Home : Health : Remedies : Earache : Rubbing alcohol

(132) comments about this tip

Rubbing alcohol for ear ache

I am living proof that putting 1 to 2 drops of rubbing alcohol with a cottonball inside the ear will cure an earache almost instantly.

Visitors comments

Burning a little Comments By: ANON I put rubbing alcohol in my ear for my ear ache and it dislogged it but it has a lasting burning sensation. It still feels like the alcohol is in my ear but that could be because it is still draining or something. Not sure.. How long is instant?   I seems like it may not be working for you Comments By: TipKing I am not sure what you are trying to dislodge? I have not personally tried this tip so I am unable to comment on how long it takes to work or whether or not it will work.   Use isoproply alcohol/vinegar to avoid earaches Comments By: Anon My ENT told me to use a 50:50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and clear distilled vinegar to kill fungus and avoid earaches. Store it in a brown eyedropper bottle (avail at drugstores). He said NOT to use rubbing alcohol. The alcohol binds with water in the ear and the acidic vinegar kills any spores. After showering/swimming an eyedropper squeezeful of the mixture in your ear; use a kleenex and let it drain immediately. It only needs a few seconds to work!   Alcohol???? NO Comments By: §nook§ I tried this 3 times and it does not work. I can't even tell that I have tried it, so my advise don't waste your time.   OUCH Comments By: Karl Verhaeghe OUCH. OUCH. OUCH, OUCH. BAD IDEA. DID I MENTION THAT THIS IS A PAINFUL BAD IDEA? Kind of in line with the logic of banging your foot with a hammer to cure a headache.   alcohol and water ? Comments By: leanne the cure part seems to have worked.but it hurts. not a pain relieving remedy. straight alcohol was just too painful. but i believe it works. I still prefer peroxide.   PLEASE SPARE YOURSELF!! No Alcohol in Ear!!!! Comments By: Anon DO NOT, i repeat DO NOT put rubbing alcohol in your ear. I did this about a week ago, and still have no feeling (other than burning from my ear). I now am going to have to go back to the doctor and make sure i have no internal damage inside my ear (not to mention once again this is very very painful)   Thank you!!!! Comments By: elley My husband said it would work and after reading your comments I said, "NO WAY!"   No Way Comments By: Nollid No way i am trying to put alchohol in my ear,you would have to be crazy to try it after all those bad comments   wtf?! Comments By: soflachick This doesn't work. Putting Vicks Vaporub on a cotton ball and putting that in your ears was the only thing that worked for me after I tried everything else   it works Comments By: anon I put alcohol in my ear and about an hour later the pain was gone. It works.   It works for me Comments By: anon I always put alcohol on a cotton ball then put it on the ear, I don't put the alcohol inside the ear directly.   It's numb Comments By: Olivia well Its 12:58 a.m. and I've tried olive oil wich did nothing but sooth it for a minute or so... than I tried garlic wich burned so bad I was almost in tears and than I just tried isopropyle rubbing alcohol and it seems to have numbed it so out of all of them I would have to say this one is the best one...   Why didn't I look this up first!!! Comments By: Desirea I put rubbing alcohol in my ear last night, since then I can barely hear out of it, I'm going to the doctor today to see if I have done any serious damage. When I put the alcohol in, it was very VERY painful and now I feel as if I am deaf in one ear, this is NOT a good thing to try. I would deeply advise against it.   Alcohol isn't causing the pain. Comments By: B If you put any liquid in your ear and you feel pain, you may have a perforated eardrum. Rubbing alcohol alone will not cause pain. If you put alcohol in your ear and it hurts, you need to go to the doctor and make sure your eardrum is intact.   it works Comments By: Candi to keep it from burning, place it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. then pour in the ear. it really works, i use it everytime and the ear that hurts feels better than the other ear.   One drop of rubbing alcohol Comments By: Sunshine I had an earache last night at 8pm. I laid down and tried to sleep, but it was impossible. I actually started crying because I didn't know how to make it stop. I wouldn't go to the doctor until the morning. By nine o'clock I couldn't bare it any longer. I took a Q-tip and dipped it into a bottle of rubbing alcohol. I tilted my head and let one drop into my ear. I kept my head tilted for maybe 20 seconds and tipped it back the other way to let it drip back out. I used the dry end of the Q-tip to soak any that came back out. Within the hour my earache was gone and I was asleep. My ear then started draining out excess water that was probabaly causing the pain.   I tried this and the pain went away. Comments By: Anon I tried this and it helped relieve the pain and did not burn.   Not working... Comments By: Cortney I have had the earache (with a throbbing feeling and I can't hear) for over an hour now and its 3:58 am. I have tried peroxide, alcohol, vineger, everything just about. Nothing really works. It works for like not even a minute! Thanks. God Bless   It does work.. Comments By: Michael Epps I've used it for years.. You have to use just a little. Dip a q-tip in Alcohol just enough were a little will go into the ear.. Just a drop do not make the q-tip super wet. Only do it once a day, twice at the most. When you feel the ear starting to itch a little don't mess with it again with a q-tip. The ear is starting to heal and if you put a q-tip back in you will inflame the area and the pain will come back. When applying don't move the q-tip around to much you will inflame the infected tissue and may make it worst.   I do it all the time Comments By: Danielle I have safely, pain free and effectively used rubbing alcohol after swimming. My sisters also use it and we use it on our kids as well- maybe it is specific to a certain "ear type"?!   I tried this and it hurt...a lot. Comments By: Manuel I tried this after swimming, because my ear was plugged up. It BURNED...and hurt. Never again.   Try it! Comments By: LaFAwnda I felt no pain whatsoever. Don't use plain alchol use it with vinegar and it relieves pain and has a lasting effect! Just smells bad   Best Used to Prevent Swimmer's Ear Comments By: Kat When I was little and used to practically live in the pool during the summer, my mom always put vinegar and rubbing alcohol (half and half) into my ears, made me lay on my side for a minute or so, then let it drain out. It dries out the ear canal so that no irritation developes (swimmer's ear is not an infection of the inner ear, but an inflammation/irritation of the outer ear). It shouldn't burn though, just feel funny, so if it really hurts you should see a doctor to make sure nothing is wrong with your ears.   