Itching in the depths of the ear canal bothered almost every person. What caused this annoying feeling? In most cases, itching and tickling in the ears occurs when the sulfur mass moves inside the ear canal. Moving to the outer edge of the ear canal, sulfur accumulates in its vestibule - thus, the ear cleans itself. The only problem is that this process is accompanied by not the most pleasant sensations. To get rid of them, and to speed up the cleansing of the ear canal, you need to carefully but thoroughly remove excess sulfur. In this article, we'll show you how to do it right.
In some cases, itching inside the ear constantly worries a person, despite the ideal cleanliness of the ears. What to do in this case? It is necessary to find out why the ears itch inside. The reasons for this phenomenon are not always obvious, so it is worth consulting your doctor. Quite often, itching inside the ear is associated with a fungal infection - otomycosis. We will tell you about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Why does itch in the ear?
Why do ears itch, and in general - what is itching? This sensation is the body's response to various stimuli, which is activated when the nerve endings that innervate the surface of the skin are excited. Itching is similar in nature to pain - both of these feelings serve to protect a person from potential dangers. Itching makes you pay attention to a certain part of the body, and relieve it of the irritating factor. But, just like pain, itching often does not help a person, but brings suffering and interferes with normal life.
So, in some cases, itching makes a person clean his ears, and this relieves discomfort. In others, the ears itch constantly and very badly, but there is no apparent reason for this.
Many people suffer from itchy ears for years, but treatment does not give the expected effect. In this case, psychogenic or neurogenic itching may occur - its causes are not in the skin of the ears, but in the dysfunction of the nerve cells of the brain.
Sedatives can significantly improve the well-being of patients with psycho- and neurogenic itching. It is worth noting that such a diagnosis is made after excluding all possible causes of ailment.
In most cases, itching deep in the ear canal is associated with:
- the presence of sulfur plug;
- damage to the skin of the ear canal when cleaning with a cotton swab, match, etc.;
- fungal infection;
- psoriasis, eczema, allergic dermatitis, however, it itches not only inside the ear, but also outside (itching behind the ears can have the same reasons).
The cause of itching is sulfur plug
Why does the right or left ear itch? Itching on only one side often indicates the presence of a sulfur plug - a dense accumulation of sulfur, dead epithelium and dust inside the ear canal. Other symptoms of the presence of sulfuric plug:
- itching in the ear after taking a shower, bathing;
- ear congestion;
noise in ears;- decreased hearing acuity (on one or both sides);
- periodic dry cough;
- dizziness.
noise in ears;Improper ear care contributes to the formation of sulfur plugs. When cleansing the ear with a cotton swab, the person pushes the wax deep into the ear and compresses it.
Sulfur plugs do not threaten human health, but they significantly reduce the quality of life. If you suspect a plug, contact an otolaryngologist - he will quickly and painlessly clean the ear canals from the accumulation of sulfur. You can also wash the sulfur plug yourself, at home. To do this, you can use hydrogen peroxide or special sulfur solvents - cerumenolytics.
How to clean your ear canal?
To relieve itching, in many cases, it is enough to clear the ear canal of wax, dirt and desquamated epidermis of the skin. How to clean your ears neatly and correctly?
One of the safest and most affordable methods is to flush the ear canal with 3% hydrogen peroxide. This method is not suitable only for people with a damaged eardrum. The procedure is quite simple and includes the following steps:
- Prepare 3% hydrogen peroxide, pipette, tissue paper, gauze swab. You can also purchase stopper cotton swabs.
- Lie on your side. Draw a full dropper of peroxide and squeeze it in the palm of your hand to heat the liquid to body temperature.
- Insert a full pipette of peroxide into the ear canal shallowly. Remain in a supine position.
- Oxygen is released when peroxide comes in contact with sulfur. As a result, the liquid in your ear will fizzle and foam, dissolving the plug. If you feel pain or burning sensation, the procedure should be discontinued.
- Turn your head so that the peroxide and sulfur fragments drain out of your ear. Wipe your ear with a tissue or gauze swab, pulling your ear slightly up and back (this will straighten the ear canal). You should not try to penetrate deep into the auditory canal - it is enough to clean its outer part.
- Repeat the procedure for the other ear.
It usually takes 3-7 rinsing procedures to completely dissolve the plug.
Otomycosis is a possible cause of itching
A fungal infection is one of the most common causes of itchy ears. What are the causes of this disease?
Normally, the microflora of the ear skin is represented by bacteria and fungi. They inhabit the skin, but do not adversely affect its condition. Problems begin when the composition or quantity of microorganisms in the microflora is disturbed. This happens, for example, with immunodeficiency. Also, the balance of microflora is disturbed by antibiotics.
Treatment with antibacterial drugs often leads to overactive fungi. In particular, long-term use of antibiotic ear drops to treat otitis media can cause otomycosis, a fungal infection of the ear.
Otomycosis should be suspected in the presence of the following symptoms:
- ear congestion;
- itching deep in the ear canal;
- in the early stages - a decrease in the amount of sulfur, dryness of the ear canal, and in the later stages - an abundant discharge of a thick dark mass from the ear;
- swelling of the ear skin, pain when touching the auricle (not always observed).
Diagnosis is by culture of an ear swab. Otomycosis treatment is a long-term process that requires a competent approach. With moderate symptoms, local antimycotic drugs (ear drops and ointments) are used. Antifungal systemic action is resorted to in advanced cases, as well as if local therapy is not effective.
Before using the drops, it is necessary to remove fungal spores from the ear canal. If this stage is ignored, the likelihood of a relapse of the disease at the end of the course of treatment is high.
It is strongly discouraged to carry out deep cleaning yourself - entrust it to a specialist. The otolaryngologist cleans the ear canal with special instruments. After cleaning, the ear is treated with an antimycotic agent. Then the patient continues treatment at home, using the remedy prescribed by the doctor. Exoderil, Nizoral, Candibiotic are widely used.
During treatment, you should stop taking antibiotics, alcohol, avoid hypothermia and water getting into your ears. Approximately 30-45 days after the end of the course of treatment, it is recommended to repeat the bacteriological culture of the ear swab to monitor the effectiveness of therapy.
