Go and see another doctor, or visit your local hospital to have the ear checked out properly and thoroughly. There could be something stuck in there, causing your discomfort - perhaps an insect, or a grass seed. What sort of doctor would prescribe antibiotics if he doesn't see signs of infection, I wonder??

There are herbal remedies for ear infections, but unless you've had an infection diagnosed, there's not much point in using them, is there? Besides, best you don't muck around with ear problems.

First, find out the cause of the problem, THEN look for the solution, eh?

Yes, ear nose and throat specialist is very necessary. Medications may not help and herbal solutions may not work either, ro cause more injury. A long while back, I recall a friend who had to avoid swimming in good pond water all summer due to infections. He had undergone some surgery and had a small glass tube inserted into the ear canal. It was supposed to naturally fall out after a lenght of time. Since then, he has never had any ear issues anymore.

I figured its just allergies. The pollen is a real pain for me to deal with; makes me sneeze, cough, and just feel all around bad. The doc just said the ear drum looked inflamed and that anti biotics would help it. I don't like taking them anyway, as many do nothing but make me worse.
The reason I asked about remedies is because I use an herbal ear cleaner on my dog who has chronic ear infections. It has herbs in it that are antibacterial, antifungal, and ones for soothing irritation. It seems to work for him. I was just wondering if there was a soothing sort of remedy that would help.
My insurance won't cover hospital visits for checkups or other doctors. And I can't afford the $70 or so bucks it costs... my insurance company isn't the best. :P

Abby

Yet again I thank my lucky stars for the NHS which has just sorted out my FIL's terrible ear problem. After several days in hospital he now has two nurses coming to his house twice a day to administer intravenous antibiotics for the next 6 weeks. I would hate for him to have had to risk his ear for financial reasons. If you can possibly get the money together I would get it checked again. Ears can turn nasty. And as Daisy said, what kind of doctor prescribes antibiotics where there is no proven infection?

Well, as is usually the case with modern meds, doctors seem to like writing prescriptions to clear up symptoms instead of treating the real problem. My vet does the same thing with my dog, and nothing has helped him either.
I think the worst of it has passed, as my ear isn't bothering me anymore. I'm stopping the antibiotics for now. If it comes back I'll get MY doctor (not the other doctor that was on staff) to check it out. Ear issues seem to run in the family; my mom and grandma both have trouble too. I'd visit a holistic doc if I could find one, but there isn't one near me. :/

Abby

Could be allergies. Does the roof of your mouth also feel itchy? If so, suggest you see an allergy doctor. They do lots of alergen tests and afterwards, create serums you get injected with for several years to build up immunity to the irritants. Mine is ragweed and sweet grass, as well as some maple. Right now, everything is covered with yellow pollen outside. Since I had about 8 years of injectiosn ever 3 weeks, I have a lot less problems. I used to have hour long sneezing fits in Augusr every time I mowed the lawn. Itchy eyes too

Good luck with this. I got antibiotic ear drops. My ear gets itchy, I scratch it, infection develops. My ear canal was definitely swollen and glands behind my ear were swollen. Eventually, the infection subsided but my ears are always dry, flaky and itchy. This time the doc decided I might have a problem with a fungus so prescribed anti-fungal drops. This helped a lot to relieve the itching. I also have bad dandruff and use a shampoo that contains tea tree oil. Since the inside of my ears is always dry although not as dry as it used to be, I wipe a little Tea Tree Soothing Gel by Jason in my ears.
I too have lousy insurance so I understand where you're coming from. I hate spending over a hundred dollars between visit and drops but not be cured. My doctor also practices homeopathic medicine. I avoid most brands of soaps except for handwashing but for the rest of me, esp my face, I use a soap that contains Tea Tree oil. I seem to be sensitive to lanolin which I didn't figure out until my brother told me he was so now I only use skin creams that do not contain lanolin. One of the best skin moisturizers I ever used was when a friend demonstrated making skin creams with herbs and almond oil.
BTW my FIL was once plagued by an itchy spot on his back that the dermatologist couldn't cure. I gave him some of my soap which helped immensely. For me, Tea Tree oil products work great,

I understand the cost of health care can be daunting but if you are having serious issues, please see a health professional. And if you don't get "good service" from one doctor, choose another. You are the one paying the bills so get the service you are paying for.

That said, I find hot nettle (Urtica dioica) tea to bring some temporary relief to my allergies. It has a very mild taste and rather gentle actions. People ask me which herbs I "take" all the time and I answer almost none. I tend to use my food as medicine - feeling under the weather make a dish with lots of onions and garlic and so on. Nettle, however, is one of the few I use solely for medicinal purposes. A box of pre-made teabags only costs a couple of bucks at your local health food store and is easy to try.

By the way, sometimes the hot liquid of any tea by itself can be soothing to irritated tissues in your throat and the steam in your sinuses. I can't say enough good things about how healing and relaxing it can to sit down with a good cup of hot tea and take a few minutes for yourself.

FataMorgana