I'm a believer Comments By: Ms. Dejohnette I raed everyones comments and i was skeptical but I couldnt deal with this pain so I gave it a try and I swear my earache went away instantly!!!!!!!   What if there's no pain...Just clogged up? Comments By: ManwithaProblem I only feel pain if I push in on my ear but other then that it feels good. I haven't tried the alcohol method yet because I don't know if it goes for me too since I have no pain. Can anyone help or do I just have to try it and find out?   A little research... Comments By: Ear Pain Sucks I came across this tip because, thinking to myself, if I have an ear canal infection peroxide should definately help, and alchohol kils most bugs, so why not irrigate with both? Oh dear god the pain. Here is a little gem from a pediatric journal, under the heading "Common Mistakes. "Rubbing alcohol is helpful for preventing swimmer's ear but not for treating it because it stings an infected ear too much." Thanks doc.   I have tried lots of these rememdies Comments By: E Patrick Zwahlen I have tried the olive oil and alcohol and nothing but I did sleep after I tried these, and although it isn't healed, it has lightened up. I keep poping it just to make sure it stays poped.   try it it does work it is not bad Comments By: Bec i put proxide first for s few seconds then drain it some then do the alcohol do it for a few seconds maybe a tad bit longer cause that dryes out the peroxide then go t bed when u wake up in the morning your fne   it relieves the pain and does not hurt when putting it in Comments By: anon i have been putting straight rubbing alcohol in my ear for two days after snorkeling/13 hor flight resulted in pain that is intermittent but bad. it relieves the pain instantly for 8 hours or more and doesn't hurt going in (feels like cold water). i think my ear is just irritated and/or the eustacian tubes have some liquid in them. if it was infected i could see where it would burn.   Diaharrea Comments By: Chaz I put a drop of rubbing alcohol in my left ear and instantly got diaharrea, so I proceeded to put a drop in my right ear after that poop attack and all of a sudden felt better and did not get diaharrea from the right ear drop, just the left one, thought that was kind of odd.   IT WORKS!!! Comments By: Ally Try the vapor rub thing. Take VICKS vapor rub and put it on anything cotton, a pad, ball, or anything like that. Take the vapor rub and put it on the cotton and then simply just put inside your ear. Just let it sit there and lay on the side that hurts with the VR inside your ear still. Just sit there and you'll feel it working. Also for congestion try getting a VICKS vaporizer and filling it up with water. Then put a blanket over your head and over the vaporizer after you turn it on...it feels GREAT! :)   Tea Tree Oil! Comments By: Aradia Try Tea Tree oil! It is not painful like alcohol, but will kill off the bacteria!   WELL IT STINGS A LITTLE... Comments By: ADAM AT FIRST, I FELT A COLD SENSATION IN MY EAR. AFTER I TILTED MY HEAD TO DRAIN IT OUT, IT HAD A STINGY FEELING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES MY EAR FELT BETTER. SOME MAY FEEL WORSE PAIN IF THEY HAVE A REALLY BAD INFECTION   well i dont know Comments By: skaterbro i tried it and it doesnt hurt to put it in but it doesnt work really fast   alchohol in ear Comments By: Tasha Miller BIG MISTAKE!!!!! I put alchohol in my ear for pain and i think i did some damage, because i can't hear, so don't do it.   Problem Solved Comments By: Jack Merridew Tried it, besides the slight tingling/hot sensation from the rubbing alcohol, I am cured! Thanks.   THIS BURNS AND MESSES UP YOUR EAR!! Comments By: MONIQUE OK I GAVE THIS A TRY I FIGURED I WOULD TRY ANYTHING TO GET RID OF AN EARACHE BUT OMG THIS STUFF BURNS LIKE FIRE IN YOUR EAR AND YOU LOOSE YOUR HEARING!!! """DONT DO IT"""!!!!   Right tool for the right job. Comments By: Rembrant Ultimately it depends entirely on the root cause of the ear pain. Growing up on the coast means constantly swimming means constant "ear ache" symptoms. Family and friends all used rubbing alcohol, peroxide, and combinations of the two. Never had any burning but only a mild warming sensation. If it burns something else is wrong and you should NOT do it again. Patient - "Doctor it hurts when I do this." Doctor - "Then don't do that!"   i dont know if its helping Comments By: mattie D i went swimming and when i got home my ear hurt so i put alchol in it and it burned so later because my ear was throbbbing and burning and painful so i tried it again but it hurt worse and burned can any one help me ? i dont know if i have swimmerss ear or not   Nope Comments By: S.R.Criswell It didn't really do well ANYTHING. All it did was made my ear burn for a day, and made ringing in my ear. Even I know a doctor who said it would help, but it doesn't.   too funny Comments By: daniel cl-ear i put the rubbing alcohol in my ear while reading your comments. too funny! lol we are risking our ear health and despite all the negative comments we are trying this crazy thing. i think the hydrogen peroxide actually made my ears feel cleared out. it felt like i was listening from deep within my ears for the first time in a long time. the alcohol rub just gave it a burning sensation. but i'm guessing both are killing bacteria.   Earache Comments By: Vera Dawn Rubbing alcohol makes it worse. You should try Oreganol (Extract of Oregano) and apple cider vinegar to reduce infection. Put it around the ear also. To get rid of pain get salt (preferably sea salt) and put in a cloth container like a cloth tea bag. The salt should be warmed in the microwave. If you touch it to your ear the pain goes away. It's a temporary solution but it works. I am also using damp washcloth heated up in the microwave as a heating pad.   Salt! Comments By: izzy I've been having trouble for a few days now over my swimmer's ear. Someone told me to put salt in a sock and heat it up in the microwave. Well... I got to thinking... Salt extracts moisture from the ear. Hence the reason of swimmers ear. So I licked the end of a q-tip and dabbed a bit of salt on the end and sprinkled a bit of salt in my ear then rubbed the qtip around in my ear. It helps alot. It started itching, which means its fighting the infection. Also.. Salt is used at an infection fighter. When you have a sore throat, your told to gargle salt water, Because, as I said, Salt fights infections. Reply to me and tell me what you think. naitsirhc_rocker_2010@yahoo.com   dont do it Comments By: anon i tried it, and the pain was so bad that i had to look it up, and thats where i read yalls input. dont listen to the people that are saying its ok because its not, all it did was intensify the pain times 10.   