What to do if the ear is swollen and painful

Ears are one of our five senses. However, due to obstructed vision, we cannot check the condition of our ears in time. If our ears are painful or swollen, we need to use an otoscope to check whether it is caused by ear inflammation or other diseases. So, what should we do if our ears are swollen and painful? Let’s share some relevant knowledge below.

Swollen ears possible causes and treatment steps

Causes of swollen ears

1. Many friends like to dig in their ears with their fingers when they feel uncomfortable in their ears. However, the skin in the ear canal is very fragile. If you use too much force or do this frequently, it is easy to puncture the skin in the ear canal, causing infection and inflammation. This will not only cause ear swelling but may also be accompanied by bleeding.

The author once had swollen ears due to such bad living habits.

Picking your ears with your fingers is most likely to cause infection because there are so many bacteria on your fingers.

2. Ear neuralgia. If you live in a noisy environment for a long time, your ears may swell up, which may come and go, and no lesions may be found during examination.

As we all know, the sound of a train running and its whistle are very harsh. The author's relative has lived next to the railway since he was a child, and suffers from this noise every day. He often has ear pain and tinnitus.

3. Earwax, commonly known as earwax, is secreted by the cerumen glands under the skin of the ear canal. When there is a lot of earwax, it may block the ear canal if it is not cleaned in time. When bathing or swimming, water easily enters the ears, causing the earwax to swell and compress the ear canal, resulting in swollen ears.

The above three causes of ear swelling are all from the author’s personal experience, and are relatively common situations in our lives.

Treatment

1. When your ears are swollen, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Because the ear itself is very fragile and the naked eye cannot observe the situation inside the ear, if you find blood or the ear pain is severe, you should see a doctor immediately. The hospital has very professional equipment to observe the situation inside the ear, and with the doctor's professional knowledge, they can confirm the cause and symptoms and prescribe the right medicine.

2. If it is a minor discomfort in the ear, you can put a few drops of medical alcohol in the ear. After a few seconds, use a cotton swab to put the ear to absorb the alcohol.

Keep some common medical supplies at home so that you can handle unexpected situations yourself.

3. After bathing or swimming, if you feel water in your ears, you should deal with it promptly. I personally like to use a cotton swab, rotate it in the external auditory canal, and absorb the water into the cotton swab, but not too deep. Alternatively, you can tilt your head to the side and then jump to allow the water deep in your ears to flow out.

4. Clean earwax regularly. When we obviously feel that there is too much earwax, we can find a professional to clean it. They use professional equipment to effectively remove earwax without causing ear infection. If we clean it ourselves using an ear spoon, we must not go too deep and must sterilize it before cleaning.

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Precautions

A very good habit is to wipe the outside of the ears with a towel when washing your face.

The above are all personal experiences. Since I am not a professional, it is best to seek medical attention in time when you feel discomfort in your ears.