Severe pain and ear infection

I went to the doctor today because I was woken this morning at 5am with the worst pain in my ear I've ever felt. He diagnosed me with a severe infection and gave me some antibiotics.

I am also taking a prescription cough medicine with codiene in it.

However, the pain in my ear has not subsided at all. It's affecting everything.. I'm dizzy, it hurts to swallow and I can't even lie down. I had a nap this afternoon sitting in my LA-Z-BOY and even that was difficult.

Does anyone have any home remedies for ear aches? I know I have to wait for the antibiotics to kick in to get the ear to drain, but in the meantime, I'm in agony. I have been taking Advil but it's not even touching the ear (it is helping my throat). I'm going to get some Tylenol tonight as well and see if that will help. I've got a heating pad as well.

Any help would be appreciated.. thanks!

It sounds weird, but turn your blowdrier on to a mild setting and aim it into your ear for a few minutes - stop when your outer ear (pinna) is feeling too warm. It makes the hurt go away, I promise, and lasts for hours!

Gently warm some olive oil - warm, NOT hot - and lie on your side with the sore ear up.

If you have an eyedropper, it's easier to do - but you want to get some of that warm oil in your ear.

Polysporin drops are excellent! They are not warm, but really help. I suggest the oil in case you don't have anyone to get the Polysporin for you.

I remember the polysporin when I had a DOUBLE ear infection as a teenager! YOW. I really do feel for you...I hope the antibiotics kick in soon!

My grandma used to put warm sweet oil (no kidding that's what it was called) in my ears when I was a kid with an ear infection. It hurt like the dickens going in, but after it drained back out it did feel alot better than before. Not sure if just warm water would accomplish the same result though.

One thing about the meds. I don't know how you are, but my body does not break down codeine. It doesn't do anything for me at all. You might want to ask your doctor for another pain reliever.

This sounds weird but it has helped me. I fill up a mug with water and heat it up in the microwave. Not too hot as to cause a burn. Put on my face, right in front of my ear. For some reason that feels good. I will have to try Karen's trick with the hair drier.

My husband says that his mother used to warm mineral oil and put it in his ear, just like Candace suggested. I do hope you will get some relief soon. An earache is so painful. I am so lucky that I have had very few in my lifetime, and it was usually swimmer's ear, but I remember them! Ouch!

Thanks everyone. I have a heating pad, that I will use when I'm laying down, so heat is helping.

I will give the olive oil a shot though!

I've never had a problem with codiene, and it's one of the few things that don't upset my stomach, and it seems to be working..

This evening at dinner time I heard a pop and although it's still very plugged a lot of the pressure is gone.. maybe the combo of antibiotics and decongestant is working..

Thanks again!! :)

Ouch! I know how your feeling. I woke up this morning with a horrible ear ache, but I don't have health insurance so can't go to the doctor. I'll have to try some of these suggestions too.

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

The hair dryer thing helped me when I had ear aches. Anything warm really helps. I know ear aches all too well! *HUG* feel better soon!

I just got over an ear infection a week or so ago...

Mostly, my ear hurt (same as you, to talk, lay down, swallowing, god forbid I hiccup, I thought my brain was going to explode...) and he actually flushed it out at the doctor cuz my ears were pretty waxy. It hurt pretty bad, but it helped a lot.

Heat also helped, so I'd try the hair dryer trick, lol.

Glad that your ear is feeling a little better. Ear aches hurt. When I was a child, I had the worst one my doctor had ever seen. He actually took pictures and all. He also told my mom to do the blow dryer thing like Karen suggested, to keep ear infections from starting. I still do that just in case;)

I remember taking BUNCHES of antibiotics, and also my mom put warm oil (dont know what kind in) and it helped a bit.

I cried for a week straight. It hurt, and whenever I would move, it would feel like someone jabbing a knife in my ear.

I will never forget that.

I pray it gets better fast!:love:

My mom put some warm sweet oil in my ear and my dad would have me put my head on his lap while he blew cigarette smoke into my ear. I guess maybe the nicotine helped the pain but it worked every time. Glad to hear that some of the pressure is being relieved in your ear now.

Thanks everyone.

I think the prayers alone must be working because I didn't have any pain in my ear all night long. I woke up a couple of times because I was coughing, but at least my ear didn't hurt!

The only thing now is it is constantly ringing, which I'm sure will go away once it has unplugged.

And since I woke up in a coughing fit at 6am this morning, I already have a very clean and organized house - I got all my chores done by 8:30am!! (well except vacuuming.. didn't think my apartment neighbours would like to hear that come to life at 6.30am!!! :D)

Good news! It is SO great to have that kind of pain GONE!

God forbid you should ever get another one - but now you have all these first aid tips just in case! :)

Feel better soon! I had a horrible ear ache last year and mineral oil helped a lot.

Sorry to hear you were having such a bad ear ache. I hope the ache stays away.

I wanted to share my mothers home remedy. I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it.
When I was young I used to suffer from terrible ear aches quite often.

We were on a trip once and I was in a lot of pain. We were staying the night at my uncles house and he had two boys so my mom asked one of them to pee in a cup:eek: If I hadn't been hurting so much I probably would have put up a fight, but being what it was I let her put a few drops in. No kidding, within an hour my ear ache was completely gone!
Gross, but it worked:)

Oh yuck!! I'm not sure if I could put piddle in my ear!!! :eek:

The pain in my ear is pretty much gone. It's still totally plugged, making everything on the right side sound muffled. But at least it's not painful!!

Now I am being kept awake because I'm coughing like crazy :( I can't shake it no matter how hard I try. Last night I pretty much had to stop taking all meds because I was starting to feel side effects, like dizzyness, nausea, etc. So I'm going to try and make it through today taking only the antibiotic and see how I do..