CAUTION! Both sides are right... Comments By: Cetkat Alcohol outside of your eardrum is fine - it may burn or not depending on how infected or raw your ear is (think skin vs cut on skin). If water is the cause of the discomfort, it will instantly dry it out and you'll feel better. If it's an infection, it will kill the bacteria and help, but you will still be in pain unless the resulting heat makes you feel better for the moment. However, if you have a hole in your ear drum and the alcohol gets into the inner ear - that's VERY bad. That's why people are having severe pain & losing their hearing. If you're at all uncertain as to which applies to you - DON'T USE IT! Otherwise, it's safe.   it goes work Comments By: Anon all you have to do is just poor a little on a q-tip and then lay on your side for about a minutes and the water just drips right out   does not work!! Comments By: in pain i put rubbing alcohol in my ear an hour ago and its killing me! i think my ear hurts even worst after doing that! it does not work!   Hanna says Comments By: jayrome I asked Hanna if she wasn't going to make a comment, she replied, "mi ahgo mek ah comment inna my bed"...seriously...Cetkat (fourth up from mine) it totally correct. Infection..pain...water..no pain   are you nuts? Comments By: Lenard Its like putting alcohol in your penises opening. This part of the ear is ultra sensitive. I asked Lenard why he still did it. He just said he wanted to feel the pain either way. Doesn't matter if it does not add logically. Well Lenard thinks his comment is waaaay better than Hanna though.   Alcohol needs to be with Vinegar to change PH Comments By: Susan Please only do alcohol with Vinegar. I know alcohol burns alone because you ear canal is infected and irritated causing the pain. Would you expect you open wound or scrape on your arm not to burn with a little alcohol. Please next time dilute 50/50 alcohol with vinegar. Thanks   OWWWWWWWWWW Comments By: DAVE JUST DON'T DO IT. JUST DID IT AND IT HURTS SO BLOODY BAD.   ok Comments By: dj just did it and no burning but idk if its going to work but if you don't have a hole in you ear drum its worth a shot   usually fine Comments By: Al Most products sold to use after swimming are rubbing alcohol based and help to dry the ear. Naturally if the ear is already infected it will be painful. Almost all people like myself that Scuba dive use alcohol in their ears all the time after a dive.   Joyous Occasin Comments By: Jackie It works! i thought my bf was crazy! but it feels better!   Ear Flush Comments By: shell My ear was stopped up so bad I could not hear so I went to the doctor and she flushed it out. She told me instead of buying those ear drops at the store for $7.00 just get some peroxide and mineral water. She used a syringe and flushed 30 cc of that in my ear and I was amazed what came out. But I could hear very clear after that. So use half and half but 30 cc in a syringe without a needle one more like a baster type.   Worked for me Comments By: Teek I tried this by first putting peroxide in my ear which really tickled and itched my ear. Then I added a few drops of alcohol after I drained the peroxide which had a slight burning sensation. After I did this I had absolutely no more ear pain.   Rubbing Alcohol works "WELL" !!!! Comments By: Karen I am 35 years old and just recently started getting ear infections. I have to agree that rubbing alcohol is a very quick fix to take ear pain away. I've used it each and every time I get an ear infection and it has worked. Sure it may burn a tad at first, but it kills the bacteria and dries out the infection. I would recommend a try to anyone. It's worth trying instead of dealing with the pain. ~ Good Health~ to everyone!!   some science... Comments By: Anon If you simply have water in your ear, rubbing alcohol will help since it destroys the surface tension in the water (making it stuck in your ear) the result is the water draining out of your ear...therefore making it feel better. If you have an actual infection theres a good chance it might help but won't feel immediately better. If you have any cuts inside your ear that you are unaware of itll make your ear burn like hell. yayy science to the rescue...   my opinion on rubbing alchohol Comments By: ginny I have used this, to cure colds, I breath isopropyl in my nose, hold my breath a minute, breath out, some mucus will come out, keeping doing this several times, then I put some isopropyl in my ear and it clears out the whole virus   I've Done It Before... Comments By: Holly I get some alcohol on my finger and put it in my ear when it itches, and it stings a lot, but it cleans it, so I think it helps the itching.   Hydrogen Peroxide Comments By: mike I dilluted a little bit of Hydrogen Peroxide & water, then I used an eye dropper thing to put some in my ear. I basically layed there until the popping peroxide effect died down. I did this twice & it worked, but now my ear has been ringing for 12 hrs. Will the ringing go away? TipKing says: You should see your doctor. Ringing in the ears could be tinnitus   Swim Ear is 95% Alcohol Comments By: Kerry So there is A LOT of info to back this up. I get A LOT of ear aches and this tip only works as a preventative measure not a measure of curing it after it occurs, only ANTIBIOTICS cures my bad ear aches.. thanks.   THIS WORKS Comments By: Stephanie I had ear infections all my life, tubes at least 3 times and i can tell you that as soon as my little guy started to get them i warmed up the alcohol till it was bearable and poured it right into his ear waited 20sec and had him drain it out, hes never had to go to the dr for an ear infection or had tubes!! His dr was also my dr and his fathers dr when we were children and she approves 100%. Now I will tell you that if your ear drum has a hole in it then this will be very PAINFUL and you can damage the inner ear. Too find out if you have a hole: plug your nose and blow softly to see if you can hear air go through the ear drum, you SHOULD just hear the ear drum expand and later contract... hope this helps!!   IT DOES WORK - HERE ARE THE TRUTHS Comments By: mOOmAN Here are the FACTS. If you put rubbing alcohol in your ear and it hurts/burns, you have a perforated ear drum! I use Isopropyl alcohol all the time to help fight colds and earaches. The alcohol instantly kills bacteria and helps your body fight infections because most of your infections start out in mucus membranes such as the ear/mouth. I've heard of people who put rubbing alcohol in their ears every single morning after showering and letting it drain out and they are never ever sick from colds (you can still get viruses). When I feel myself starting to come over with a cold, I put rubbing alcohol in my ears, and the cold either goes away or is not anywhere as intensified as the people who told me they had it first. YOU NEED TO CHECK WITH A DOCTOR BEFORE USING TO MAKE SURE YOUR EAR DRUM IS INTACT AND NOT PERFORATED, BECAUSE IF IT IS PERFORATED YOUR EARS WILL BURN TERRIBLY AND YOU MIGHT TEMPORARILY GO DEAF.   Swim Ear Comments By: Mel There is a bottle of stuff called "Swim Ear" that you use after you go swimming to help kill bacteria in your ears to prevent ear infection. It works great and does not hurt.   