With lots of time spent indoors this winter it’s no surprise that cold and flu germs are setting up camp in our homes.  Facebook is a-flutter with posts about cranky kids (and parents) with more than cabin fever.  One friend wrote about her daughter screaming for three hours with an earache in the middle of the night.  She reached out to her friends seeking advice.  The responses were rapid and included the idea of a moist heat compress for ear pain.  According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ear infection pain can be caused by an infection from fluid buildup associated with a common cold, flu, sinus or other illness.  A warm compress applied to the affected ear helps blood circulation and may rid the ear of pain.

4″x4″ Palm Packs are perfect for earaches, not just for warming hands.

Of course the idea of a moist heat compress (At Maine Warmers we like to call it “heat therapy”) was not news to me.  I immediately grabbed a 4X4 inch Palm Pack (perfect for tiny ears) and a Black Sheep Warmer (for the Momma who’d had a rough night, too) and delivered them to their doorstep.  Upon their return from the doctor’s office with antibiotics in hand and the doctor’s recommendation to use heat, my friend microwaved the Palm Pack for about a minute (or less depending on the strength of the microwave) and her daughter placed it under her ear while she was lying on her side watching a movie.  The Palm Pack was pressed into the couch, so there there was no need to hold it on the ear. Later she reported that it worked!  Ear pain was being managed, and her happy daughter proclaimed that she will use the Palm Pack again.

At Maine Warmers, we love to help people feel better, whether it’s a warm compress for ear pain, or simply the soothing heat of a Cozy Sheep to help you unwind after taking care of a sick child.