Sorry, but you are wrong.

AND, it's much better for the overall population to use antibiotics as sparingly as possible when relatively simple mechanical or antiseptic methods can do the same job at a fraction of the cost.

Yes, if it's a severe infection, and it starts moving into the inner ear, get to a doctor - and they will use mechanical methods to clear out the outer ear, and yes they will prescribe antibiotics, leading us all one step closer to the day when evolution has made all bacteria anti-biotic resistant.

And that same doctor will tell you that you can use simple home treatments like hydrogen peroxide to save yourself a hundred plus bucks and help keep antibiotics effective for serious infections.

I know that for a fact, having gone thru the experience.

oh you went through the experience? whoopie
He already said he tried to ride it out but if the pain is that bad and it is involving his jaw/mouth then I'd say it's moved beyond an outer ear infection to where home remedies are useless and most actually cause more damage.
I hope you do stick shit in your ear, ruptured ear drums are cool

True, he may have let it get to the point where the staph have moved thru the cells into the inner ear.

The peroxide treatment could still clear the cause of the infection, dirty moisture trapped behind wax in the outer ear.

He asked for home treatments, I described the one I was recommended by an ear nose and throat specialist I went to when I had the same problem.

The consumer ear probe has a blocking flange the prevents it from being inserted too deeply into the ear canal. It's safe enough to be sold over the counter, and is a much better tool for the job that most of the things one can stick in one's ear.

However, as I said, it's best used as a preventative, not when the ear is inflamed.

I've never tried alcohol, and have no opinion on it.

I have tried the ear wax removal kits with lavage bulb and concentrated peroxide you can buy over the counter, in my experience warm ordinary hydrogen peroxide works better. The lavage bulb is sometimes useful, but is not that pleasant to use.

My point about reducing the use of antibiotics when possible still stands. Antibiotics, while miraculous, are not always the best solution. They are a resource to be conserved.

I actually do/did have a ruptured eardrum, which has since resealed I have been told, because I was young when it happened, and I agree they are not fun.

I hate doctors visits but getting your ear checked is nothing.

6 months ago I went 90% deaf in my right ear and he looked at it
for 2 seconds and said it was swollen, wrote a script and you're out.

then again, when I was 20 I had a really painful ear infection, I was
standing up and the doc poked this rod into my ear. It was seriously
painful and I did not know there were so many painful nerves that
far inside your skull. Then he pulled out a green glob and 3 days
of pain instantly vanished. He said I went white.

Funny thing when I went deaf, about 10 days later I redirected
PopeToYou.com to Pope2You.net (the Pope's official site) and
an hour later POP my hearing returned! True story, a real miracle
from the Pope!

Eh? Don't you own twistys? Seems like you'd have enough cash to have a doc come to you. I'm sure that would be a lot more comfortable than going to a doctors office.