# Survival > Bushcraft Medicine >  Home remedy for ear ache

## Wildthang

Here is one I bet you never heard of. My Dad and I were camping when I was around 10 years old, and I woke up on night and my ear was killing me. We were in the deep woods of Arkansas, in the Mulberry area, and it was a long ways to a doctor.
After I told my Dad that my ear was hurting pretty bad, he got up, and said, I'll be back in a few minutes. I was thinking OK, that really helped.
After around 10 minutes he crawled back in the tent, and said lay with the ear that hurts facing up. So I rolled over with that ear facing up, and he spit right in my ear.
I almost got sick, and ask him why in the heck he spit in my ear. He said, " That's tobaco juice boy, and it's help you ear ache". This is one time I really thought my dad was full of chit. But in less than 20 minutes, that ear stopped hurting and it never ached anymore.
I dont know exactly what Days Work tobaco juice does to an ear ache, but by golly it worked! I carry a plug of that stuff in my Bob and also use it on stings. Heck sometimes I just chew it for an after dinner desert!

----------


## randyt

you should be thankful you didn't have a problem with your eyes.LOL On a more serious note I believe that's a good remedy and may have heard of it before.

----------


## Rick

Yeah. Be glad it wasn't a tooth ache. Tobacco has long been a remedy for a number of ailments. Ever heard of the cigarette cone? The thing is if the problem is with the middle or inner ear it won't do any good. You're really only treating the ear canal and ear drum where few maladies occur. More often they have a placebo effect.

----------


## Wildthang

> Yeah. Be glad it wasn't a tooth ache. Tobacco has long been a remedy for a number of ailments. Ever heard of the cigarette cone? The thing is if the problem is with the middle or inner ear it won't do any good. You're really only treating the ear canal and ear drum where few maladies occur. More often they have a placebo effect.


Yeah maybe I just convinced myself that if it hurt anymore, he would do it again! But honestly, it quit hurting and actually felt good after the tobaco took affect. I wonder if something in the tobacco could actually soak through the ear drum. I know the doctors prescribe antibiotic ear drops in a lot of cases, and that is not a placebo medications.
Well whatever happened, it sure helped is all I know. Rick the next time you get an ear ache, get somebody to spit tobacco juice in your ear and you will then know the truth!

----------


## randyt

next time I get a earache I'm going to try spitting baccer juice in my ear.

----------


## Rick

You goof. You can't do that any more than you can lick your own elbow. The most you are going to do is get juice all over the mirror and then your wife will flog you.

----------


## Wildthang

> next time I get a earache I'm going to try spitting baccer juice in my ear.


Just use a soda straw and dont try to spit the truck window and catch it your ear, it rarely works...........LOL. Be sure and dont use any of the flavored stuff like wintergreen. Just use Redman, Beechnut pouch, or Days Work plug!

----------


## randyt

Nobody likes a quitter, got to keep on trying. LOL windstorm???

----------


## randyt

wintergreen chaw, yuck!!!

----------


## Wildthang

Or you could just get a 2 foot peice of rubber tubing, and blow your ear full of tobacco juice. Caution, only do this when nobody else is around :Scared:

----------


## Sparky93

What about natty dip, I always got either that or the flavored stuff. Not a big fan of levi garret, it's the only chew I've tried. Didn't like it, tasted too much like raisins and I've never been a big fan of those...

----------


## Sparky93

I'm a bit of a grizzly mint and wintergreen fan myself...

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## Rick

Or you could just go to the doctor. 

There was a fireman in my home town that lost his bottom lip because he chewed. Cancer cures smoking. Does a good job on chewing, too.

----------


## Wildthang

> Or you could just go to the doctor. 
> 
> There was a fireman in my home town that lost his bottom lip because he chewed. Cancer cures smoking. Does a good job on chewing, too.


You could lose a little lip and never miss it :Whistling:

----------


## Wildthang

> I'm a bit of a grizzly mint and wintergreen fan myself...
> 
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


I normally chew Skoals wintergreen, or Beechnut depending on what I'm doing. I keep a plug of Days Work Plug just for my backpack sealed in a mylar pouch so if I need a chaw, I got it!

----------


## randyt

good old twist for me when I can get it.

----------


## Rick

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

----------


## crashdive123

Just be glad he used tobacco and hadn't read the latest on "poo therapy".

----------


## Sparky93

> I normally chew Skoals wintergreen, or Beechnut depending on what I'm doing. I keep a plug of Days Work Plug just for my backpack sealed in a mylar pouch so if I need a chaw, I got it!


I got some skoal wintergreen in right now cause I'm out of everything else, I don't really like skoal wintergreen but I'm too poor to by anymore grizzly right now lol they don't sell any Days Work here but I'd sure like to try some if I ever find somewhere that sells it...

----------


## Wildthang

> I got some skoal wintergreen in right now cause I'm out of everything else, I don't really like skoal wintergreen but I'm too poor to by anymore grizzly right now lol they don't sell any Days Work here but I'd sure like to try some if I ever find somewhere that sells it...


