CBD Oil For Ear Infection: Relief Or Risk? What The Science Actually Says
Updated: July 29, 2024
CBD products keep increasing in popularity as cannabis research continues to ramp up.
Exciting legal improvements to CBD investment and product development continue.
In Nov 2020, Frontiers In Neurology published Cannabinoids, Inner Ear, Hearing, and Tinnitus: A Neuroimmunological Perspective.
This review discusses the complex cannabinoid ear science but does not say how to use CBD oil in the ears.
This review also doesn’t mention CBD use for ear infections.
Today, I’ll answer the question, is it safe to put CBD oil in your ear?
I’ll also show you how to put CBD oil in your ear.
Can You Put CBD Oil In Your Ear?
You can put CBD oil in your ear if it’s quality and has no flavor or other additives.
CBD can have different reactions, before using CBD in your ear, talk to your doctor.
Many people are curious about CBD for many uses due to its human safety profile and non-intoxication effects.
When I have an earache, I prefer Medterra CBD oil (unflavored) with coconut oil.
I also like Joy Organics CBD oil with olive oil.
Both oils are high quality, safety tested, with broad spectrum options.
Where To Get CBD Ear Drops?
You can buy CBD locally or online.
Most folks agree that gas station CBD probably isn’t the highest quality, even though it might be less expensive.
You can get quality CBD ear drops online from
- Medterra
- Joy Organics
- Green Roads
And many others.
How To Put CBD Oil In Your Ear?
Steps to put CBD oil inside of your ear.
- Clean your ear.
- 1-5 drops of CBD oil on your clean finger.
- Gently rub your finger around your ear.
- Repeat as needed.
Another way is to put a few drops on a cotton swab and carefully rub it around the inside of your ear.
You can also tilt your head to the side and add a few drops with the dropper.
Is It Safe To Put CBD Oil In Your Ear?
In most cases, if you use the right CBD oil, it’s generally safe.
A comprehensive study shows CBD has a favorable safety profile in humans.
Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.
CBD can interact with medication and can have some mild side effects.
Even though I use CBD oil in my ear regularly, this doesn’t replace sound medical advice.
Caution: Don’t Use The Wrong CBD
Don’t use CBD oil that has flavoring or extra ingredients.
Many CBD oil flavorings are essential oils.
Cleveland Clinic explains how essential oils can permanently damage your ears.
Even though CBD flavor is diluted in the oil, Healthline reviews animal research on two essential oils, tea tree, and basil.
Verywell Health provides many other essential oils that might be safe for ear infections.
They say before using diluted essential oil mix in your ear to first test it on a small area of skin to see how you react.
Can CBD Help With Ear Pain?
Many people turn to CBD oil as a safe natural way to find ear pain relief.
Lewis Jassy, M.D., explains to Forbes Health that CBD can manage ear discomfort.
CBD can manage ear pain from both injury and inflammation.
Can You Put CBD Oil In Your Ear For Tinnitus?
Lewis Jassey, M.D. tells Forbes Health that CBD may have a neutral effect on tinnitus, but, may help symptoms of tinnitus.
And some studies suggest CBD may worsen tinnitus.
Depending on the cause of your tinnitus, CBD may or may not help.
One tinnitus patient reports that CBD helps her relax at bedtime with a 25mg dose, but CBD didn’t help the ringing sound.
WebMD says people are considering CBD to ease their symptoms.
If your tinnitus is from inflammation or injury, CBD may help.
More research is needed, but, some believe CBD can balance and control tinnitus.
CBD Oil For Blocked Ears
Depending on the reason why your ears are blocked, CBD may help.
GoodRx explains many reasons why ears feel clogged.
CBD is a natural substance with many potential benefits.
Scientists are learning that CBD might help with lots of problems, like aches and pains, inflammation, and even healing injuries.
It’s like a superhero for your body!
Shoaib Malik, M.D., tells Forbes Health and explains how topical CBD can help with inflammation and pain.
CBD Oil For Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
There is currently no conclusive evidence that CBD oil is effective for Eustachian tube dysfunction.
CBD oil has shown promise for pain and inflammation relief.
More research is needed to determine its effectiveness for this specific condition.
Eustachian tube dysfunction can be a frustrating condition.
It’s important to seek professional medical advice for diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re considering using CBD oil for any medical condition, talk to your doctor first.
They can help you determine if CBD oil is right for you and recommend a safe and effective dosage.
Final Thoughts
When you need rapid ear support in the middle of the night — CBD oil drops are effective and if you don’t have CBD oil drops — there’s a simple DIY option most households already have available sitting on the pantry shelf.
For fast natural ear relief for mild ear issues, add warm drops of olive oil, coconut oil, or CBD oil inside the ear canal — with or w/o a Q-Tip. Before adding anything in your ear, make absolutely sure there’s nothing lodged in there or something worse. I use MedTerra’s Unflavored Broad-Spectrum CBD oil because there’s no THC, only two ingredients (cannabinoids & MCT oil), and gave me instant relief.
Below, I’ll tell you my quick story of how I decided to put CBD oil directly inside of my ear.
