Cold. A cold pack can also be used to alleviate the pain from an earache. Wrap up chunks of ice in a paper towel or use a frozen cold pack to apply cold to the painful area of the ear. Hold the ice or cold pack to the ear for about 20 minutes. Never apply ice directly to the skin. If a child is experiencing an earache, parents should be the one to apply the ice. Another solution is to alternate between ice and heat. To do so, apply a cold pack for 20 minutes, followed by a hot pack for another 20 minutes, and so forth.
