Homeopathic Remedies for Ear Pain

Ear pain, or Otalgia in medical terms, that persists needs medical intervention. While the pain may be one sided or both sided, it varies in intensity and can be mild, moderate or severe.  The nature of pain may also vary like dull, sharp, tearing, or throbbing. Earache mostly troubles children though it may affect persons of any age group. Earache usually occurs because of two reasons. The first is a primary or local cause, mainly an infection in the middle ear (Otitis Media). The second reason is the secondary or referred cause in which the pain does not start in the ear, but is referred secondarily to the ear through some primary problem in another part of the body.  Here, the primary problem can be in the teeth (dental caries, cutting the wisdom tooth) or throat infection (Tonsillitis).

Homeopathic medicines for ear pain offer a complete cure by treating the root cause of the condition. Prepared from natural substances, these remedies for ear pain have zero side effects and offer a complete cure for ear pain.

Top Homeopathic Medicines For Ear Pain

The top most medicines for treating ear pain are Belladonna, Pulsatilla, Chamomilla, Verbascum Thapsus, Merc Sol and Plantago.

1. Belladonna – Top Grade Medicine For Ear Pain

Belladonna is a natural remedy sourced from plant ‘deadly nightshade’. In most cases needing it, there occurs throbbing, tearing, shooting or stitching pain in ears. Pain feels very deep-rooted. The ear becomes hot and sensitive to touch. The slightest noise and chewing makes earache worse. In some cases, pain from the ear spreads to the face. It is an ideal remedy for ear pain arising from acute inflammation/infection in the middle ear (Otitis Media) or from a throat infection with pain in throat radiating to the ear.

When and How to use Belladonna?

Belladonna is highly recommended as a first line of treatment in cases of ear pain. This medicine relieves pain in ears wonderfully along with reducing swelling and inflammation, if present. It can be used in both low and high potencies, among which the most preferred is 30 C potency. Belladonna 30 C can be taken twice or thrice a day depending on the severity of the problem.

2. Pulsatilla – For Ear Pain With Ear Infections

Pulsatilla is a highly effective medicine for ear pain associated with ear infections. Here, it is given when there is shooting, pulsating, jerking, darting pain in ears. It gets worse at night and may continue throughout the night, extending to the head. It is attended with thick yellow / yellowish green ear discharge. There may be difficulty in hearing, the ear feels heavy and stuffed. At times, roaring or humming noises (tinnitus) are heard in the ears.

When and How to use Pulsatilla?

The foremost indication to use Pulsatilla is ear pain resulting from an ear infection with thick yellow or yellowish green ear discharge. Pulsatilla is usually recommended in 30C potency that can be taken twice or thrice a day. Its higher potencies can also be used but only after consulting homeopathic expert.

3. Chamomilla – When Ear Is Sensitive To Touch Along With Pain

Chamomilla is very helpful when the affected ear is very sensitive to touch along with pain. Nature of pain is stitching, pressing or tearing type. Pain may be severe enough to cause a cry. The ear is swollen along with heated sensation, the ear also feels blocked. Chamomilla is also well-indicated for middle ear infection with earache and fever. Warm application on the ear may offer some relief. Highly suitable medicine to manage earache in children, it is also one of the best medicines to treat cases where pain from teeth radiates to ears. Children needing it may be highly irritable along with pain in ear.

When and How to use Chamomilla?

The key symptom to use Chamomilla here is severe earache with marked sensitivity of ears to touch. It is highly recommended to manage earache in children when excessive irritability is present. It can be taken two to three times a day in 30C power.

4. Verbascum Thapsus – For Ear Pain And Hearing Difficulty

Verbascum Thapsus is the best medicine for managing ear pain and hearing difficulty along with  a feeling of ear blockage. It is also highly recommended for ear pain of nerve origin. It is indicated when ear ache is part of the facial pain of nerve origin (Trigeminal Neuralgia). The pain is more pronounced on the left side and gets worse with the slightest movement. The ear is always dry inside.

When and How to use Verbascum Thapsus?