Do NOT, I repeat do NOT put rubbing alchohol in your ear!!! Comments By: Nyxs My 16 year old sister put rubbing alchohol in her ear to treat her swimmers ear and she SCREAMED for like an hour and she was crying. I don't think I would ever try rubbing alchohol for any eat treatment. XD she's giving me a head ache...   ear infection Comments By: anon for years i have been using the whole cotton ball and alcohol remedy for ear infection. It has always worked for me and now that im sick with this cold, seems like i have to do it again.. ugh i hate being sick   I don't think it is harmful Comments By: aaron Well i was reading this medical book on how to clean the inside of my ear and it says 50% white vinegar and 50% alcohol.so i don't think it is harmful   Stop playing doctor! Comments By: CuredQuickly Isopropryl alcohol IS rubbing alcohol, people! And it is poisonous to take internally. It is only for EXTERNAL use. Dripping it into your ear only counts as "external use" if it stays in your outer ear canal and does not enter the inner ear. Do not use it! The right remedy depends on what is wrong with your ear. If it's a fungal infection, your doctor can give you an inexpensive prescription for a solution of acetic acid (a component of vinegar) and a small amount of cortico-steroid. The acetic acid kills the fungus, and the corico-steroid eases itching. If the problem is bacterial, other remedies are needed. Don't play doctor with your ears! Your hearing is too precious to risk.   rather shocked and impressed Comments By: meow :3 I think I was at the beginning stages last night of possibly getting an ear infection, a little pain in one ear, kinda stuffed up. I happened to be going out, got a little buzzed n sweaty and then my bf saw that I was being kinda wierd with my ear. he said his sister gets ear infections all the time and to put rubbing alcohol in it. I told him he was effin crazy but googled it and came up with this site and tried a 50/50 mix of 70% rubbing alcohol and malt vinegar. put it on a qtip and kinda let it flow just a little into my ear, then turned the ear over and let it come out, swear that my pained feeling in my ear was gone, still didn't come back in the am! now I won't have an ear infection on my bday! definitely test a little bit if ur trying this and don't force qtips deep into ur ear to avoid hurting urself or that crazy burning pain everyones talking about on here, good chance its all about how far ur ears problem has progressed when u try it but im no doctor. best of luck!   Wimps Comments By: Anon There is a reason that it is a 50/50 mixture!! I put it in my kids and my ears every time we swim and if I do not it is an automatic ear infection for my son. Works every time!   Urine (pee) in the ear Comments By: Joseph Urine is very therapeutic for many infections. I put urine in my ear and it helped right away. After a few times, no problems at all. It's a natural disinfectant. They say early morning urine is the best. You need to use an eye drop or something, because it would be difficult otherwise.   I know that it works Comments By: Christie I know for a fact it works, you can either use a clean eye dropper and use a lil alcohol and/or peroxide and put a few drops in ur ear. of course its gonna hurt a lil bit because its infected. if you have an infected cut on ur arm and ur wiping that with alcohol it hurts then doesnt it? duh. but another way is dipping a cotton swab in alcohol and gently going around the ear canal and slightly in. do not go all the way in that can cause damage. tip your head for a few seconds so it can do its job then tip ur head the other way let it drain out and us a hair dryer on low to dry it out. then lay on that ear and wait for drainage. if it hurts it may be worse than you thought and see ur doctor. take 3 ibuprofen and 3 tylenol at once. it helps numb the pain for the time being if its at night when ur doin this. i put alcohol in my ear every once in a while even when its not infected to keep infection from happening and it feels a lot cleaner that way.   It works and doesn't hurt...just a little burning. Comments By: Jim I tried it, and it works. I had an earache coming on for a couple weeks and it started to really hurt. I didn't want to pay a docotor, so I researched and tried half isopropal and white vinegar. I was totally healed up after about 3x/day for 3 or 4 days. I still use it now every couple of day. It keeps my ears clean. I used to have quite a bit of ear wax, but now I have just the smallest bit, like when I was a kid. I never use qtips anymore (shouldn't have used them to begin with!). It does burn some if you have an earache, but not that bad. Once the problem is fixed, there is no burning at all. If you have really bad buring that doesn't go away after a half hour or so, you've got bigger problems, I'd suppose, and you need to see the doctor (and shell out that money!).   UGH DONT DO IT Comments By: Anthony I tried it with some GSE [as recommended] and all I smell wintergreen [the scent of the rubbing alcohol]! I tried to rinse back with water but that didnt work. Whatever.   Swimmer's Ear Cure (Alcohol + Hydrogen Peroxide) Comments By: katiekat My swim coach had me treat swimmer's ear (usually water trapped in the eustachian tube of the middle ear region) with hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide was thought to kill the infection as soon as the peroxide stopped bubbling or "tickling" in the ear. Rubbing alcohol was thought to dry up any excess liquid in the ear. I was cured immediately or by the next morning. Recently, I had an infection in my ear canal and tympanum membrane caused from overusing ear plugs. I did my coach's swimmer's ear treatment and when it didn't work after 24 hours, I went to the doctor. She prescribed me painkillers, Amoxicillan tablets, and Ofloxacin ear drops. A month later, I had a similar infection from using Q-tips. I used alcohol in my ears, which reduced the infection, until I got in to see a doctor. This doctor prescribed me Azithromycin tablets and Cipro ear drops. In conclusion, use hydrogen peroxide and alcohol for an at-home treatment for an ear infection. Do not be afraid of alcohol (even if it "burns" the infected area) because ALCOHOL KILLS ANY INFECTION (60% alcohol is how hand sanitizers kill 99.9% of germs). If the condition persists more than 24 hours, see a doctor. To prevent ear infections, AVOID: pointing your ears at the shower, cleaning your ears with Q-tips, and overusing ear plugs. A warning sign of an infection is "itchiness" in the ear before the swelling and pain. I suggest the swimmer's ear treatment whenever your ears feel "itchy" to kill the infection early.   I was scared at first Comments By: John I was a bit scared to try it after everyone said it burned. My did not burn at all. It was quite a relief when the drops of alcohol where in my ear. I left them in there for about a minute and let them drain out. The pain has subsided. I will probably put another drop in when I go to bed. Overall it worked pretty well.   