Ear, nose and throat doctors have warned that nothing should be put into the ear canal, even if someone feels it is blocked, as the activity might push the obstruction further out of reach, as it is possible that a dust mites, small cockroach or centipede could have entered the cavity during sleep.
Taipei City General Hospital doctor Chen Shih-hung (陳世鴻) said that there were many ways the ear canal can become blocked, adding that he once had a patient who had gone to the ear, nose and throat department complaining of tinnitus and itching.
“We found a yellowish-white substance that resembled earwax and after inspecting the ear, the hospital found that the cause of the patient’s condition was 10 to 20 live dust mites,” Chen said.
The patient’s tinnitus disappeared after doctors removed the dust mites and cleaned the ear canal, Chen said.
Chen said that most of the time, the cause for ringing or itching in the ear was due to the presence of insects.
He added that some people wake up in the middle of the night due to a sudden pain in the ear, only to find the next day that a centipede or cockroach had crawled in.
Scooter riders can also accidentally have mosquitoes or flies blown into their ears by the wind, Chen said, adding that riders should use full helmets to minimize such occurrences.
Chen added that males can also experience tinnitus due to their hair, which tends to be shorter and lighter, being washed into the ear canals, adding that if even one strand of hair enters the ear canal, it can cause a person to hear a thudding sound when they open their mouths.
The largeest proportion of patients who complain of obstructions in their ears are children, Chen said — especially pre-school children — because they tend to stick things into their mouths, ears or noses out of curiosity, Chen said.
Commonly found items range from the headlights or tires of toy cars to fake diamond earrings, Chen said.
When an item is accidentally inserted into the ear canal, individuals should not attempt to extract it with ear picks, cotton swabs or their fingers, as such actions could push the object deeper into the cavity.
If it is suspected that an insect has made its way into an ear, shining a flashlight into the ear can help, as insects tend to be attracted to light and might crawl out, Chen said, adding that dripping some baby oil or salad oil into the cavity can be an effective way of “drowning” an insect.
This might be necessary as insect bites in the ear canal can potentially damage the ear drum.
Chen cautioned that the oil must be at room temperature or it might cause dizziness.
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