Many people are familiar with the condition when itching in the ears occurs, and this is one of the most common problems with which they turn to an otorhinolaryngologist. A natural cause of itching in the ear is the accumulation of sulfur in the ear canal. As a rule, such itching intensifies after water enters the ear canal, as this results in softening of sulfur masses. To get rid of this symptom and the source of its occurrence, special hygienic procedures are necessary - cleaning and washing the ears, which should be done at least once a week.
However, it happens that the itching in the ear does not stop for a very long period of time, and this may be evidence of a certain pathology requiring serious therapy. Against its background, in addition to itching, some other clinical signs may appear, which include the appearance of purulent discharge from the ear canal, painful sensations, stuffy ears and discomfort, peeling of the skin inside the ear canal, dizziness, discoordination of movements, fever, hearing loss.
Unpleasant symptom
Intense itching in the ears is one of the main indicators of systemic diseases in the body, since itching is not a disease in itself. If it appears occasionally and does not cause serious discomfort, then you can not pay special attention to it. However, it should be remembered that with such a symptom, the development of such severe pathologies as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis and many others can begin.
The causes and treatment of itching in the ears are discussed below.
Scratching in the ears can be in people with hypersensitivity to certain medications or allergens. Poor hygiene can also cause excruciating itchy sensations. When the skin is traumatized in the external auditory canal with cotton buds or other ear care products, sulfur can penetrate microtraumas, which is manifested by characteristic discomfort and itching.
To get rid of such manifestations in the ears and find out the cause of their occurrence, you need to contact a specialist, since you should not ignore this symptom or treat it yourself.
Causes of occurrence
The main reasons for which itching in the ears can occur are as follows:
- Hyperproduction and accumulation of sulfur masses in the ear canals.
- Irritation of auditory passages of unknown etiology.
- Elderly age.
- Excessive hair growth in the ear canals.
- Increased dryness in the ears.
- Allergy.
- Ear injuries.
- Otitis of bacterial etiology.
- General hypothermia.
- Skin diseases in the outer ear.
- Diabetes.
- Boils in the auditory meatus.
- Violation of the general metabolism in the body.
- Ear mite.
The causes of itching in the ears should be identified by the doctor.
With hypothermia, pathogens begin to become active and exert their pathogenic effect, causing some diseases of the auditory apparatus, accompanied by itching.
Otitis
What can cause itching in the throat and ears? Acute or chronic infectious ear pathologies are manifested by itching, catarrhal and pain syndrome, swelling and redness of the auricle. Pathogenic microorganisms penetrate, as a rule, into the tympanic cavity from the nasopharynx through the Eustachian tubes, from the external environment into the external ear.
Otitis comes in several varieties:
- External otitis media is a mild form of the inflammatory process that affects the auricle and ear canal. In patients with this, acute, dull, or throbbing pain in the ear appears, touch becomes painful, hearing is weakened, ringing and discomfort in the ears appear, and the development of persistent subfebrile condition is possible. A characteristic symptom in this case is intolerable ear pruritus.
- Otitis media, which is characterized by inflammation of the middle ear, due to dysfunction of the auditory tube and the accumulation of exudate in the eardrum. A similar pathology is manifested by congestion in the ears, hearing loss, fever, autophony, throbbing pain, radiating to the temple and dark, and also symptoms of general intoxication. With the formation of purulent discharge, pain decreases and the most common symptom appears - itching in the inflamed ear.
- Inflammation of the inner ear. It is a disease, the main symptom of which is considered to be imbalance and hearing. Itchy sensations can also be observed, however vestibular changes come to the fore, which are the initial signs of pathology, which are manifested by dizziness, impaired coordination in movements. A short time after vestibular changes in patients, hearing is impaired, itching and tinnitus appear, which increases, as a rule, when the head is turned, especially with fast movements. What else causes itching in the ears?
Otomycosis
This pathology is an inflammation of the ear caused by a fungal infection that develops against the background of chronic otitis media, as well as with insufficient compliance with the rules of hygiene of the ears, when wearing a hearing aid, damage to the integrity in the ear canal. Itching in the ears and peeling.
Candida mushrooms are natural inhabitants of the human skin surface and in most cases do no harm. However, under the influence of certain endogenous or exogenous factors, their number begins to increase sharply, which is why a disease such as otomycosis develops. The disease is just manifested by itching, and can be accompanied by flushing of the skin and white flaky discharge from the ear canal. Over time, patients develop whitish crusts in the outer ear. In some more complex cases, fungi penetrate deep into the organ of hearing, affecting the labyrinth and even the cranial bones.
The causes of itching in the ears do not end there.
Allergic factor
Allergic reactions are the most common cause of ear pruritus. In this case, a variety of cosmetics, swimming caps made of latex, insect bites, poplar fluff, the use of headphones, and also dandruff can be allergens. Otolaryngologists together with allergists should conduct a comprehensive examination of the patient, identifying the type of allergen and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the disease.
Itching in the ears with an allergic syndrome may not occur constantly, but only from time to time. It is a signal of the body about serious violations. In allergic dermatitis, a keratinous rash is formed when the skin becomes denser and thicker.
The causes and treatment of itching in the ears we are considering today.
Skin pathology
Itching in the ear canals is one of the few symptoms of dermatological diseases. Sensitive and delicate skin in these areas with similar pathologies itches inside.