IM NOT SURE Comments By: VERONICA WELL MY COUSIN AND I TRIES YOUR REMEDY BUT IT JUST DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK....AND ALSO SHE IS FEELING THAT BURNING SENSATION ....I GUESS IT ONLY WORKS FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE .....   Ispropryl Alcohol & Hydrogen Peroxide Comments By: Anon I tried mixing these 2 together like someone said and put them in my ear that bothers me and it bubbled up and didn't really hurt. I can't use those stupid ear drops from the doctor cause they make my ears burn and itch like crazy. Hope the alcohol dries up the fluid in my ears so they don't ache and itch much anymore! I don't think using the q-tips are that good and my ears itch less now that I stopped using them again. I think mixing the peroxide or alcohol with water or vinegar would be ok too. My ear hurts cause 2 summers ago I put a q-tip to far in the ear but they said the drum was still fine.   Vinegar and alcohol wash Comments By: Rosy My ENT also gave me this recipe for horrible ear ache. Another doctor had given me antibiotics that did nothing, and my ENT told me stop the antibiotics IMMEDIATELY as it could cause a severe yeast infection in my ear. Vinegar & Alcohol really works!   Really People? Comments By: Annoyed Hardly worked, but I am wondering about all of you who said it was incredibly painful and it still burns a week later...did you actually pour alcohol in your ear canal? Did you no process that you should apply with q-tip on cotton ball? Jesus, natural selection wins again.   no Comments By: Cynthia I tried a couple drops and it burned like crazy! then it wouldn't drain! so not only did my ears hurt from before, they burned, and I now have alcohol stuck in my ears. Just go to a doctor.   Worked like a dream Comments By: Lou This worked so well, i ws so pleased, cured the ear infection in 24 hours flat. went to the doctor adn she asked me if it has been treated, she prescribed ear infection drops which the main ingredient was 99% Alcohol. LOL!, well, I didnt need them anyway.   It DOES work!!!! Comments By: Beth I don't know what all these people are talking about. Rubbing alcohol TOTALLY works to cure ear aches + ear infections, and I have never experienced pain from it. It tingles kind of. My family has been using this remedy for generations, and I have used it on many roommates + now my husband-- and none of them have ever had a problem from it! Hydrogen peroxide probably also works, but I am paranoid about it leaving too much moisture, and too much moisture is what causes my ear aches in the first place. I hear apple cider vinegar works, but it would leave a smell that might bother some people.   IT WORKS!! Comments By: carla78 yeah it stinks for about 1 min(+/- 10 seconds). I have an autoimmune disease so i get sick easily. This is the best thing i can do for my constant ear aches. I usually dilute it 50/50 water and alchohol. If your scare to try it......then start off with a q-tip dipped in water first then in alchohol and stick it in there! lol (seriously)   Ear Ache solution Comments By: Sharon you need to mix 2/3 isopropyl rubbing alcohol with 1/3 white vinegar, I put it in a bottle so I have it on hand when there is a childs ear ache. I put a few drops with a dropper in each ear and then apply a cotton ball. Do this 3 times a day. This has been a miracle cure for my children for the last 10 years.   Used it for years Comments By: Bobby Hollis I tear a cotton ball in half, pour it full of Isopropyl, shove in the ear thats hurting. Now here is the secret..Dont let the alcohol squeeze out.Keep your ear tilted down..Go lay down on that ear, let the alcohol vapors rise into the canal, not the alcohol....The vapors are concentrated enough to kill the bacteria and stop the pain..It actually feel good if you do it this way....   Q-Tip Comments By: Mark If you just a dip a Q-Tip (cotton swab) in the rubbing alcohol and then rub that around in your ear it only has a very minor stinging sensation for about 3-4 minutes, and feels better afterward. Another solution is 50:50 rubbing alcohol and peroxide. I recommend 70% rubbing alcohol, not 91%   The Perfect Solution Comments By: Jorge Castro Ok, I remember my mom would take a table spoon and put some oil and one piece of garlic, in Mexico we call it a tooth of garlic, (smashed), then boil it few moments over a flame, then with a piece of cotton get some of that warm, (no hot of course) oil, put a drop or two into the ear all the way in, at contact the pain will disappear, time after time that was the most efective solution for my agonizing ear infection, I am 50 almost now and I share this with people, they say but I still need to take my kid to the doctor right?, nope, that's it, holy remedy.   All Former Comenters Comments By: Informer To all the people who are against this you are dumb. If you have ever used Swimmer's Ear drops to get rid of excess water in your ears, you have put rubbing alcohol in your ears. Alcohol does not burn or hurt, it has a slight warming sensation and can feel very good to cure the problem you have. However, if you have a perforation in your eardrums or other wound in your ears you should not put any liquid in them. Consult a doctor for information on a cure for your problem.   check out Xylitol also Comments By: Brian I have used 50/50 alcohol/clear apple cider vinegar with good results. A little burn if the ear is irritated but not a problem. If you have a full blown ear infection with swelling and pain I'd see a doc as you may need antibiotics. For longer term ear heath check out using Xylitol gum -- some interesting studies mostly in Finland. Also good for dental and sinus problems (nasal irrigation with 1 tsp ea of Xylitol, clean sea salt, and baking soda -- I use an ear syringe but could use a Neti pot -- see Neti pot on Youtube and Google sinus xylitol)   forgot.... Comments By: Brian should have said for the sinus rinse that the ingredients get well mixed into 16 oz of pleasantly warm water. I find this is helping my allergies -- I do it every couple days. Nasal congestion often complicates ear problems so good to address both areas. The Xylitol thing is interesting -- it is a natural sugar that bateria are attacted to but are unable to digest so it messes them up. Also low glycemic index and it's yummy! No I don't sell it LOL!   Worked several times for me Comments By: Kay I developed a terrible ear infection several years ago and actually lost my hearing for a time. Somebody told me about the rubbing alcohol trick a year or so after. I've had several starts to ear infections. I dip a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and very gently swab inside my ear (I know, I know, nothing smaller than an elbow in there) but this has taken care of my ear infections very quickly.   Not safe, may cause seizures. Comments By: letaandalex@yahoo.com My mom was very healthy but one day she put alcohol in her ear because she was too cheap to buy eardrops and now she gets seizures. Her brain gets stuck on one thing every few months. I don't suggest it. Go spend the money for actual eardrops, it's better to be safe than sorry. God Bless   hahaha Comments By: Divine hahaha i have not tried it and im kinda scared to after reading all of this... i have a REALY BAD ear ache and i dont know how to get rid of it because i dont have peroxide and ear drops but i DO have rubbing alchohl but i dont know if i want to use it. hahaha all of this is too funny though!   