What Are The Best CBD Oil Ear Drops?
After several years of trying different CBD brands, my top choice is MedTerra’s Ultra Broad-Spectrum.
I give this specific CBD oil to friends & family and use it on my child when she’s in immediate need.
Not only can you put unflavored CBD oil inside of your ear canal, but you can also put it behind the ear, or nearly any dry skin areas for quick relief of mild irritations.
Why I recommend this specific CBD oil to put inside of your ear.
- I use MedTerra’s Ultra Broad-Spectrum, first of all — because the lab tests consistently show there are no detectable amounts of THC. ** Meaning it’s safe and legal in Idaho **
- Second, the unflavored one only has two organic ingredients — cannabinoids and MCT (coconut oil).
- No added flavor or other irritating ingredients.
- Pure clean effective CBD ear drops.
Flavored CBD oils (with essential oils) probably should not be put on an open wound or in your ear.
Strawberry Mint or Citrus flavored CBD oils might irritate the inner ear or cause it to sting.
Flavored oils may taste great, but for practical applications, I only use the unflavored Broad-Spectrum from MedTerra.
What Other At-Home Things Can You Use — If You Don’t Have Unflavored CBD Oil?
The internet is chalked full of natural ear support remedies.
Some sources recommend simmering garlic in olive/coconut oil.
Personally, I’m not sure if I quite like the idea of making something that seemingly complicated at home and trying it my first time without the aid of an expert.
Other natural ear infection remedies for quick ear support include: (Source: Health Line)
- Alternating heating pad and ice pack – for ears (Heating pad & ice pack)
- Chiropractic adjustments. (More Information Source)
- Naturopathic ear drops from herb extracts. (More Information Source)
- Change sleep position
- Slow neck rotation exercises
If one solution doesn’t make your ear start operating normally, keep trying different methods until you find what works for you.
Are people actually putting CBD oil directly inside their ears?
I put CBD directly inside of my ear and it works great!
Before I put CBD oil inside of my ear, I asked several parents if they’d done it.
Several parents from various CBD groups on Facebook responded very positively and even put CBD oil inside their little one’s ears.
Before attempting to experiment with putting CBD oil drop directly inside your ear, it may be wise to first speak with your primary health care practitioner.
The only warnings I found were there could be something lodged inside of your ear, your inner ear could be damaged, or something worse.
I’ve only used CBD oil inside of my ear for mild earaches and I’ve put CBD oil behind my little one’s ear with it gets dry.
A Brief Caution Before Putting Anything Directly Inside Of Your Ear.
Before putting anything inside your or your child’s ear, it’s best to have your doctor directly LOOK inside the ear.
Reasons to have a doctor look inside your ear, before adding drops, include:
- Make sure there’s not something “lodged” inside.
- Check for inner ear deterioration.
- Verify there’s not a tear in the eardrum.
And potentially other reasons.
My Personal Story Putting CBD Oil Directly Inside Of My Ear.
A few months ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to my inner ear itching, pulsating, and feeling kind of hot! Instinctively, I stuck my pinky finger in my ear and itched it a bit a few times.
It didn’t help and I wasn’t able to go back to sleep, due to the throbbing sensation on the entire left half of my head.
Then, I got the idea to maybe put CBD oil drops inside of my actual ear — because that’s all I had — it was worth a shot.
Since it was still the middle of the night, I knew I had to be careful, slow down, and think this through.
As I started thinking this through, I recalled my little one was sick with a cough, and as I was carrying her around through the day I remember her coughing directly into my left ear.
This got me thinking that there was probably not something lodged inside causing the pain and my eardrum probably wasn’t torn or punctured.
Very carefully, I took a Q-Tip and gently cleaned out a giant nasty piece of ear wax.
Upon taking out a massive chunk of earwax, the throbbing/itching feeling was still there, with no relief.
I started thinking that CBD was about the only thing I was going to consider putting in my ear.
The very next question was HOW am I going to put CBD in my ear?
I had a few bottles of “natural” CBD oil tinctures, that didn’t have any flavors, sugars, or other additives.
I felt like a basic simple CBD oil was the safest option to proceed in getting some CBD oil in my ear.
My next thought is, do I just turn my head sideways and try to let a few drops slide down and inside of my ear?
No. I didn’t really like the idea of having too much liquid rolling around on the inside of my ear.
Finally, I got the bright idea to add a few little drops of CBD oil onto a Q-Tip and gently dab on the inside of my ear where I thought the pain was coming from.
Lo and behold, I only did this once (maybe twice) and my ear felt like it returned back to at least 80% normal feeling and function, basically instantly.
PHEW! WHAT A RELIEF!!
I then cleaned up my little mess, I laid back down, and I was able to quickly (and very happily) go back to sleep.
Upon waking up the next day, I did one more quick little application of CBD oil in my ear (using a Q-Tip) and my inner ear was pretty much all the way back to working and feeling normal.
Can you put CBD oil in your ear?
Short answer. Yes!
