of eardrops that will alleviate the pain of an earache. You can warm baby oil, other mineral oil or olive oil in a tub of warm water and insert it into the ear with a dropper. Drops should be just barely warm---hot eardrops will make the problem worse. You can buy over-the-counter pain relief drops at the pharmacy. Of course, any drops prescribed by the doctor will be tailored to provide pain relief as well.