- The clinical symptoms of ear dermatitis can range from slight scratching to the manifestations of severe inflammatory processes, which are characterized by intolerable itching both inside the ear and around it, as well as redness, the formation of nodules that break and leave moist areas. Long-term current pathology of this type leads to a thickening of the upper layers of the epidermis and hyperpigmentation.
- Symptoms of eczematous dermatitis are also intense itching, flushing of the skin and peeling, the appearance of small blisters covered with brown and yellowish crusts.
- Seborrheic dermatitis. It can develop as a result of infection of the skin of the outer ear by pathogenic fungi. The skin with this pathology is irritated, it is covered with plaques and greasy crusts. Seborrheic scales are located inside the ear, in the area around it, and can also spread to the cheeks and neck.
- Psoriasis, which is a disease of an unexplained nature, which is manifested by the appearance of itching in the ears and peeling. If this disease is not treated, the plaques begin to increase in size and spread deep into the auditory canal, causing pain and tinnitus. The appearance of such plaques is unpleasant, due to which it seems to others that such a disease can be contagious.
Mechanical injuries
Damage to the skin in the ear canal leads to microtraumas that cause symptoms of itching in the ears. Ear wounds are a direct route for infections that cause ear inflammation and the appearance of symptoms. These include itching in the ears. Mechanical injuries of the ear include: getting into the auditory canal of foreign bodies and their careless removal, craniocerebral injuries, insect bites, etc.
How to treat itching in the ear is interesting to many.
Other reasons
There are also a number of reasons for the appearance of itching, which must be taken into account when determining its origin:
- Itching often occurs with angina, only in this case there is severe sore throat and fever.
- Itching and peeling in the ear canals can occur in the spring with vitamin deficiency.
- Furunculosis. It is a purulent inflammation of the hair follicle in the ear, caused, as a rule, by such a pathogen as Staphylococcus aureus. In patients with this, hearing is impaired, itching occurs in the affected area and pain. Visually boils are reddened tubercles with a yellowish dot in the center where pus is contained.
We examined the most common causes. How to treat itching in the ears?
Treatment
An otorhinolaryngologist can help eliminate this symptom. After diagnostic procedures, a specialist will establish the exact cause of the pathology and prescribe therapeutic measures.
Drug treatment, mainly depends on the type of pathology that triggered the onset of this symptom, and consists in the following:
- With otitis media, patients are prescribed ear drops that contain an antibacterial substance - Anauran, Tsipromed, Otof. Severe intoxication, pruritus, and fever are the main indications for oral antibiotics. With recurrent or sluggish otitis media, some immunostimulating drugs are prescribed - Lavomax, Polyoxidonium, Amiksin, Viferon.
- Widely used local medications, for example, combined ear drops, which include not only antibiotics, but also glucocorticosteroids. The most popular of them are Sofradex, Polydex, and Garazon. They treat people’s itchy ears well.
- Drops for ears with anti-inflammatory effects, containing NSAIDs - Otinum, Otipaks, which significantly reduce the manifestations of itching, reduce inflammation and pain, and also have an anesthetic effect of a local nature.
- Otomycosis is usually treated with local antimycotic drugs - ear drops “Candibiotic”, “Clotrimazole”, etc.
- For washing, some antimycotic solutions are used - Nystatin, Amphotericin, Clotrimazole. They quickly relieve severe itching in the ears.
- The use of vitamins and fortifying agents is also recommended.
- With itching in the ears of an allergic origin, antihistamines are prescribed, which include Tsetrin, Loratadin, Suprastin.
- For the treatment of psoriasis, experts recommend ointments based on oil, tar and solidol, as well as corticosteroid and keratolytic drugs.
- In case of seborrheic dermatitis, it is necessary to use external antimycotic agents and wash with shampoos containing antimycotics, for example, Nizoral.
Use drops for the ears should be after removal of purulent discharge and sulfur from the ear canal. When itching in the ears, it is strictly forbidden to comb them, since this often leads to microtrauma, the spread of infection and worsening of the condition. What else is used to treat itching in the ears?
Folk recipes
At home, you can independently get rid of the problem of itching in the ear canal, but this is done in the absence of serious pathological processes in the form of inflammation and purulent formations in the ear. In this case, some traditional medicine may help, among which are:
- Rubbing the outer ear with a 6% vinegar solution, as well as vegetable oil or a warm soda solution injected into the outer ear canal.
- In order to soften and remove the sulfur plug, it is recommended to instill a solution of hydrogen peroxide in the ear.
- Tea tree oil or almond oil can be instilled into the ear, which are effective antifungal agents that can eliminate itching in the ears at the initial stages of the development of the infectious process.
- Salicylic alcohol. It reduces inflammation and has a pronounced bactericidal effect. First of all, the ear is washed with hydrogen peroxide, after which two drops of salicylic alcohol are instilled into the ear canals. What other folk remedies for itching in the ears are used?
- Tincture of calendula. Also a very effective composition for burying the ear with itchy sensations.
- A medicine made from green walnuts that insist on vodka.
- Propolis alcohol infusion.
- If itching is the result of psoriasis, it is possible to use an ointment made from birch tar, egg white and honey.
- With ear furunculosis, mixtures of raw eggs, honey, flour and salt are used, which are applied to a gauze swab and placed in the ear.
We described the main causes of itching in the ears. How to treat it is described in this material.