You can put CBD oil directly inside of your ear, but, you should probably exercise a wee-bit more caution than I did.
After doing a little bit of research, I came to understand why I probably should have taken a little bit more caution.
When I decided to put CBD oil drops in my ear, I should have exercised more caution.
But, I wanted relief NOW and I literally could not sleep due to the THROBBING itchy hot sensation pealing the left half of my face off.
So, I was as cautious as I could be and utilized the tools I had readily available and I took a little risk and it paid off.
Looking back, it would have been wise to have someone take a quick look inside my ear before putting CBD oil inside.
What causes the ear to ache?
According to the United States Department Of Health & Human Services, the most common reason why children visit the physician is due to Otitis Media (middle ear inflammation) with or without fluid.
Healthline reveals ear infection is bacterial (or something else) and may not require prescription medication – to find relief.
According to Drugs.com, around 80% (or more) of ear infections will go away on their own.
Nutrition and nutrient deficiencies preventing normal ear function
A Medical Journal devoted to pediatrics, Annals Of Tropical Paediatrics, provides evidence for pathology (cause and effect) of the middle ear, acute, and Otitis Media.
Nutrient deficiencies preventing proper ear function:
- Zinc
- Vitamin A
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
Healthy Hearing lists other potential nutrients to help restore normal ear function.
What are the prescription ear infection remedies?
InformedHealth.org reports OTC (over-the-counter) ear drops lack any evidence suggesting they work better than a prescription-only ear infection drop.
Drugs.com, provides a list of 29 prescription drops for Otitis Externa (external ear canal inflammation, redness, and/or swelling) with patient reviews.
Side effects of “one” prescription ear drops include: (Source: WebMD.com)
- Mild irritation
- Discomfort
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Earache
- Changes in taste
- Potential allergic reaction
- Rash
- Itching
- Swelling (face, tongue, throat)
- Trouble breathing
- And potentially much more
What are the different types of ear infections?
Types of ear infections are determined by a doctor giving an examination via a pus lab analysis or in some instances – a CT (Computerized Tomography) scan may be required.
Types of ear infections include: (Source).
- Acute mastoiditis. (Ear bone infection).
- Ear herpes zoster. (Infected auditory nerve via herpes zoster virus).
- Infections myringitis. (Eardrum inflammation – viral or bacterial).
- Otitis externa. (Ear canal inflammation or infection).
- Otitis media. (Cold triggered or Eustachian tube blockage).
- Serous otitis media. (Fluid or pus build-up via middle ear).
- Vestibular neuronitis. (Inflamed vestibular nerve – typically a viral infection)
What are the symptoms of ear infections?
Ear infection symptoms vary based on the type of ear infection your doctor’s diagnosis.
Common symptoms of ear infections include:
- Ear pain.
- Discharge from the ear.
- Fever.
- Outer ear itching.
- Muffled sound or mild deafness.
- Appetite loss.
- Outer ear or ear canal blistering.
- Hearing buzzing or humming noises in the ear.
- Loss of balance (vertigo).
- And potentially more.
Make a list of your symptoms before speaking with your healthcare physician about the best course.
What are the causes of ear infections?
Causes of ear infections can be either viral, bacterial, or something else.
Research indicates that children are more likely to contract an inner/middle ear infection if they’re using a dummy pacifier, have close interactions with other children (nursery, daycare, school), are formula-fed “not” breastfed directly from the mother, or are exposed to tobacco smoke.
Development of ear infections are typically caused by: (Source).
- Cold
- Flu
- Sore throat
- Similar infection
- Virus
- Bacteria
- Respiratory infection
- Air pressure changes (airline travel)
- Blocked Eustachian tube or smaller in size than what’s average
- Cleft palate (opening/slit in the roof of the mouth)
- Swimming in dirty water
- Not properly drying outer ears
- Excessive ear cleaning – scratching sensitive tissues inside
- And potentially more
An inner ear infection typically occurs when a bacteria or virus makes its way inside the throat and causes the mucous membranes to get inflamed – causing more fluid.
Inflammation, and swelling, also will occur in the ear membrane lining, Eustachian tube (middle ear canal connecting to the throat).
When these areas are swollen, extra fluid can “not” drain out.
With the building up of secreted fluid in the middle ear then begins to push on the eardrum.
Inflammation and fluid build-up pushing on the eardrum may begin to cause pain and make normal hearing diminish.
There are other ways the ear area can block the middle ear and trigger an increase of infection such as enlarged adenoids (tissue behind the nose, high up in the throat), allergic reaction, and sinus inflammation.
These conditions can cause a domino effect and potentially lead to swelling of the inner ear.
Are ear infections contagious?
An ear infection, by itself, is “not’ contagious.
However, according to Health Line, the bacteria or virus causing the infection might have a contagious component – such as the flu or cold or other types of conditions that are contagious.
Can you still get an ear infection if you have tubes?
Yes.
According to WebMD, you can still get an ear infection if you have tubes, however, it’s not as common.
An ear infection with tubes typically won’t cause you to lose your hearing and will typically go away on its own or with an ear drop.