Often itchy ears, but nothing comes out? Or the manifestations of 3 diseases, don't patronize

"Doctor, my ears have been itchy recently, and occasionally 'water' comes out, but I can't get anything out of my ears..." Ms. Zeng has been very troubled by her ears recently.

"Ma'am, you are 'mold' here..." The doctor held Ms. Zeng's head and checked it carefully.

"Mold? Is it a mistake? I pay attention to cleaning every day. I often go to pick my ears, and wipe my ears with cotton swabs after washing my hair..."

The doctor informed Ms. Zeng that she had a fungal infection in her ear, which is the manifestation of fungal otitis externa.

Ear "mold" or something, it sounds a bit scary. But in daily life, we often encounter extremely itchy ears, but as a result, nothing can be taken out; sometimes, we will take out the "oil" in the ear... What exactly does this imply?

1. Why do people feel very "cool" when picking their ears?

If your ears are itchy, you will consciously take out a cotton swab or ear scoop to clean the earwax, which will bring you a feeling of "pickling your ears for a while, but it's always cool", what's going on?

Picking your ears feels "cool" and is associated with intracranial orgasms . This is a higher level of pleasure than the physical friction and impact. It is caused by touch or hearing, has nothing to do with sex, and can excite the brain and make people feel happy.

Then sometimes we pick out our ears and touch a hand of "oil". What are these "oils"?

Some people always feel oily when they dig their ears. This is a sign of strong oil secretion. The oil wraps the earwax, and the earwax secreted is greasy and sticky. Sometimes the oil will flow out of the ear, which is commonly known as "oily ear" ".

The factors that determine the dryness and oiliness of earwax are mainly related to genetics. In China, about 10%-20% of people's earwax is oily .

Second, the ear is always itchy why? Watch out for 3 diseases

In fact, there are many reasons for itching in the ear. The most common one is the deposition and stimulation of earwax, which can cause people to dig their ears. But sometimes, itchy ears may also be a manifestation of disease. .

1. Bacterial infection

When Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and other bacteria invade the ear canal and cause chronic infection, it can cause local skin redness, itching, pain, and even purulent secretions.

2, fungal infection

The external auditory canal canal is "crissing", and once it is in a humid environment for a long time, it may be secondary to fungal infection and cause itchy ears. This itching feeling is very strong, it can be said to be "extremely itchy", and it is often repeated over and over again.

3. Allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis caused by mites may also cause itchy ears. This is a symptom of rhinitis affecting the ear, not the presence of mites in the ear canal.

3. Can the ears be pierced? You may not understand how deeply your ears are hurt

Many people think that earwax is the "excretion" of the ear. If this "dirty thing" is not dug out, it may affect the health of the ear. But the reality may be different from what you think.

In fact, earwax is a good thing. It contains oil, which can keep the ear canal moist; earwax also contains immunoglobulin A, which can keep bacteria in the ear canal; earwax can also act as a barrier to prevent some external bacteria and small insects from entering. ear canal.

Most of the earwax will be automatically discharged with our actions such as eating and talking , so there is no need to deliberately "pick it out".

Frequent earwax plucking is likely to cause a lot of damage to the ears - such as using ear scoops, cotton swabs, etc. to pluck the ears, a little attention, it is easy to cause skin damage, inflammation of the ear canal, improper depth of the ear canal Injury to the eardrum, which may also pose a hearing risk after a puncture of the eardrum.

In fact, the flora in the ear canal has its own ecological balance and has a self-cleaning function. But if it is too uncomfortable and you really want to pay, Xiaojiu has 2 suggestions:

1. Ask a doctor for help

Find a professional otolaryngologist to dig it out. With the help of otoscopy, you can see things that are invisible to the naked eye and clean in a more comprehensive way. In addition, the hospital will first soften the dirt with ear drops, which can be handled gently while cleaning.

2. Gently clean yourself

If you feel that your ears are too itchy, you can gently tug and rub the outer auricle and earlobe with your hands.

If you really feel it is necessary to remove earwax, you should wash your hands first, use a medical sterile cotton swab soaked in warm water, squeeze it dry, slightly probe into and wipe the external ear canal , and gently rotate in one direction to take out the earwax.

In the event of ear discomfort, itching or bleeding, swelling and pain in the ear canal, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible to check whether it is caused by ear canal injury or bacterial infection.

References:

[1] "What is the "oil" in the oily ear? Should I remove earwax? It's finally clear". Popular Science China. 2021-05-30

[2] "The ear is often itchy, but can't get anything out? Maybe these 4 reasons are at work". Tencent Medical Dictionary. 2020-01-10

[3] "Look! How deep is the injury to the ear you "pick out" under the ear speculum? ". Life Times. 2021-04-01

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission