Can i put olive oil in my ear

Earwax normally just falls out on its own. When it's blocking your ears, a pharmacist can help.

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Symptoms of earwax build-up
How you can treat earwax build-up yourself
Important: Important
A pharmacist can help with earwax build-up
Non-urgent advice: See a nurse at your GP practice if:
Not all GP practices remove earwax
Causes of earwax build-up
Preventing earwax build-up
"Should I put oil in my ears before I come for my visit?"
When should you do it?
What oil is best?
How to put oil in your ear:
7 Home Remedies for Ear Infections
2-Ingredient Mixture To Effectively Help Eliminate Earwax And Ear Infections
Here are the symptoms of earwax buildup:
If the earwax buildup is not eliminated on time, it can lead to an infection, which is often characterized by:
Here is how to use it:
Using Eardrops
How to Use Alcohol to Clean Out Earwax
6 More Home Remedies To Beat Ear Infections
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt Compress
Tea Tree Oil
Hydrogen Peroxide Solution to Clean Your Ears
How long should I leave olive oil in my ear?
Is putting olive oil in your ear okay?
Does olive oil dissolve ear wax?
What is the best oil to put in your ear?

Symptoms of earwax build-up

Symptoms of earwax build-up include:

hearing loss
earache or a feeling that your ears are blocked
ringing or buzzing in your ears (tinnitus)
vertigo (feeling dizzy and sick)

How you can treat earwax build-up yourself

Important: Important

Do not use your fingers or any objects like cotton buds to remove earwax. This will push it in and make it worse.

Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it does not and blocks your ear, put 2 to 3 drops of medical grade olive or almond oil in your ear 3 to 4 times a day. Do this for 3 to 5 days.

It is recommended you use a dropper while lying your head on one side for a few minutes to let the oil work its way through your ear canal(s).

You may find it easier to do this first thing in the morning and then just before you go to sleep.

Over about 2 weeks, lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear, especially at night when you're lying down.

There's no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax.

A pharmacist can help with earwax build-up

Speak to a pharmacist about earwax build-up. They can give advice and suggest treatments.

They might recommend medicines to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.

Do not use drops if you have a hole in your eardrum (a perforated eardrum).

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a nurse at your GP practice if:

your symptoms have not cleared after 5 days
your ear is badly blocked and you cannot hear anything (you can get an infection if it has not cleared)

Not all GP practices remove earwax

Some can:

flush the wax out with water (ear irrigation)
suck the wax out (microsuction)

These treatments are usually painless. You might have to pay to have them done privately.

Causes of earwax build-up

A build-up of earwax can happen if:

you have narrow or damaged ear canals
you have lots of hair in your ear canals
you have a skin condition affecting your scalp or around your ear
you have inflammation of your ear canal (otitis externa or "swimmer’s ear")

Preventing earwax build-up

You cannot prevent earwax. It's there to protect your ears from dirt and germs.

But you can keep using eardrops for a few days to soften the wax. This will help it fall out on its own and should prevent blocked ears.

Page last reviewed: 28 January 2021
Next review due: 28 January 2024

"Should I put oil in my ears before I come for my visit?"

While this is not essential, it is always helpful to do this prior to your visit.

When should you do it?

At least 1-2 days prior to your visit is useful.

What oil is best?

Use a cooking oil, such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or rice bran oil.
It's best not to use any oil with a fragrance (i.e. baby oil), as this can irritate sensitive skin in the ear canal.

How to put oil in your ear:

Use a dropper (can be purchased at a chemist), or put a small amount of oil on a teaspoon.
Lie on your side and place a large ball of cotton wool (not cotton buds) into the ear canal gently so as not to allow the oil to escape.
Stay on your side for at least 2-3 minutes.
It is not necessary to warm the oil.

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7 Home Remedies for Ear Infections

2-Ingredient Mixture To Effectively Help Eliminate Earwax And Ear Infections

The ears are one of the most sensitive body parts, and their cleanliness should be one of our priorities. Our ear canals produce earwax as a way to protect the ears from dust, foreign particles, and microorganisms, and themselves from irritations as a result of water.
The excess earwax leaves the ear canal from the ear opening naturally, but sometimes, the excessive production of wax in the ear canals can block the ear, and even lead to hearing loss.

Here are the symptoms of earwax buildup:

Earache
sudden or partial hearing loss
tinnitus, ringing or buzzing in the ear
a feeling of fullness in the ear

If the earwax buildup is not eliminated on time, it can lead to an infection, which is often characterized by:

fever
severe pain in the ear
Dizziness
pain in the ear that doesn’t subside
drainage from the ear
coughing
persistent hearing loss
an odor coming from your ear

Here is how to use it:

Mix the rubbing alcohol and the white vinegar, and drop 5ml of it in the ear. Keep the head tilted for about a minute, and then put the head upright to help the remaining mixture to run out of the ear. Apply the remedy in both ears, and repeat daily.

