How-to guide
How to Use Ear Drops
Quick answer: Warm the bottle in your hand for a minute or two, then lie on your side with the ear facing up. Gently pull the outer ear up and back to straighten the ear canal and put in the number of drops on your label. Press the small flap in front of the ear a few times to move the drops in, and stay lying down for 3 to 5 minutes. Use antibiotic drops for the full number of days prescribed, even if the ear feels better sooner.
What do I need?
- Your ear drops, with the label in front of you so you know how many drops to use and how often.
- A tissue or soft cloth to wipe away drainage before each dose and any extra drops afterward.
- A timer, and for a child, a second adult and a video or story to help them lie still.
Not All Ear Drops Are the Same
- Antibiotic drops (prescription) treat an ear infection, such as swimmer’s ear or drainage through ear tubes.
- Earwax-softening drops (over the counter) loosen earwax. See our earwax guide.
- Drying drops (over the counter) are used after swimming and often contain alcohol.
If you have ear tubes or a hole in your eardrum, use only ear drops we prescribed, and do not use over-the-counter ear drops. Some drops, including alcohol drying drops and some older prescription antibiotic drops, can harm the inner ear when the eardrum is open (AAO-HNS ear tube guideline, 2022).
How do I put them in?
Wash your hands first. If the ear is draining, gently wipe the outer ear with a tissue so the drops can get in. Do not put cotton swabs (Q-tips) in the ear.
Straighten the ear canal. Gently pull the top of the outer ear up and back. Shown sitting up so the ear is easy to see; do this while lying on your side.
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Warm the bottle
Hold it in your hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Cold drops can cause brief dizziness. Never warm drops in hot water or a microwave. Shake the bottle if the label says to.
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Lie down with the ear facing up
Lie on your side with the ear you are treating facing the ceiling, or tilt your head well over to the side.
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Straighten the ear canal
Gently pull the outer ear up and back to straighten the ear canal.
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Put in the drops
Use the number of drops on your label. Let them run down the side of the ear canal, and do not touch the tip of the bottle to the ear or your fingers.
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Press the flap in front of the ear
Gently press the small flap of cartilage in front of the ear opening inward 4 or 5 times. This moves the drops down the canal and pushes out trapped air. It matters most with ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum, so the medicine reaches the middle ear.
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Stay lying down
Keep the ear facing up for 3 to 5 minutes, or as long as your label says. A loose cotton ball at the ear opening can catch drips when you sit up; do not push it into the canal.
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Do the other ear
If both ears need drops, turn over and repeat.
If the ear canal is very swollen, we may place a small sponge called a wick so the drops can reach the infection. Put the drops on the wick as directed, and come back as scheduled to have it checked or removed.
How do I put drops in a child’s ear?
- Have your child lie on their side, or across your lap, with the ear facing up. A second adult can help hold their head still.
- A favorite video or story helps them stay still for the few minutes the drops need.
- Press the small flap in front of the ear for them, then wipe away any extra.
After ear tube surgery, see our ear tube recovery guide for how many drops to use, what drainage means, and bathing and swimming with tubes.
How long do I use them?
- Swimmer’s ear (antibiotic drops): usually 7 to 10 days. Finish the full course even if your ear feels better sooner. Most people start to feel better within 2 to 3 days (AAO-HNS swimmer’s ear guideline, 2014).
- Drainage with ear tubes (antibiotic drops): usually 7 to 10 days. Drops alone usually clear it; antibiotics by mouth are usually not needed (AAO-HNS ear tube guideline, 2022).
- Earwax-softening drops: up to 4 or 5 days; call us if your ear is still blocked. Do not use them if you have ear pain, drainage, ear tubes or a hole in your eardrum. Our earwax guide covers home care in detail, including what to avoid (AAO-HNS earwax guideline, 2017).
Do and don’t
Do
- Warm the bottle in your hand first
- Lie with the ear facing up for 3 to 5 minutes
- Finish the full course of antibiotic drops
- Keep water out of the ear while treating swimmer’s ear
- Leave hearing aids and earbuds out until the infection clears, or as we advise
Don’t
The most common mistakes:
- Sitting up right after the drops go in
- Stopping as soon as the ear feels better
- Touching the bottle tip to the ear
- Using old drops, or someone else’s
- Using over-the-counter drops with ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum
- Putting cotton swabs (Q-tips) in the ear
- Trying ear candling, which does not remove wax and can cause burns
Do I need to keep the ear dry?
- Swimmer’s ear: yes. Do not swim while you are using the drops, and keep water out when you shower, for example with a cotton ball coated in petroleum jelly at the ear opening.
- Ear tubes: ear plugs are not needed for baths, showers or clean pools. Use them while an ear is draining, and in lakes, rivers and the ocean. See the ear tube recovery guide.
When should I call?
Call our office if
- Your ear is not better after 2 to 3 days of drops, or it is getting worse
- Drainage lasts more than 7 to 10 days on drops, or keeps coming back
- You have new dizziness or ringing after starting drops (stop them and call)
- You have diabetes or a weakened immune system and your ear is not improving
Get care the same day
Use our ENT Urgent Care for spreading redness or swelling around or behind the ear, a high fever, weakness on one side of the face, spinning dizziness, or a sudden drop in hearing. Call 911 or go to the ER for constant spinning dizziness or signs of a stroke.
Austin 512-339-4040 · Lakeway 512-682-4798 · Marble Falls 830-992-2830
Questions patients ask
Stay lying with the ear facing up for 3 to 5 minutes, or as long as your label says. Pressing the small flap in front of the ear a few times first helps the drops move down the ear canal.
Cold drops can cause brief dizziness. Warm the bottle in your hand for 1 to 2 minutes before using it. If dizziness or ringing is new and does not pass, stop the drops and call us.
Only use ear drops we prescribed. Do not use over-the-counter ear drops. Some drops, including alcohol drying drops and some older prescription antibiotic drops, can harm the inner ear when the eardrum is open.
Yes. Use antibiotic drops for the full number of days prescribed, usually 7 to 10 days, even if the ear feels better sooner, so the infection does not come back.
For swimmer’s ear, yes: do not swim while you are using the drops, and keep water out when you shower. With ear tubes, ear plugs are not needed for baths, showers or clean pools, but use them while an ear is draining.
Earwax-softening drops can loosen wax over a few days. Use them for up to 4 or 5 days, and call us if your ear is still blocked. Do not use them if you have ear pain, drainage, ear tubes or a hole in your eardrum. Our earwax guide covers home care in detail.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not replace an in-person evaluation. If your provider gave you different instructions, follow theirs.
Full guide and sources: capitalent.com/ear-drops.html
Sources
- Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2014;150(1 Suppl):S1-S24. doi:10.1177/0194599813517083. PMID: 24491310
- Rosenfeld RM, Tunkel DE, Schwartz SR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: tympanostomy tubes in children (update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2022;166(1 Suppl):S1-S55. doi:10.1177/01945998211065662. PMID: 35138954
- Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al. Clinical practice guideline (update): earwax (cerumen impaction). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2017;156(1 Suppl):S1-S29. doi:10.1177/0194599816671491. PMID: 28045591