In the auricles, as in any other part of the body, there are sebaceous glands, and quite large ones. When the work of these glands is disturbed, and they produce more or less than the required amount of fat, then dandruff appears in the ears. This anomaly does not pose any danger to life, however, the constant itching and peeling of the skin in the ears make people look for ways to get rid of ear dandruff (seborrhea).
Symptoms and diagnosis of ear seborrhea
Seborrhea appears where there is hair: head, eyebrows, ears. Most often, such peeling occurs in owners of dry skin type. Dandruff in the ears is similar to dry crusts, exfoliated epidermis, which appear in the ear canal, due to the appearance of dandruff on the scalp. Almost a third of the entire population of our planet suffers from this disease.
Dandruff (seborrhea, otomycosis, peeling in the ears) is an infectious fungal disease that affects the ear canal and sometimes the eardrum or earlobe.
During normal operation, dead cells of the epidermis fall off imperceptibly and without any special pathologies, but the cells that are affected by a fungal infection do not have time to ripen and fall off, remaining wet, they stick together and combine into white flakes – dandruff.
If the ear canal is affected by otomycosis, the following symptoms can be observed, signaling the presence of a fungal infection:
- visible peeling of the skin;
- the appearance of exfoliating pieces of the epidermis of white color;
- burning;
- itching;
- feeling of dryness in the ear canal.
If itching and peeling appear due to another disease, for example, otitis media, then the list of symptoms expands significantly, but basically seborrhea is characterized by just such symptoms and pathogenesis.
Only a specialist can diagnose the problem more accurately, identify the disease and establish the causes. If you have these symptoms, you should consult a doctor who will take a swab from the ear canal for the presence of otomycosis.
Causes of peeling in the ears
The reasons why dandruff appears in the ears can be very different, but ear seborrhea almost always occurs not as a separate pathology, but simultaneously with otomycosis on the head. Therefore, the causes of peeling in the ears are directly related to the nature of the occurrence of ordinary dandruff:
- non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- malnutrition (starvation or consumption of fast food and other junk food);
- decrease in the body’s immunity;
- sudden hormonal changes;
- chronic diseases of the endocrine, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system;
- the presence of bad habits;
- hereditary predisposition;
- vitamin deficiency;
- fungal infections;
- liver disease;
- a consequence of a boil or otitis media;
- too dry skin and other skin pathologies.
Whatever the causes of seborrhea in the auricle, in any case, if there are any inconveniences in the ear canal, it is necessary to contact an otolaryngologist. The specialist will prescribe a course of treatment to get rid of discomfort.
How to treat dandruff at home?
In order to get rid of seborrhea in the auricle, you do not need to go to the hospital, you can use various remedies at home, but with great caution. If otomycosis is a consequence of some infectious or fungal diseases, then, first of all, the appointment of treatment for the primary disease.
In other cases, hormonal therapy is prescribed. The otolaryngologist will most likely prescribe the use of medical ointments and creams with sulfur, tar, or salicylic acid. He will prescribe drugs for dandruff in the ears and ketoconazole, selenium disulfide and zinc, which help get rid of seborrhea by killing the fungus. The doctor prescribes an individual course of treatment, depending on the cause of the disease and skin type.
Traditional medicine recommends making homemade dandruff masks and using tampons with infusions of chamomile and vegetable oil:
- With seborrhea in the auricle, it is necessary to insert cotton swabs soaked in warm olive or sunflower oil into the ear canal for 15 minutes three times a day. Then the tampon is removed and the softened skin is removed with a clean cloth.
- Pour 100 ml of boiling water 1 tbsp. chamomile flowers, leave for 25 minutes, strain and add 3 drops of any vegetable oil. Moisten a swab in this mixture and repeat the procedure described in the previous recipe. The course of treatment – 3 times a day, for a week.
In addition to the use of medications and folk recipes for the treatment of otomycosis, it is necessary to observe personal hygiene by regularly removing dry epidermis. At the same time, one should not wipe the ears with alcohol, pick foreign objects in them and use cotton swabs daily.
Attention! Only a specialist can prescribe the right treatment, so before using traditional medicine recipes, you should consult with your doctor, otherwise self-medication can damage the eardrum and hearing loss.
Dandruff in the ears is an unpleasant, but completely curable disease, the main thing is to correctly identify the causes and start treatment in a timely manner to get rid of annoying itching. Be healthy!