Days Work is a plug tobacco. It is a little compressed square and I cut off a chunk with my knife!

----------


## Sparky93

> Days Work is a plug tobacco. It is a little compressed square and I cut off a chunk with my knife!


Ya, Ive seen it before, just never tried it...

----------


## Wildthang

> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


Like others, as long as I crack myself up, nothing else matters!

----------


## intothenew

Streptococcus, on both fronts? Not a good idea.

----------


## Wildthang

> Streptococcus, on both fronts? Not a good idea.


Well I am no doctor, but couldn't it be possible that tobacco kills straptococcus bacteria? Tobacco kills a lot of insects, and plants when they are exposed to it.
Plus as long as the person that spits the tobacco in the other persons ear does not have strep throat, it should be OK. But I guess anyhting is possible!
I know one thing, I wouldn't just let anybody spit in my ear, and now, I would probably use my own spit which would minimize the risk of strepto infection.

----------


## intothenew

> Well I am no doctor,..........


Nor I.





> .......but couldn't it be possible that tobacco kills straptococcus bacteria?.........



Yes, but you provide a one time personal emperical experience as foundation. You provide no research or theoretical foundation.





> .........Tobacco kills a lot of insects, and plants when they are exposed to it..........


And just what does that have to do with the price of eggs in China? We aren't talking about spider mites on our houseplants neither.





> ..........Plus as long as the person that spits the tobacco in the other persons ear does not have strep throat, it should be OK. But I guess anyhting is possible!
> I know one thing, I wouldn't just let anybody spit in my ear, and now, I would probably use my own spit which would minimize the risk of strepto infection........




The most common bacteria found in ANY human saliva is?

----------


## jake abraham

I chewed tobacco for 27 years ,I won'tstart back. I know my food taste better

----------


## Wildthang

> Nor I.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, but you provide a one time personal emperical experience as foundation. You provide no research or theoretical foundation.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There is no scientific foundation for many old time remedy's, but some of them work. My dads family used this rememdy for years, so it is not a one time remedy.
The next time you are hurt in the bush, be sure to get scientific proven research for any cure you may need, and good luck!

----------


## Rick

> The next time you are hurt in the bush, be sure to get scientific proven research for any cure you may need, and good luck!


And it's so darn easy to do. Things like Bacitracin, Neosporin and Cipro are pretty easy to tote along and work wonders. If you can get a gal to nibble on your ear, well, that's a whole 'nother thing.

----------


## Wildthang

> And it's so darn easy to do. Things like Bacitracin, Neosporin and Cipro are pretty easy to tote along and work wonders. If you can get a gal to nibble on your ear, well, that's a whole 'nother thing.


Yeah Rick, I carry that stuff too, but if you dont have your Bob, it'a a different story. I have seen remedys on here saying a certain plant will stop bleeding, and certain plants will help a fever. Do we have proven scientific research for those remedy's, probably not.
There are a lot of remedy's that do not have scientific support, but they still work! Just ask Bear Grylls :Scared:

----------


## Rick

Bob? You don't need no stinkin' Bob. First Aid Kit. First Aid kit. Say it slowly.......Keep that stuff in your first aid kit right next to the dried Horsetail and Lambsquarter. Sheeeesh.

----------


## intothenew

"Now, them poultices be laced with feathermoss and mustard root. Mind you drop water on 'em occasional and keep 'em damp. You can pay me when you see me again, Josey Wales."

----------


## Wildthang

Just pack that ankle in fresh chicken poop and call me in the mornin!

----------


## doug1980

I have heard about but I prefer using hydrogen peroxide for my earaches.  It works great and I don't have to spit my Kodiak in my ear.  :Smile:

----------


## randyt

the most common home remedy I've heard of for earache is mullein flowers steeped in olive oil. I'm fortunate for almost never having a earache so I've not tried it.

----------


## shiftyer1

My youngest son used to get ear infections all the time,  my wife told me to roll a newspaper up stick one end in his ear and light in on fire................I said,  well I can't tell you what I said on this forum,  but I tried it as a last resort.  I've used it on him and several others thru the years with good results.

Roll sheet of newspaper in a cone,  keeping one end small enough to fit in ear and the other end fairly large.  Lay head down on flat surface,  I use the kitchen table.  Light the top and let it burn down.  As it burns down the heat and smoke soothes the pain and soon you'll get a couple of??????  bursts?  whoosh?  I don't know how to explain that part but the ear pops and the escaping air causes it.  

It may sound stupid but it works.  If you don't get the whoosh the first time do it again,  i've never had to do it more than twice.  Generally once takes care of it.

I guess I better add......IF THE FIRE BURNS DOWN TOO LOW STOP!!!!

----------


## Sparky93

> "Now, them poultices be laced with feathermoss and mustard root. Mind you drop water on 'em occasional and keep 'em damp. You can pay me when you see me again, Josey Wales."


Great movie!

----------


## shiftyer1

I'd enjoy another remake that is worth watching,  something like true grit.

----------

