Earaches hurt and they actually are more painful at night simply because the head is in a reclined position. The most common earache cause in adults and kids is plugged up Eustachian tubes. Allergies, sinus infections, and colds can aggravate the infection. In the day your head is erect and the Eustachian tubes are able to drain naturally. Swallowing and chewing also help the Eustachian tube muscles contract, which allows some air to the middle ear.
Then, when you go to bed everything changes even if you go to bed without significant pain. However, when you are reclined the Eustachian tubes are not able to drain normally and they aren’t getting much air simply because you aren’t swallowing very much during your sleep. So, what happens? As the air that is in the middle ear is absorbed then this creates a vacuum that sucks on the eardrum, which creates significant pain that makes you wonder what happened!
There are other things that cause earaches and pain, but you are probably most interested in learning how to get rid of the pain!
The first thing you should do is sit up. In fact, if you have an ear infection you may want to try and sleep sitting up or at least partially reclined because the more upright you are the better able your Eustachian tubes can drain. When they drain, the swelling is relieved taking much of the pain with it. Swallowing can also help ease the searing earache because it takes air to the middle ear.
Another option is to blow warm air into your ear with a hair dryer. Turn the hair dryer on low and hold it about 20 inches from your ear. This will help relieve the pain in your aching, painful ear. Just don’t get too close or you could burn your ear.
A great way to determine where the pain is coming from is to wiggle your ear. If you can wiggle your ear pain free it means the middle ear is most likely the affected area. However, if wiggling your ear is quite painful it means the outer ear canal is more likely the culprit.
A drop or two of warm mineral oil in the affected ear can also provide some much needed relief. Only warm the oil to body temperature and then drop one or two drops in the ear canal. However, if you have any doubt that your eardrum is potentially punctured you should not place anything in your ear.
Another way to relieve earache pain is by chewing gum. The Eustachian tubes are opened up when you chew, which helps them drain better and will relieve some of the pain you are feeling.