My ears are wet and itchy, but I haven’t dug out any earwax, what’s going on? Moist and itchy external ear canal is mostly due to external ear canal fungal disease. There are many types of fungi that cause the disease, with Aspergillus, Penicillium and Candida more common. Swimming, showering, pus in the middle ear, drops of various antibacterial drugs in the ear, and ear digging injuries are all triggering factors.
Fungal disease of the external auditory canal manifests itself in the early stage as itching in the ear, a feeling of stuffiness and swelling, and a small amount of watery discharge. Over time, when the epidermis of the external ear canal is shed and forms a scab together with the mycelium, blocking the external ear canal or covering the surface of the eardrum, hearing loss and tinnitus may occur. If it is accompanied by bacterial infection, it can cause swelling and pain in the external ear canal.
When we examine the patient’s external ear canal, it is common to see white, gray, yellow or smoky black mold moss in the deep part of the external ear canal, such as a thin film, sometimes in the form of a tube or block. Take a sample and place it on a glass slide, add a little 10% potassium hydroxide solution and warm it appropriately, put it under the microscope and you can see mycelium or budding spore-like material, then the diagnosis is clear. Generally, treatment can be carried out by putting a few drops of 3% salicylic acid alcohol solution in the external ear canal, or using a cotton swab dipped in a little Dakine cream or clotrimazole ointment to coat the external ear canal.
The following measures can be taken to prevent external ear canal fungal disease
Don’t dig your ears too often Frequent ear digging may artificially bring fungi into the external ear canal. Moreover, earwax has a certain antibacterial effect, and being cleaned up frequently also makes the ear canal lose a protective barrier.
Keep the inner ear dry Keep the outer ear canal dry to not provide soil for the growth of moisture-loving fungi. If water enters the outer ear canal while swimming or washing your hair, incline your head toward the ear that has entered the water and toward the ground, and jump on one foot on the same side several times to make the water in the ear flow out when it shakes.
Do not abuse antibiotics Long-term antibiotic drops in the external ear canal are also likely to cause fungal infections. Bacteria and fungi have antagonistic effects, and if antibiotics are used too much, the bacteria are inhibited and the fungi multiply. Therefore, do not misuse antibiotics without clear indications of bacterial infection and without physician’s guidance.