Using Eardrops

Ear drops that may help with an ear infection can be purchased or they can be made at home. Non-prescription eardrops may be helpful in treating mild cases of swimmer’s ear. Eardrops can be made at home or purchased over the counter.
According to ear specialists, a simple at-home blend can be made by making a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar. Using a few drops into the ears can help dry out the ear canal and support the healing process.
These drops should also not be used in people who have ear tubes (T-tubes), permanent injuries to their eardrum, or certain ear surgeries.
If the infection is not getting better or other symptoms develop, a person should stop using the drops and see their doctor.
Eardrops should not be used in an ear that has any discharge coming from it unless prescribed by a doctor.
Ear discharge, drainage, or blood is a sign of a bigger complication, such as a ruptured eardrum, which needs immediate medical attention.

How to Use Alcohol to Clean Out Earwax

6 More Home Remedies To Beat Ear Infections

Garlic

Garlic has potent antimicrobial and pain relieving properties that make highly effective as a home remedy for ear infections. There are several different ways you can employ garlic as a natural earache remedy.
Make your own garlic oil by cooking two cloves in two tablespoons of mustard oil until it becomes black in color. Strain the liquid and when it is just hot enough for you to bear, put a few drops in the affected ear. Be sure to use a clean dropper for this method.
You can also boil a few fresh cloves of garlic in water for about five minutes. Crush them and add a little real salt. Put this mixture into a clean cloth and place it against the ear that is hurting.
In addition to the above remedies with garlic, you can also consume a few cloves of fresh garlic daily to help boost your immunity and speed up healing.

Olive Oil

There are many reasons for an ear infection but one very common one is when wax in the ear is attacked by a fungal or bacterial growth which leads to a blockage in the Eustachian tubes. This obstruction can be cleared easily with the help of olive oil.
Warm up some olive oil on the stove (on low heat). Dribble the oil into the infected ear. When the oil hits the wax it will soften. After this, remove the wax with a cotton swab. However, do not put the swab too far into the ear as you may damage the eardrum.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is touted as the “go to” remedy, one that your grandmother may have relied upon. Despite its strong aroma and acidic taste, this vinegar made from fermented apples has a plethora of healing properties.
One of these properties is its antibacterial and antifungal characteristics. Known for its ability to fight chronic yeast infections, apple cider vinegar can also tackle fungus that may cause ear infections.
To use apple cider vinegar for ear infections, mix one part apple cider vinegar with one part water. Soak a cotton ball in the solution. Place the cotton ball in your affected ear and let it sit for five minutes or so. Remove the cotton ball and lay down on your opposite side so that any residual vinegar can drain from your ear. Dry your ear out with a hair dryer set on low.
Note: If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar. If you know that the location of your infection in in the Eustachian tubes, you can try gargling with apple cider vinegar as well.

Salt Compress

A warm compress may help relieve the pressure building up in the ear as well. Using a compress for 20-minute periods while resting can help reduce pain. This can be done along with other pain treatments, including over-the-counter medications.
Most people have no trouble finding a little salt in their home. Heat up one cup of salt over low heat for just a few minutes. Place the warm salt in a clean and soft cloth. Secure the end of the cloth with a rubber band. When you can stand the temperature, lay down and place the cloth on the affected ear for about ten minutes. Repeat this daily to help bring relief. The warm salt will help draw out the fluid from the ear and reduce pain and swelling.

Basil

Basil is an herb with many therapeutic properties. Basil is high in antioxidants and also contains potent antibacterial properties. To use basil crush five fresh holy basil leaves very gently to expel the juice. Apply the basil juice on and around the affected ear. Be careful not to get any of the juice in the ear canal. Alternatively, mix a few drops of holy basil oil with an equal amount of coconut oil and soak a cotton ball in the mixture. Wipe gently just inside the ear, around the outside of the ear and behind the ear with the mixture.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has a number of amazing therapeutic properties including; antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, antimicrobial, fungicide, insecticide, balsamic, expectorant and stimulant.
All of these properties make tea tree oil and excellent herbal remedy to turn to when you have ear pain or infection. Mix a few drops of oil with a tablespoon of olive oil and warm slightly. Fill a clean dropper with the mixture and drop into the infected ear. Lay on your side with the oil in your ear for about three minutes. Turn your head to drain the oil out.
Repeat daily until the pain subsides.

Hydrogen Peroxide Solution to Clean Your Ears

How long should I leave olive oil in my ear?

Fill the ear with lots of olive oil drops and then massage the tragus (the skin just in front of the entrance to the ear canal) – this enables the oil to run down the ear canal more easily 5. Stay lying down for 5 - 10 minutes and then get up and wipe away any excess oil with a tissue 6.

Is putting olive oil in your ear okay?

Olive oil is generally safe to use in small quantities in the ear. However, people with a ruptured eardrum should never put olive oil or other substances in the ear. Irrigating the ear with olive oil can cause side effects such as itching, outer ear infections, dizziness, and skin irritation.

Does olive oil dissolve ear wax?

Earwax usually falls out on its own. If it does not and blocks your ear, put 2 to 3 drops of medical grade olive or almond oil in your ear 3 to 4 times a day. Do this for 3 to 5 days.

What is the best oil to put in your ear?

What oil is best? Use a cooking oil, such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or rice bran oil. It's best not to use any oil with a fragrance (i.e. baby oil), as this can irritate sensitive skin in the ear canal.