Ears are as important an organ in a person as the heart or stomach. Just imagine how difficult life is for deaf people. They cannot perceive the world through sound sensations. Therefore, the ears should be treated as seriously as other vital organs. If irritation, itching suddenly appear on them, pain is felt when touched, then these symptoms should not be ignored. Be sure to understand the reasons why the ear itches on the outside or inside.
Note that such discomfort not only causes discomfort, but may also indicate serious pathologies. There are cases when the itching goes away by itself, for example, when the interaction with the allergen stops. If a person has such a problem, it is recommended that you simply feel better for 2-3 days using an ointment. But this is the simplest reason why the ear itches on the outside. There are more serious ones, such as dermatitis, parasites,infectious otitis, external otomycosis, psoriasis, eczema. These diseases are fraught with serious complications, and therefore require complex treatment. In this case, itching is a pronounced symptom. Fighting it, even with the help of drugs, will not bring relief, since it is necessary to get rid of the main cause. So, let's look at why the auricle itches and a sign of what kind of disease this symptom can be.
Allergic contact dermatitis
The most common reason why the ear itches on the outside is an allergic reaction. Itching appears immediately after contact with a certain substance. In medicine, it is called an allergen. Dermatitis affects the skin not only of the ears, but also of other parts of the body. Itching is not the only symptom that accompanies an allergic reaction. In addition to it, swelling of the affected area and severe reddening of the skin can be pronounced.
Allergic contact dermatitis can be triggered by various substances. Most often, the reaction occurs on metal alloys from which jewelry is made (chrome, nickel and others), cosmetics, powders, and even paint used to color things. For example, upon contact with earrings, the ears may burn and itch almost immediately.
How does this type of dermatitis develop? Within a few minutes after interaction with the allergen, redness of the skin appears. A little later, the affected area swells. Papules form on it, which in a short period of time turn into vesicles,filled with liquid. When they open, the area of the skin with inflammation is covered with erosion. When healing, crusts form on the wounds. And at the end of the allergic process, the ear begins to peel off. During all this time, the person feels intense itching.
If you do not completely stop interacting with the allergen, then dermatitis can become chronic. With it, the inflammatory process is not localized in a certain place, but grows in those areas that have not been in contact with the substance. The symptoms of the chronic course of the disease are identical to the acute ones.
Corticosteroid ointment is prescribed to treat allergic contact dermatitis. Antihistamine medications can help with itchy skin. These include:
- "Desloratadine";
- "Loratadine";
- Cetirizine and others.
Atopic and seborrheic dermatitis
Itching is a symptom of other types of dermatitis. We are talking about seborrheic and atopic. The cause of the latter is an allergy. Seborrheic dermatitis is caused by the fungus Malassezia furfur. Both of these diseases differ not only in the causes of occurrence, but also in the symptoms. However, in both the first and second cases, people itch a lot behind their ears. In addition to this symptom, seborrheic dermatitis is manifested by thickening of the skin on the affected areas, the formation of scales. Most often, inflammation occurs behind the auricle. At risk are those people who have a severely weakened immune system. The fungus, multiplying, first affects the sebaceousglands. After it spreads to the surrounding surface. Antifungal medicines are used as treatment.
As for atopic dermatitis, red ears and dry skin will indicate it. The most common cause of this disease is food allergies. However, the reaction can also occur after contact with other substances or insect bites. First, the inflamed part of the auricle swells a little, the skin turns red, it becomes quite dry. Given that this process is accompanied by constant itching, then when combing, the pimples behind the ear burst, the skin gets wet, the affected areas become covered with crusts. If treatment is not started on time, then ulcers form in these areas. Used for therapy:
- ointment with anti-inflammatory effect;
- antihistamines to relieve symptoms;
- sedatives to make you feel better.
Furuncle of the external auditory canal, ear mite, tonsillitis
Most people will be surprised to learn that the symptoms of a sore throat are not only a sore throat, fever, but also external itching of the ear. Moreover, the sensations can be so strong that sometimes it becomes simply unbearable. If itching is caused by angina, then no special treatment is used. The symptom will go away on its own after recovery.
Ear mites can also cause severe itching. These parasites can provoke dangerous complications (for example, allergies), therefore, even with the slightest suspicion, it is necessaryimmediately go to the hospital. The subcutaneous mite (demodex) lives in the sebaceous glands. It is the main cause of acne on the face and acne behind the ear.
The furuncle of the external auditory canal is a disease in which a person has simply unbearable itching. After some time, severe pain is added to this symptom. Its intensity increases with chewing and pressure on the tragus.
Infectious otitis externa
Why does my ear itch on the outside? There are many reasons for this. One of them is a disease such as infectious otitis externa. It manifests itself in the form of a purulent-inflammatory process. Pathology captures not only the skin, but also bone and cartilage tissue. The cause of otitis externa is pyogenic staphylococcus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In places of injury or other damage, the pathogen penetrates the skin. The disease occurs in two forms: chronic and acute. In the first and second cases, the symptoms are the same: itching, hearing loss, congestion, purulent discharge. But there are differences between the forms of otitis externa. It comes down to deadlines. For example, in the chronic stage, the duration of the development of the inflammatory process can reach one month.
