Many people have experienced such a problem as peeling of certain areas of the skin. Sometimes it passes quickly and does not cause discomfort, in some cases it lasts for quite a long time and is accompanied by unpleasant and painful sensations. There can be many causes of pathology, as well as methods of treatment. Let's try to figure out why the earlobes are peeling and what to do in this case.
Reasons
Dermatological problems, as well as household causes, can explain why the earlobe is flaky and itchy.
Reasons:
- 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 the earlobes.
- Insect bite can also cause illness.
- Vitamin deficiency. A lack of vitamins A and E often causes dry skin.
- Old age. Due to the age characteristics of the body, problems with the epidermis are not sovery rare, especially in places with sensitive skin.
- Ear dandruff. It occurs for the same reason as on the head. If there is a detachment of scales, most likely, we are talking about dandruff.
- Inflammation in the deep layers of the epidermis, which is accompanied by reddening of the skin.
- Failure to observe 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 looked at the causes of flaky earlobes. How does pathology manifest?
Symptomatology differs in appearance:
- peeling and flaking of scales;
- itching;
- slight burning sensation at the site of irritation;
- dry skin.
Diagnosis includes primary examination, history taking, elucidation of propensity to allergies, exclusion of chronic pathologies. With further examination, a blood test may be ordered, taking a sample from the skin.
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 specific symptoms.
Psoriasis is characterized by the appearance of red nodules with white scales on the surface of the skin, so the outer earlobe may peel off. At first, the formations are small in size, but over time they develop intolarge 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 unbearable 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 skin areas 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 secretion of the sebaceous glands.
For the treatment of each type of dermatitis, a complex treatment is selected, which consists in the use of medicines, dietary nutrition and an increase in local immunity.
Fungal infection
If the earlobe of an adult or a child is peeling, then it may be a fungus. Usually, infection occurs against the background of reduced immunity and the presence of favorable conditions for the life process of pests. Including excessive hygiene can lead to a violation of the natural microflora, when the auricles are excessively treated with water and other means.
Symptoms of a fungal infection include:
- headaches;
- feeling of a foreign body in the ears;
- noise;
- itching and flaking;
- different kinds of discharge from the auricle.
Most lesions are caused by Candida oraspergillus, rarely 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. Treatment inside the ear involves the use of a cotton swab, on which a therapeutic composition is applied. If an allergic reaction occurs to the drug, it is replaced with another drug of similar effect.
Furuncle
Another reason why the earlobe is peeling 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, the 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 complications, the boil causes unbearable pain. Treatment with medicines in this case is impossible, surgery is required. After it - 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 within three weeks, during which time eczema affects the upper layers of the skin. This explains why the skin on the earlobes is peeling.
If timely measures are taken, the disease can be easily cured without the development of side effects. Provided that the treatment is chosen correctly. If you start the disease anddo not start therapy, then in the shortest possible time the epidermis will become infected, and eczema will turn into an acute and then a chronic form.
At the very beginning of the disease, the patient has a slight thickening and redness of the skin, which is accompanied by itching, especially on palpation. Over time, a small rash forms on the ears, when it dries, it begins to peel off and crack.
Therapy involves the use of topical medications. If weeping 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 anti-inflammatory action are applied to it. In addition, they contain components that fight fungus and constrict blood vessels. In some cases, antibacterial ointments and creams are prescribed.
In addition to medications, traditional medicine gives good results. These are lotions based on herbal decoctions and oils that have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Manifestations in children
Most of the causes of discomfort in adults also apply to young patients. If the child's earlobe is peeling, most often, diathesis manifests itself in this way.
This is a feature of the child's body - to react in a peculiar way to stimuli. The main symptoms are as follows: redness of the skin of the face, neck and ears, as well as peeling in these places. In some cases, itching in the earlobes in children may appear as a result of excessive wrapping of the child andexcessive sweating.
Therapy
Therapeutic measures are started only after the cause of the disease is identified, most often treatment is carried out at home.
If the earlobe is peeling due to an allergic reaction to medicines, insect bites, food, hair dye, jewelry, treat with antihistamines, topical preparations and soothing compresses. For example, Loratadin, Finistil, Lorinden. If an allergy causative agent is identified, it must be eliminated.
If the reason lies in poor hygiene, then it will not be difficult to solve the problem. Wash affected areas of skin regularly with 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, valerian tincture, Nevrochel, Persen.
If the cause of peeling and itching of the ears is caused by a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients, then it is necessary to change the daily diet, eat more foods containing trace elements and minerals to compensate for their deficiency. You can buy complexes, for example, Complivit, Supradin, Vitrum.
Diseases, the symptomatology of which is manifested by peeling of the ears, are treated after consulting a doctor and making a diagnosis. It is not always dermatitis, as is commonly believed, in some cases itching can be caused by diabetes. After definingcauses of pathology, the doctor will prescribe treatment. For various 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 peeling of the ears.
Measures are being taken for this:
- First of all, it is necessary to exclude all sources of allergies that can cause a reaction. For each person, everything is purely individual, 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 stop peeling.
- In addition, it is very important to observe the rules of personal hygiene, paying special attention to the area of the ears and face, since it is there that the largest number of sebaceous glands is located. They, in turn, become clogged with a mixture of sebum and dirt, and cause unwanted manifestations on the epidermis.
- One more point concerns existing chronic skin diseases. It is important to monitor the general condition, to prevent relapses and exacerbations. This will greatly reduce the incidence of itching.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the earlobe can peel off both from external irritants and internal problems of the body. If a person cannot cope with the disease on their own, you should definitely visit a doctor and undergo an examination.