Worked in Dr's office for 13 years Comments By: Debby After we wash out a patients ear we use alcohol (a drop or 2) to get the remaining water out. Been doing it for 13 years. If you have a Middle Ear infection this will not work, but works great for Swimmers ear or Ear Canal Infections. I just cured my Ear Canal Infection with alcohol/vinegar solution, 3x a day. It was almost swollen shut. Small burn for a few minutes. Plus I left the solution in my ear for 5 minutes each time. Again if you have a tear in your ear drum this will hurt and I would suggest not to do it. To tell the difference: an ear canal infection can be felt on the outside of the ear, pull lightly if it hurts more than likely it is a Canal Infection. You should not use Peroxide, it actually turns to water once it is done 'bubbling' and defeats the purpose.   Haha, no thanks... Comments By: Emily I personally love the pee in the ear suggestion by Joseph. Honestly, who is going to try that?!?!? Haha, dumb...   Does not hurt if you don't have a busted eardrum Comments By: Derek It will help with the pain but take a dose of motrin(ibuprofen) with this remedy. One drop in ear, let it sit for about 3 minutes then let it drain out. I had serve pain and now it is gone thanks to this and ibuprofen.   Listed as a valid home cure for swimmer's ear Comments By: Anon On the Medline plus page, which is a service of the US National Library of Health and NIH, rubbing alcohol is a home cure for swimmer's ear. As long as the eardrum is not perforated! The alcohol dries up the water and kills off any bacteria or fungus that may decide that the ear's a good habitat. For infections, see a doctor. Depending on what causes the earache, it's a valid cure. Here's the link: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003042.htm   Alcohol & Hydrogen Peroxide can burn!! Alcohol & Vinegar is fine. Comments By: SKS Generally safe to combine pharmacy store rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. My wife uses it to clean enema buckets and tubing. A warning tho, is that occasionally for some reason the mix reacts with something as it drains thru the hose. If you get some on your skin, it burns and leaves a white burn mark. We have yet to figure why this happens. I have seen on some info sites people suggest putting the above mixture in your ears to loosen ear wax. I'll never do it, knowing what could happen. If your a swimmer, alcohol and white vinegar mixed 50/50 and dripped into each ear after swimming will prevent swimmers ear and infections after swimming in lakes, streams etc. Commonly used by scuba divers. You can make it for pennies, it's the same ingredients that you will find in store bought products made for swimmers. The alcohol dries the ears and the vinegar restores the ears acidity. One day, I didn't bring my squirts, the day after swimming in Tampa Bay, had two ear infections. So I never go swimming with out it. You can use straight Hydrogen peroxide for loosen ear wax from what I read but, it does produce some heat. The heat probably softens the wax for removal for flushing with warm water.   sloshing in ear Comments By: Big D when i cup my hand over my ear and gently move it back and forth it sounded like water was in my ear. I mixed white vinegar and rubbing alcohol { isopropyl alcohol ] in a 50/50 mix and had my son put a few drops in. It instantly made a whooshing noise, after a few seconds tipped my ear down so it could drain. lay down on that side for a few minutes. I had no discomfort and 10 minutes later there is no more sloshing in the ear.   SWEET OIL Comments By: Missy all you have to do is buy a bottle of sweet oil at the drugstore and put a few drops in your ear and then put a cotton ball in your ear.   Ouch!!! And tears!!! Comments By: Jackie I have tubes in my ears and I went swimming this weekend and when i dived in the pool my ear had so much pressure in it i wanted to cry..So i went in and put peroxide in it and it bubbled and felt weird..SO I left and came back home two days later and I decided to put alcohol in my ear OUCH!!!!!!! It hurt so bad i was in tears so I guess my ear is infected from the water sittin in it too long or my ear drum and tube are infected I know im making a trip to my SInus doctor ASAP!!!!   IT WILL ONLY WORK SOMETIMES Comments By: anon It depends what type of earache you have. alcohol doesnt automatically work for every single earache, it only works for the ones that arent really deep inside the ear cannal. if you have an earache that is in the middle or deeper chances are it will not work, but if your earache is fairly shallow (not the pain but the source of the infection) then it is likely to work because it dries the ear out and kills the bacteria. everyone's body is different that's why it isnt a total cure so if you are hesitant to try it i dont recommend it   that was stupid!!! Comments By: alison Hurt like hell. Satan is in my ear poking me in the head!!   Depends on type. Comments By: Raven There are two different kinds of ear infections (which is what causes an earache). One is on the inside (middle ear), so not accessible by touching. The other is the kind that is in parts of the ear you can reach. The latter can be caused by, or get worse when, the inside of the ear is wet (this time I mean the "inside" of what you can reach - the canal). Therefore, if you have the second kind, alcohol or anything else that causes instant drying will be very helpful. If touching and moving your ear makes it hurt more, then you have the second kind. If your eachache was caused by using Q-tips (and lasted more then a few minutes, i.e. not due to a scratch or a slip), then you also have the second kind (if it WAS due to a scratch or slip, then you don't actually have an ear infection, just a bruise or whatever, unless it lases say longer then an hour in which case it probably got infected). So if you have the kind that's in your outer ear canal then alcohol or any other drying agent should help - since it kills all bacteria, it may also offer instant relief as the poster said. If not, then you can just use it to keep dry so they cannot breed or survive long. The reason the EMT said not to use rubbing alcolhol is probablay just because it will stiong. If you do still have alcohol or vinegar in your ear after using, it doesn't matter - alcohol will dry instantly in air, so it's nothing to worry about except the stinging, and vinegar, again, is killing the bacteria so the worse it will do is feel like there's liquid in it. Any time there is liquid in your ear you can get it out by turning your head sideways and putting your ear in a tub of water, which will "coax the water on the inside to join the water on the outside". However, this may be a bad idea if you have an ear infection, since water is part of what caused it in the first place (and since what's already in there in this case ISN'T water).   