Over-the-counter medicines for ear pain at drugstores

Ear pain otitis and earache

There are many diseases that cause ear pain: ear infection, a cold, a sinus or throat infection, an ear canal injury or even a tooth abscess.
Earache is the clinical expression of a painful manifestation located in the ear. Ear diseases affect three parts namely, outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The condition that usually affects this hearing organ is ear infection .
Otitis is inflammation of the ear. It often results from a cold or pharyngitis . Otitis is caused by a virus or bacteria. Symptoms of ear infections are often a feeling of blocked ears , fever, and varying degrees of pain . The doctor may also prescribe ear drops with local anesthetic to relieve pain in case of otitis externa.
As in children, ear infections and pain localized in the ear always justify a medical consultation to determine the cause and the appropriate treatment by otoscopy.

How to relieve your earache?

First, it is important to determine the cause of the pain in the ear, otherwise called otalgia.

Determine the cause of the earache (cold, throat, teeth, ...) and the type of otitis
Take the appropriate medication to treat the pain in the ear (according to medical prescription)
Observe good ear hygiene

Otitis and ear pain: which medicine for ear pain

In most cases, ear pain is caused by otitis, which is an inflammation or infection of the ear. More rarely, the pain can come from a sinus infection or a sore throat.

What are the different types of ear infections?

Order your non-prescription drugs to treat your ear pain in your ARS approved online bio pharmacy. To relieve the symptoms of otitis , whether internal, external or medium, it is recommended to take pain relievers. Usually your doctor or ENT doctor will prescribe paracetamol or ibuprofen up to 4 grams per day. It is also indicated to take an anti-inflammatory drug for sore ears (Advil or Nurofen ), up to 1200 mg per day. .

Otitis media

Acute otitis media: Acute otitis media is a bacterial or viral infection of the middle ear, usually accompanying an infection of the upper respiratory tract. Acute otitis media (AOM) is characterized by a purulent effusion located in the eardrum. Paracetamol is the gold standard for treating pain in acute otitis.

Serous otitis media: Serous otitis media is an effusion in the middle ear resulting from incomplete healing of acute otitis media or obstruction of the eustachian tube without infection. As recommended by the doctor, decongestants, such as phenylephrine , may be taken (older children and adults) to reduce nasal congestion. People with otitis media should avoid scuba diving or air travel. Changes in environmental pressure in this case cause pain and injury to the ear.

Chronic otitis media: Inflammation of the mucous membrane has persisted for more than 3 months. Chronic otitis results from several infectious episodes and is often characterized by perforation of the eardrum or otorrhea. If the eardrum has been perforated, it is advisable to protect the ears from water. For chronic suppurative otitis media, doctors prescribe ear drops that contain an antibiotic. People with severe flare-ups are also given oral antibiotics. It is dangerous to put something in the ears if the eardrum is punctured. You have to wait for the medical consultation to put an ear solution such as Otipax Ear Instillation Solution .

Otitis interna or labyrinthitis

Otitis interna is the result of acute otitis media which progresses unfavorably. The treatment must then be adapted to the type of otitis interna diagnosed. We will thus treat differently:

bacterial otitis interna from high-dose antibiotics, sometimes combined with surgery to remove a build-up of pus in the vestibule or rock
viral otitis interna by antivirals specific to the cause (different in the case of influenza, chickenpox or shingles virus)
inflammatory otitis interna by anti-inflammatory drugs or cortisone derivatives

Otitis externa

Otitis externa is manifested by an infection of the skin of the outer ear canal, which is sometimes purulent. Otitis externa is a pathology encountered mainly in summer, because it is favored by heat and humidity. This ear pain mostly strikes young children who have the narrower outer canal.

Advice from your pharmacist on how to properly clean and protect your ears

In addition to taking pain relievers for ear pain, it is also important to promote good ear hygiene .

For example, you can use ear sprays to immediately disinfect and calm the pain.
Reduce ear pressure by staying indoors and sitting for example
Use earplug hearing protectors to protect your ears from external aggressions
Use an ear cleaner to clean the ears without damaging the ear canal.

Good to know: The more serious manifestations of ear pain require the intervention of an ENT doctor who can make a complete diagnosis. Also find our advice on the blog to know the natural treatments based on medicinal plants to treat ear infections .

Also discover our preparation with liquid essential oils to treat otitis .

No medication will be delivered outside of French territory. Only available at the pharmacy in Perpignan (France).