This medicine can be used when the leading complaint is ear pain with hearing difficulty. Next it can also be taken when ear pain is of nerve origin and is a part of trigeminal neuralgia. It can be taken once or twice a day in 30 C potency, but for high potency seek a physician’s advice. Verbascum Thapsus is popularly known as Mullein Oil and can also be administered as ear drops on the affected side of the ear for relieving earache and dry scaly condition of ear meatus along with internal usage in 30C potency.

5. Merc Sol – For Earache In Case Of Sore Throat

This medicine is suitable to manage ear ache in cases of sore throat. The key feature to use this medicine is pain in throat extending to ears. Pain in ears can be shooting or tearing type which gets worse at night and from warmth of bed. Thick yellow discharge from ears may be noted. At times, pus having foul odor gets discharged from ears.

When and How to Use Merc Sol?

Use of Merc Sol should be considered in cases where earache occurs in cases of sore throat with pain radiating from throat to ears. To begin with, one may take Merc Sol 30C twice a day. Its higher potencies can be used as well but only after consulting a homeopathic physician.

6. Plantago – For Earache Associated With Toothache

Sourced from plant ‘ribwort’, Plantago is a natural and highly beneficial medicine to manage pain in the ear related to toothache. Persons needing it complain of sharp pain in ears and teeth. The reason may be tooth decay.

When and How to Use Plantago?

Consider it as a first remedy in earache cases associated with dental issues with marked toothache. You may take this remedy in 30C potency two to three times a day for good relief.

What Are The Causes Behind Ear Pain?

The causes can be divided into primary and secondary causes:

A) Primary causes: The causes that lead to earache originating within the ear are primary causes.

1.Ear infections: It remains one of the main causes behind ear pain that can relate to either outer, middle or inner ear.

a) Outer ear infection/ otitis externa: Also named swimmer’s ear, infection occurs in outer ear canal usually from trapping of water in ear from swimming that favours bacterial growth.  Cleaning ears with earbuds/hairpins and use of ear devices like hearing aids may cause scratches in the ear which also increases chance of infection.

b) Middle ear infection (otitis media)is a bacterial/viral infection in the middle ear, which is the air-filled space behind the eardrum. It arises mainly from cold/flu when infection spreads to throat and via eustachian tube to the middle ear.

c) Inner ear infection (labrynthitis) results from viral or bacterial infections from cold or flu.

2. Ear blocked from earwax: Excessive build-up of earwax deep inside the ear canal may sometimes cause earache.

3. Barotrauma: Ear has a eustachian tube that works to regulate air pressure inside and outside the ear. When ear damage occurs from pressure changes inside and outside the ear, it is called barotrauma that can caused earache along with hearing loss, dizziness and pressure inside the ear. Some examples that can cause imbalance in pressure are flying in airplane, scuba diving, travelling in the hills, etc.

4. Foreign object stuck in the ear

5. Perforation (a hole) in eardrum

6. Blocked eustachian tube

7. Skin problems affecting ears (herpes zoster oticus, dermatitis of ear)

B) Secondary causes: When the cause of earache relate to a medical problem in some other part of the body other than the ear, it is referred to as a secondary cause. Some such causes are as follows:

1. Dental problems (cavities, infected tooth – tooth abscess means pus pocket in tooth from an infection)

2. Sinusitis (inflammation of lining of the paranasal sinuses)

3. Sore throats or tonsillitis(inflamed tonsils)

4. Temporomandibular joint disorder: Pain and restricted movement of jaw due to some problem (for example, inflammation, infection, injury) of temporomandibular joint that connects lower jaw to skull.

5. Trigeminal neuralgia: Electric shock-like pain on one side of the face from irritation, compression or injury of trigeminal nerve.

What Other Signs And Symptoms May Attend Ear Pain?

Depending on the cause, pain in ears can be attended with other signs and symptoms like ear discharge, hearing loss, fullness in ears, noises in ears, clicking or popping in ears, redness/swelling of ears, eruptions on ears, fever, headache and jaw pain. In children, pulling the ear, irritability, excessive crying, loss of appetite may be felt.