As a treatment, antihistamines and multivitamin preparations, antibiotics are used. And for local therapy, hormonal and antibacterial ointments, ear drops are suitable.
External otomycosis
If it itches a lot forears, this may indicate a fungal infection. A disease such as external otomycosis develops very slowly. As a rule, the skin does not change. In the beginning, a person feels only a slight itch. With an increase in its intensity, the ear constantly itches. Scratching leads to damage to the skin. And these are favorable conditions for seeding with fungi Penicillium, Candida, Aspergillus. With the development of the disease, in addition to itching, there is also a burning sensation and a sensation of a foreign body. The auricle becomes quite sensitive. The pain spasm is very strong. It increases during chewing, swallowing, yawning. Most often, in pathology, the skin of the outer ear is affected. If a person has diabetes or leukemia, the lesion can also spread to the middle ear.
What causes external otomycosis? Top Reasons:
- Improper hygiene.
- Inflammatory processes.
- Skin damage.
- Long-term use of antibiotics.
This disease responds well to treatment. The appointment of drugs is carried out on an individual basis. In difficult cases, combination therapy may be used.
Psoriasis
This disease manifests itself in the form of plaques. They form on the skin of any part of the body, including the ears. The spots themselves are red. From above they are covered with white scales. Scientists have not yet established the exact causes that can cause the development of psoriasis. However, it is known that provoking factors aresevere stress, metabolic disorders and immunological failures. The disease has three stages:
- The first is progressive. Accompanied by the appearance of new rashes. Earlobes and other damaged areas itch severely.
- The second one is stationary. New plaques do not appear. There is a healing of the old.
- Third - regressive. The appearance of pseudo-atrophic rims. In the center of inflamed spots, he althy skin is visible.
Signs of psoriasis:
- Protruding red plaques.
- The affected areas itch.
- Nails are deformed.
- Dead cells fall off, so the ear and other parts of the body flake off.
- The appearance of blisters and cracks.
Treatment is carried out only under the supervision of a physician. As a rule, complex therapy is prescribed, which includes ointments, special procedures and adherence to the regimen. When choosing certain drugs, doctors take into account the degree and stage of the disease, the state of he alth, age, gender of the patient.
Eczema
Another disease that not only cracks the skin behind the ears, but also forms ulcers. Pathology is chronic, may worsen. The duration of relapses varies from several hours to 2-3 days. Places of localization - on the head, shoulders, palms, neck, behind the ears. Eczema symptoms:
- Swelling of affected areas.
- Redness of the skin.
- Bubble formation.
- Itching.
The disease occurs in three forms: chronic, acute and subacute. The choice of drugs depends onthe degree of damage, the form and nature of the course. Given that eczema is allergic in nature, the first step is to identify the substance that causes irritation. After stopping contact with him, medication is prescribed.
Other reasons
Do your ears itch on the outside? What causes this symptom? The diseases in which a person feels itching have already been described above. But these are not all reasons. There are other irritants as well. These include:
- Cosmetics. Even when washing your hair with shampoo, itching can appear on the outside of the auricle. In order to get rid of it, just change cosmetics.
- Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, diabetes can cause this symptom.
- Hormonal disorders.
- Diathesis is manifested not only by red ears, but also by severe itching.
- Wrong diet.
- Poisoning.
- Allergy to a specific food group.
- Weather conditions.
Itching without other symptoms
Itching of the auricle does not always indicate some kind of disease. This symptom may be the only one, but otherwise the person feels very well. Why then do the earlobes and the sink itch?
- Drying of the skin. Occurs in people with a genetic predisposition.
- Using aggressive cleansers during hygiene procedures.
- Wearing earrings. Itching may occur even if the person is not allergic to metals. Most often helocalized at the puncture site. In order to get rid of this, the earrings must be treated with alcohol before wearing.
- Neuralgic disorders. Often, during a nervous breakdown, a person's ear begins to itch.
How to cure
If the ears itch, treatment should be prescribed after finding out the causes. Only in this case it will be effective. It has already been briefly described above which drugs are used to improve well-being and reduce the intensity of itching.
When this appears, it is better to consult a doctor in order to exclude the possibility of developing serious diseases. However, if this is not possible for some reason, and the itching is no longer strong enough, then you can try to alleviate your well-being on your own:
- Take a sedative or antihistamine.
- Wipe your ear with boric alcohol.
- Treat the affected area with ointment from itchy skin. For these purposes, Telfast, Trexil, Panthenol, Fenistil, Advantan, Levomekol, etc. are suitable.
- Be sure to review the daily diet.
- Take digestive drugs.
Conclusion
From the material presented in the article, it can be seen that even such a symptom, at first glance, as itching on the outside of the ear, cannot be ignored. Of course, this does not yet indicate the presence of serious diseases, but it is better to play it safe and seek qualified help. Having made a comprehensive examination and making sure that there are no complications, you can throw all your strength into eliminating discomfort. Most often, local therapy (ointments) is used for this. If the itching has become an allergy reaction to some substance, then you need to drink special preparations. This will help relieve discomfort.
