Comfort Measures for Ear Infections?

This will sound funny - but the best thing to help is a baked potato! I kid you not. I read this years ago in Parents magazine and it works great!

You cook a baked potato in the microwave and then put the potato in a sock. Then the child can hold the nice warm 'sock' to thier ear. The great thing about it is that it stays warm for a really long time, it is soft and you can let them go to bed with it and not worry about electrical cords or a leaking hot water bottle.

Try it - you will not be sorry!

There is nothing worse than an ear infection. My son got one really bad last year and nothing seemed to work. You can try a warm compress over the ear that is infected. That may releave some of the pain. Don't know how well or how long it might work, but good luck.

My kids didn't have these as late as 3 years, so this will depend on how your son sleeps -- but when mine were still in cribs, I lifted the "head" end of the crib mattress up on a large sofa cushion, so their head wwas elevated while they slept, thus relieving some of the pressure. If he's in a toddler bed (or even a twin?) , maybe propping something under the head end of the attress could help in this way? Hope he feels better soon!

You are doing all the right things and he will feel better soon. Make sure he doesn't lay down with that ear down. and you could try some heat on it. Hang in there. It's no fun at all.
-S.

My son had chronic ear infections since he was born. Give him Motrin instead of tylenol because motrin is an anti inflammitory. If he has a fever you can also rotate giving tylenol and motrin every 2 hours if he is really bad. Good Luck! He will feel better soon!

Hi,

I recently, personally had an ear infection. It's miseriable. Pain meds are great but I found a hair dryer blown at the low setting toward my ear helped. Give it a try.

I know I'm late with this...but my daughter had chronic ear infections until she was 3 or 4, when they put tubes in.....the only thing that ever really made her feel better was me and a recliner...she would lay on me and we would sleep on the recliner...she had the comfort of Mommy and my body heat to warm her ear for the pain....( she wouldn't take the tylenol orally...so that always made things worse!)Sometimes I wonder who illness is hatrder on...the child or the mother...I know I hated feeling so helpless when when there was no consoling her.

I know how you feel I have had 5 children all with ear infections,, the doctor gave me these drops to put in that numbs the ear drum,, they worked great also when he is awake I would try a heating pad with you sitting by him.. Hope he feels better..

I have used a hot water bottle with my daughter along with the ear drops the doctor gave her.
After about 2 hours she always did quite well.
R.

I had my son lay his head against a warm heating pad (a warm water bottle would work as well) and kept him propped up rather than lying flat. It seems to help if they don't lay flat while there's infection in their ears. Candeling is also a therapy that my daughter prefers. A lot of doctors don't like it (but what homepathic remedy do they like?) that you may want to look into also. Hope he's feeling better soon!

Hi L.!

Oh there's nothing worse for a little one! I have used both the prescribed drops from the dr. that seem to work well, but someone recommended herbal drops, I think called garlic ear oil - I bought them so long ago that I can't remember what they're called and the label has worn off. I purchased them at Sunflower Health on High Street - any health food store probably would have something similar. I swear by them.

Hope you're little one is one the mend. At any rate, even if he begins to feel better, may be you can pick up a bottle to have on hand and it seems to be quite soothing and some even say helps rid the infection without an antiobiotic.

Hope that offers you something.