I dont think so,,, Comments By: Tyler I havent tried it but dont want to.. my doctor told me to put ear drops of neotic but it doesnt seem to get rid of the pain.. nothing really does.. i even take pain killers and ive only been able to get like 4 hrs of sleep every night,, kind of off topic but what should i do to kill the pain?   Sorry my spelling is bad Comments By: chris Well I've been sick 3 days flu, post nasal drip and one ear ache that turned in to two. i just didnt see my body making me better when I was sooo messed up. But i did try the alchol thing and its like a mirical i dont even know how to tell you so you'll believe me! But 5 minutes ago i put roughly 5 drops in each ear they were hurting a little bad yea know. It does burn but not bad its actually a relieving burn i can feel things movin in there like liqued so im gonna go lay down with a heating pad under my ear be careful may work but if you fall asleep on it you could burn your self stay safe everyone thanks to your site i can say my ears really dont hurt THANKS EVERYONE!!!!   just tried it Comments By: Martinez I just tried it and it hurt for an instant but then the water was out of my ear and now after reading this I'm a little worried, but I read it on web md so who knows I guess I'll know when I get an ear infection. The pain is gone though.   hurts in a good way... Comments By: Morgan It does hurt like a beach but although the burning is almost unbearable is does feel like its cleaning it out and it must be working because you can feel it bubbling wich means its fighting the infections.. it does hurt really bad though. Not for the faint of heart!   Per Nurse use Isopropyl Alcohol Comments By: Lisa I had a nurse at my doctors tell me to use Isopropyl Alcohol for water in my inner ear. I mentioned this to my daughter and she said it opened her ear immediately. I had water in my ear an hour ago and it worked for me also. Yes it burned for about five minutes, but I'm as good as new now.   pharmacy Comments By: angela my 11 year old daughter has swimmers ear, i just returned from the walgreens where i bought ear drops made to treat this. the only active ingredients in the drops were 95% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in a 5% glycerin base the pharmacist said the glycerin just had a slightly soothing effect so alcohol is absolutely safe. and if it doesnt burn my 11 year old too much it cant hurt that much unless you have a more serious condition btw the drops were 4.99 rubbing alcohool less than a dollar   Yippeee Pain Free (for now) Comments By: LaGirl I originally got this tip from my sister n law that I don't trust so of course I had to research it before I tried it. I'm happy to say that after skimming through these comments and careful consideration, my earache is GONE!! I used a little alcohol on a cotton ball and let it run in my ear a bit. It didn't burn at all. As a matter of fact, my pain just slowly faded. I'm so glad I tried this.   RELIEF!!! Comments By: NATE i had swimmers ear, i slept on the affected ear & nothing, so i came about this page & tried alcohol with a Q-tip, i didnt burn real bad nor stung, just felt warm & tingly, im still trying it cause water is in my ear still, just dampen the Q-tip a little, put your head upright & tilt it back & you WILL feel the water come out, gotta say this worked for me, & I HAVE A PERFORATED DRUM SO I RUBBED IT IN, NOT DROPS!!!!   TO Relieve Your Pain From Your Ear Comments By: Pegster I Had A Earache For 9 Days Striaght Couldnt Eat Or SLeep On The 8th day i Decided 2 use a heating pad on my ear it relieves all your pain and will let you sleep better   No problem Comments By: dre Had an earful of sea water that would not drain. Put a few drops from a cotton swab in my ear and the water dried up. Now I can't hear my mother-in-law so it worked!! Just kidding, I can hear fine.   >.> Comments By: Sayerofsayings It only works on white people and im not white -.-   Alchol only burns on open wound/sore/perf eardrum Comments By: Beesy If you don't want the burn, don't use if you have an open wound/sore or a perferated eardrum. If you have any of these, you should see an Otolaryngologist - aka ENT aka Ear,Nose and Throat physician. Alcohol is used in almost all swimmer's ear remedies TO REMOVE WATER ONLY. Check out the labels. Buy youself some 91% isopropyl and save a bunch of money. If you're having other ear pains, you should really see a doc. If you have have an infection and you don't get it treated, it can permanently affect your hearing.   Undecided Comments By: Jan I've had a blocked ear for 5 days, been to my doc who prescribed oral antibiotics and recommended warm baby oil in ear nightly. He says I have a wax build up plus water from a swim lesson. Nothing changed over four days, so tried the rubbing alcohol just now (swap soaked dripped in affected ear - twice) and nothing has happened. I did not let it drain out and wonder if I have a bunch of alcohol in my ear, or if it never made its way in. I did have the warm sensation, so now I think I will get to a clinic. I had a serious ear infection twenty-five years ago (my only one) and I am afraid to do anything. Very little sound heard in the affected ear.   Im layin on my side with it in there now! Comments By: Expert ;) It feels greatt. I woke up last night in the middle of the night about to cry I was in pain so bad. And I don't have money for ear drops so I'm trying this. The PAIN IS GGONE!! (:   Hope this helps Comments By: Happy that thats over I wanted to post this because I was looking for help but I kinda ran accross it on accident. So maybe I can help people save their ears. I went to the emergency room. AND WAITED ALMOST 4hrs nobody saw me I told them to cancel me. The pain had seemed like it subsided a little so I said it may not be that serious after fighting it for 2 1/2 weeks..lol.. I intially thought it was a tooth ache. I went to walmart and GOT SOME VINEGAR(I learned of this from the physician after I made a seen not being at least seen with in the last 5hrs after my first sit down). He said keep it dry and try vinegar after I told him I wasn't going to wait and they deleted me from the hospital base respectively. WHY PAY THAT MUCH FOR ANTIBODICS COME ON.. