Many people have encountered such a problem as peeling of certain areas of the skin. Sometimes it passes quickly and does not cause discomfort, in some cases it continues for a rather long time and is accompanied by unpleasant and painful sensations. The causes of pathology can be many, as well as treatment methods. Let's try to understand why earlobes are flaky and what to do in this case.
Causes
Dermatological problems, as well as household reasons, may explain why the earlobe flakes and itches.
Causes:
- Allergy. If you analyze your diet, you can identify which product causes an allergic reaction in the form of peeling of certain areas of the skin, including earlobes.
- An insect bite can also cause ailment.
- Vitamin deficiency. A lack of vitamins A and E often causes dry skin.
- Senile age. Due to the age-related characteristics of the body, problems with the epidermis are not uncommon, especially in places with sensitive skin.
- Ear dandruff. It occurs for the same reason as on the head. If detachment of scales is observed, most likely, we are talking about dandruff.
- Inflammation in the deep layers of the epidermis, which is accompanied by redness of the skin.
- Failure to comply with basic hygiene results in itching and flaking of the dermis.
- Stressful situations and nervous disorders contribute to irritation of the dermis.
- Diseases Peeling and itching can be a manifestation of various diseases.
Symptoms
We examined the reasons for flaking earlobes. How is pathology manifested?
Symptoms are distinguished by the appearance of:
- peeling and flaking flakes;
- itching
- a slight burning sensation at the site of irritation;
- dry skin.
Diagnosis includes an initial examination, history taking, finding out the tendency to allergies, the exclusion of chronic pathologies. Upon further examination, a blood test, taking a sample from the skin can be prescribed.
Dermatitis
Peeling inside or on the surface of the ear is often a sign of one of the skin diseases. Each type of dermatitis is accompanied by special symptoms.
Psoriasis is characterized by the appearance of red nodules with white scales on the surface of the skin, so the earlobe may peel off from the outside. At first, the formations are small in size, but over time they develop into large plaques. Depending on the stage of the disease, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Neurodermatitis is a dangerous type of dermatitis that can affect the lymph nodes. A red rash and intolerable itching appear on the infected foci. In severe stages, neurodermatitis causes darkening of the dermis and the formation of a dry crust on it.
Eczema is a disease characterized by skin rashes and itching in places of their localization.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a disease caused by infectious and inflammatory processes, which mainly affects areas of the skin with an abundance of fatty glands. The cause of dermatitis is fungi, which, being on the surface of the skin, feed on the product of the sebaceous glands.
For the treatment of each type of dermatitis, a comprehensive treatment is selected, which consists in the use of medicines, diet nutrition and increasing local immunity.
Fungal infection
If the earlobe is peeling off in an adult or child, then it can be a fungus. Usually, infection occurs against a background of reduced immunity and the presence of favorable conditions for the life of the pests. Including excessive hygiene can lead to disruption of the natural microflora when the auricles are excessively treated with water and other means.
Symptoms of fungal infection include:
- headache;
- sensation in the ears of a foreign body;
- noise;
- itching and peeling;
- various kinds of discharge from the auricle.
In most cases, the lesions are caused by Candida or Aspergillus fungi, less often Staphylococcus aureus becomes the cause of the disease. The treatment for such a problem is the same for all parts of the body.
First of all, the type of fungus is determined, only after that special ointments and creams are prescribed. Processing inside the ear involves the use of a cotton swab, on which the medicinal composition is applied. If there is an allergic reaction to the drug, it is replaced with another similar action.
Furuncle
Another reason why the earlobe is flaky may be the formation of a boil inside the dermis. It occurs when an infection enters the epidermis and indicates the onset of the inflammatory process. It flows in the sebaceous glands, follicle or in the deep layers of the skin.
At the initial stage of inflammation, a person feels itching, redness and peeling are observed. In cases of complication, the boil causes unbearable pain. Drug treatment in this case is not possible, surgical intervention is required. After him - a long course of therapy with antibacterial agents.
Eczema
One of the most common forms of allergies is eczema. In a short time, it flows from one form to another and can become a chronic disease. The acute stage takes place in a three-week period, during which time eczema affects the upper layers of the skin. This explains why flaky skin on the earlobes.
If timely measures are taken, the disease can be easily cured without the development of side effects. Provided that the treatment is selected correctly. If you start the disease and do not start therapy, then the epidermis will be infected as soon as possible, and eczema will go into acute and then chronic form.
At the very beginning of the disease, the patient has a slight tightening and redness of the skin, which is accompanied by itching, especially with palpation. Over time, a small rash forms on the ears; when it dries, it begins to peel and crack.
Therapy includes the use of external medications. If wetting wounds form on the lesions, they are treated with alcohol or an oxycort-based agent. If the rash is covered with a crust, then ointments with an anti-inflammatory effect are applied to it. In addition, they contain components that fight the fungus and constrict blood vessels. In some cases, antibacterial ointments and creams are prescribed.
In addition to medications, traditional medicine also provides good results. These are lotions based on herbal decoctions and oils that have an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect.
Manifestations in children
Most of the causes that cause discomfort in adults also apply to small patients. If the child has an earlobe flaky, most often, diathesis is manifested in this way.
This is a feature of the children's body - it is peculiar to respond to stimuli. The main symptoms are: redness of the skin of the face, neck and ears, as well as peeling in these places. In some cases, itching in the area of the earlobes in children can occur as a result of excessive wrapping of the child and excessive sweating.
Therapy
Therapeutic measures begin only after identifying the cause of the disease, most often the treatment is carried out at home.
If the earlobe is flaky due to an allergic reaction to medications, insect bites, products, hair dye, jewelry, it is treated with antihistamines, external drugs and soothing compresses. For example, “Loratadin”, “Finistil”, “Lorinden”. If an allergic agent is identified, it must be eliminated.
If the reason lies in poor hygiene, then solving the problem is not difficult. You need to regularly wash affected skin areas using soap.
Irritation provoked by neurosis and stress is treated by eliminating the root cause. It is necessary to take sedatives, herbal infusions and avoid stressful situations. For example, tincture of valerian, Neurochel, Persen.
If the cause of flaking and itching of the ears is caused by a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients, then you need to change the daily diet, eat more foods containing trace elements and minerals to make up for their deficiency. You can buy complexes, for example, Complivit, Supradin, Vitrum.
Diseases, the symptoms of which are manifested by flaking of the ears, are treated after consulting a doctor and making a diagnosis. This is not always dermatitis, as is commonly thought, in some cases, itching can be caused by diabetes. After determining the cause of the pathology, the doctor will prescribe treatment. With different types of dermatitis, it consists in taking pills, using creams and ointments, and physiotherapy.
Prevention
The main goal of prevention is to prevent the possible occurrence of itching and flaking of the ears.
For this, measures are taken:
- First of all, it is necessary to exclude all sources of allergies that can cause a reaction. Each person has everything individually, for some it is animal hair, for others - food, for others - medicines. If you get rid of the causative agent of allergies, the skin will cease to peel off.
- In addition, it is very important to observe the rules of personal hygiene, paying particular attention to the area of the ears and face, since it is there that the largest number of sebaceous glands are located. They, in turn, are clogged with a mixture of sebum and dirt, and cause unwanted manifestations on the epidermis.
- Another point concerns existing chronic skin diseases. It is important to monitor the general condition, to prevent relapses and exacerbations. This will significantly reduce the incidence of itching.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the earlobe is peeling off both from external stimuli and internal problems of the body. If a person does not manage to cope with the disease on his own, you should definitely visit a doctor and undergo an examination.