“I don’t know what’s going on lately. I’ve been itching in my ears! I always feel like there’s something there.”
“I took a look around to see if it’s blocked by earwax?”
“I took it out, but there was nothing.”
Office worker’s little money Lately, I have been feeling itchy in my ears. I tried digging with my little finger but nothing came out. Then I tried using cotton swabs, but it still didn’t relieve the pain. The inexorable itching was driving him crazy, and he couldn’t even concentrate on work. At the weekend, Xiao Qian rushed to the otolaryngology department as soon as possible and asked the doctor to help him find out what was going on.
"You have beriberi in your ears!" the doctor said after examination. What? Xiaoqian was very confused. He didn't have athlete's foot, nor did he pick his feet and then his ears. How could he be infected with fungus? The doctor asked Xiao Qian if he had ever had his ears picked at a pedicure or bathhouse ?
One sentence made Xiao Qian suddenly realize it. He thought that he went for a pedicure with his colleague two months ago. The colleague recommended ear picking and said it was very comfortable, so he tried it himself. It was indeed very comfortable and numb. He tried it three or four times after that. , it seems that that’s when my ears started to itch.
The tools used by technicians are public supplies. If they are not disinfected after use, or if the ears are picked after massaging the feet, the fungus may be transmitted to the ears through the technician's hands, eventually causing fungal otitis externa.
The doctor then cleaned Xiaoqian’s ears and prescribed topical ointments and oral medications. After two weeks of treatment, Xiaoqian’s ears finally stopped itching.
If your ears are itchy, don’t worry about picking them out yet. Check out 3 diseases in time
- fungal otitis externa
Fungi multiply in the ear canal, just like mold spots on food, so the ears still have a strong itching feeling. Especially in a quiet state and when sleeping, the feeling is obvious. If you accidentally scratch your ears by picking them frequently, it will also cause inflammation and pain.
—— Otitis media
Not only is it itchy in the ear, but the secretions taken out also have a smell and a sticky texture. Because of the unbearable itching, you can't help but pull it out, which will aggravate the inflammation and even cause tinnitus. Otitis media should be treated in time. Over time, it may cause tympanic membrane perforation, pus discharge, and affect hearing.
- External auditory canal eczema
You can see many small red spots or blisters in the external auditory canal with the naked eye. They cannot be scratched. They are prone to ulceration and bleeding, and then scabs form. If the scabs are accidentally picked, bleeding and pain may occur. Eczema and Allergy, diet, emotion, infection and other factors are all related. Moisture should be avoided when bathing and washing hair, and the diet should be light.
When you find that the earwax is not clean, which is always present, you should check the external auditory canal in time to see if the above three diseases have occurred, and you need to treat it as soon as possible.
When there is itching in the ears, many people's first reaction is "there is earwax", so they take out various tools and take turns, but after finishing it, they find that it is still itchy. Others will save their earwax and go to ear-picking shops to collect it.
What is the difference between having your ears picked out by an ear picking shop and done by a doctor?
Ear-picking store
Browsing the ear-picking videos on the Internet is really eye-opening. This may not be picking out ears, but practicing! They pour water, make tea, use various duck and chicken feather sticks, and even massage the air around your ears. It seems very artistic, but these behaviors are very "ear-damaging".
For example, filling the external auditory canal with water will make the external auditory canal become moist and easily invaded by bacteria and fungi. It will induce inflammation and eczema . It will also affect the eardrum pressure and cause ear swelling. If you use too much force when picking your ears, you may even injure your eardrum.
Doctors picking ears
In the hospital, there is a nice name for picking out ears, called "earwax removal surgery" . The doctor will first use endoscope to check the external auditory canal to see how much earwax there is and whether there are other disease problems that need to be solved besides earwax. Simply cleaning earwax usually takes 2-20 minutes, and the price varies.
The advantages of ear removal in hospitals are that it is clean and hygienic, and there is no need to worry about fungal infection. Moreover, the doctors are very professional. Children, the elderly, or people who have not had their ears removed for many years can go to the otolaryngology department to remove earwax. The disadvantage is that the cost is a bit high. The registration fee plus the cerumen removal surgery may cost dozens of yuan more. You can choose according to your own situation.
In addition, every time some people take out earwax themselves, some earwax will be inserted into it. Over time, it may become clogged and agglomerated. The doctor will help you clean out these "old stubbornness".
What is the harm if the earwax dug out is very large? Will it affect hearing?
Sometimes we will take out a large piece of earwax and feel full of accomplishment, but we will also worry about whether such a large piece of earwax will affect our hearing if it is blocked in our ears.
Large pieces of earwax will not cause harm in the ear canal, nor will they affect hearing. On the contrary, it has benefits. Earwax is a somewhat oily secretion. When dust and flying insects enter the external auditory canal, it will be blocked by the earwax. Moreover, it also locks in water and moisturizes, preventing the skin and eardrum in the ear canal from drying out.
However, if you are biased against earwax and can't help but pick it out, it will push the earwax away and accumulate deep in it, which will affect your hearing. Wang Ke, the attending physician of otolaryngology, head and neck at Chengdu 363 Hospital , said that 40 to 60% of patients with otitis externa are caused by frequent ear picking. He does not recommend that everyone pick their ears too frequently.
In addition, some netizens said that they cough when they pick out their ears. What is going on?
is actually affected by the vagus nerve . Simply put, part of the nerve is in the glossopharynx, and part is in the cartilage of the external auditory canal. When the external auditory canal is stimulated, the nerves in the glossopharynx will also feel it. If you don’t want to cough, you can drink some warm water beforehand and then move gently to reduce irritation to the nerves.
Generally speaking, there are some hidden dangers in ear picking on the roadside or in ear picking shops. There is a risk of infection. It is not recommended that you go there often. You should also pay attention to the frequency of ear picking at home. If you feel itchy in the ear Incomparably, there is still foul-smelling secretion, and the cause must be investigated promptly.
Reference:
[1] Is it a fuss to go to the hospital to have your ears picked out?.Beijing Toutiao Client.2021-01-28
[2]@Taiyuan people pay attention! Picking ears feels good for a while, but you should be careful of these risks·Taiyuan Daily. 2022-07-01
[3] Cool Doctors | Why do some people feel itchy throats and even cough when they pick out their ears?·Southern plus client.2019-12-25