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN HOUR... MAN!!! Well guys I bought some auro-dri from walmart(it has a glycerin base and 95% alcohol this seemed to dry it out(didn't hurt at all I think it was because of the glycerin) and the vinegar seem to fight what seem to be a infection. It started doing a minor itching and bubbling inside.. put everything in that order. The audri-dri first then the vinegar. And it felt SO Good. This works!! Get some halls for a sore throat/salt and water (gargle)also Listerin(mouth wash) and also some anbesol for the teeth if its messing with your teeth(yes I was having real pain). Don't try to much Tylenol PM with the sleep aid it can make matters worst if you use to much. Yes I went through alot. But guys you should know that I tried the rubbing alcohol first before everything(yes this did hurt when I put it in but I used a cotton swab... don't stick it in the ear It may cause more irritation and mess up something just let 2 drops fall in from the swab enough to go down..thats it until you can get to the auro-dri and vinegar. I notice that the next to days before I went to the doctor and sat down for that long wait my ear stopped aching as much after the rubbing alcohol (it was about 91%), which is what made me look for something at walmart with alcohol for ears in the first place the physician didn't tell me this. I noticed that the anbesol goes through the blood line and takes some of the pain off the ear. And what.. could have been $500 dollars without insurance turned in to about a $10.00 fix. WOW! I'm going to try a warm pad later. I heard that this helps build heat which will cause your white blood cells to speed up which will produce wax in order to fight infection as well. YOU NEED EAR WAX. DON'T FORGET WHILE YOUR BURNING YOUR EARS. LOL.   BE PREPARED TO BE IN AGONY! Comments By: anon About a week ago, I had a painful lump in my outer ear, and behind my ear. That night, I rubbed the lump before going to bed, hoping it would make the infection drain if that was what was causing it. When I woke up, the lump behind my ear was gone, but it was still kind of sore inside. I went swimming for the next 2 days, then woke up one morning with my head hurting so bad I couldnt stand it. My ear wasnt reeally hurting, but it felt clogged up, like I needed to pop my ears or something. I held my nose, and blew out trying to get my ears to open. When I did this, a gush of water ran out and it made a screeching noise so loud, that the person beside of me could hear it. IT WAS BAD!!! that went on for a full day, I slept on that side hoping it would all run lout, but the next day, it was exactly the same, so I put peroxide in my wear. It didnt really help much so a couple hours later, I tried rubbing alcohol... BIG MISTAKE!!! It burned so bad I literally screamed. I ran back to the bathroom tilted my head hioping it would all run out and grabbed a q-tip to dry out what didnt. I advise you to try other remedys before doing this!!!   Clean out the wax first! Comments By: Jason McCann You need to clear out any wax if any home remedy you put in your ear is going to work, in my humble opinion. I typically use ear wax softening drops and then use a water pic (the kind used for teeth) to unplug any wax. Keep in mind this can take a while. (as in 20 minutes sometimes, and maybe two attempts) If water is still trapped in the ear then the wax is not gone. For those of you with severe infections: WHEN YOU GET THROUGH THAT WAX IT'S GONNA HURT, but at least now the infection isn't trapped and incubating. Now when you put a drop of rubbing alcohol or a few drops of peroxide in it will NOT GET STUCK BACK THERE and sting for days! If you go to the doctor this is exactly what they do to remove ear wax. First the water rushes in and eventually dislodges (the some times HUGE) piece of ear wax. Then as you continue to spray its the water draining out of your ear than will actually push the main piece of wax out. Eventually, if you have a huge piece of wax in your ear it will slowly work its way up the canal and finally come out and you will be thinking "THAT WAS IN THERE?" My point is, I think putting drops of peroxide and alcohol in an ear filled with ear wax is insane! I would never do it. With a clear ear if it hurts too much you can wash out the alcohol etc IMMEDIATELY with no wax blockage. But please, make your own decisions, I am not a doctor people! If you have severe infections I think the ER or a clinic is best if you don't have insurance. And inner ear infection can KILL YOU.   HydrogenPeroxideNotRubbingAlcohol Comments By: Shane Okay, you don't use rubbing alcohol. You use hydrogen peroxide. Rubbing alcohol comes in clear bottle hydrogen peroxide comes in blakc bottle. Straight alcohol is painful, thats why you use a cap full of Hy. Perox pour it in your ear and stick a cotton ball in your ear. Whenever it stops making the bubbling sound you tilt your head over and let it drain. The cotton ball will soak up the hy. perox.   It burns!! Comments By: Anon I dipped a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and cleaned my ear in it (thinking it would melt the wax and relieve my pain) I wish I hadn't!! My ear burns and sorta aches, I rushed to the sink and rinsed it would but it still hurts!   no alcohol Comments By: superb the alcohol may kill the bacteria (initially) as well as burn, but it will also dry out the skin of the inner ear so that it will crack (like dry skin). This, in turn makes the skin that much more susceptible to new bacterial growth - you are just opening up the skin for more to get in. Some ear prescriptions will contain 5% acetic acid with an oil or buffer agent. This is similar to vinegar, but may not be what you need. May need antibiotics and in some cases steroids to relieve inflammation.   Try some Aleve Comments By: Ree I was skeptic about the alcohol, peroxide, and vinegar......however, I DID take 3 Aleve, and while reading this page - hallelujah - the Aleve kicked in. Pain free. So I guess I will try next time. When in doubt, bring the Aleve out. Definitley NOT trying the urine though. I'll take your word for it Joey boy.   from birth Comments By: Janet never put a q tip or a bobby pin, or anything else in your ear. Leave them alone. I had one earache and my great aunt put warm oil on a cotton ball and I was fine. Never have had any other earache. Pushing things in your ears causes problems. They drain naturally, and if they dont, see a doctor.   concentration Comments By: lalalalala for those of you with BURNING sensation in your ear look at your bottle of rubbing alcohol... does it say 90% ? BAD THAT IS WHY YOUR EARS ARE BURING!!!!! i suggest using 70% or even 50%. The rubbing alcohol and vinegar solution is great for curing swimmers ear and yeast related ear infections, but if you are trying to just get the water our of your ears use a q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol will do the trick. again, it's important to look at the isopropyl alcohol percentage.   sweet oil Comments By: jmc its all about the sweet oil, heat it up so its warm but not burning hot. like luke warm. then put it in your ear with a cotton ball.   NO HEATING PADS WHILE YOU SLEEP Comments By: Patrick Whittemore I ran across a comment someone posted about using a heating pad to releave the pain. Do not sleep with a heating pad on your ear.. The wax in your ear will melt and destroy your ear. I repeat, leaving a heating pad on your head when you go to bed can perminatly destroy your hearing. I have a friend who lost there hearing this way. If you want to use it for a little while that is fine.. just don't sleep with it.