I've never heard of the salt/ear thing, but warm compresses are fairly standard advice for certain types of eye infections. I believe the main goal there is less to increase blood circulation and more to soften oils that might be blocking the glands in the area, though.

Physical heating is something that pharma companies aren't really equipped to monopolize, but I have seen microwavable hot/cold packs. They don't seem to offer much advantage over a warm towel.