Itchy, Scaley Ears?
 

I don't know where to put this but here goes.

I've had this condition with my ears now for a couple of years. It's the outer ear and part of the ear canal. It itches like crazy. It's scaley and crusty and is driving me nuts. It itches all night and all day long and am constantly scratching and digging at them unconciously. They are are falling away in pieces, sometimes big chunks. My entire ear, even the outside is crusting. Could this be some kind of mite or something? I got some oil from the doc who told me it would take care of it but it only stops the itching for a short time then we are back at it. I say ear mites because of the itching and sometimes it feel like something is biting me in there.

HELP!! Any one?

Could be a fungal infection, or contact dermatitis and eczema, you can have a dermatologist check you.

No, he's just a GP. You think it might be fungal? That would account for all the movement it feels like. How do you get something like that anyway? :confused:

Hi Wiix,

Any skin condition in that location could give the sensation of being bitten.
I have eczema on ear lobes and in ear canals. I use a topical steroid cream or ointment, triamcinolone acetonide - by prescription. This keeps ears clear. It stops the itching and painful stinging sensations, as well.

A topical OTC hydrocortisone cream might help stop the itch and the peeling, if caused by eczema.

By the way, mine acts up when I eat foods to which I react or take new meds and am reacting. I can also have ears react to laundry detergent in pillow cases. I get worsened eczema or psoriasis next, if I do not stop exposure to the offending substance.

It's best to see a dermatologist to be sure of exact cause for a properly targeted treatment.

Hope you feel better soon. :hug:

Warmly,
DejaVu

I think I may have figured out what's causing it. When I wash my hair the shampoo collects in there and dries. Over the past few days I have been rinsing them real good, over and over again. Not so itchy now. I'll keep it up for a while and see how I do. Thanks. :winky:

It sounds like that is your problem. And be sure to dry them out as well. It should help.

Well, I've been rinsing them and rinsing them and they are still itching like crazy. I have noticed a lot of that ear wax there when I feel they are wet inside and I use a Q-tip to get it out. About once a week. But the itching has spread now to the outer folds of my ears and it feels like it's getting bitten there and there is shedding of chunks of stuff coming off the ear itself. :o

Still got it. What's causing this? It seems to be getting worse. I do have some Triamcinolone. I'll try that and see if it helps.

I tried washing my pillow and rinsed it over and over again. So no residue remains.

I remember when this first started, it must be over 5 years ago. Just a slight itching. Now it itches all the time. :(

After reading just the first post, my immediate thought was to ask how often you wash your hair and if you use a shower daily. Tubs have disadvantages but showers seem to have adverse effects on ears.

Then I continued reading the subsequent posts.

I do think seeing a dermatologist is your BEST bet for an answer and a solution.

There are many dermatological reasons for what you describe. Seborrhea is one of many. Some others already mentioned by other posters.

And it usually is not a one-time quick fix with many dermatology conditions. Some are of a chronic nature and need what seems to be perpetual care and or treatment.

Hope you find the culprit and a solution. I know how annoying this can be and it only gets worse by the uncontrollable scratching. The next thing you know, your ear is bleeding from the scratching. Then a scab forms and that becomes another cycle of which there seems no end. What you have described does not always cause an infection, but that can be another side event from the cycle.

Add to the mix, we can't SEE the inside of our own ears. I have often wished I could SEE what the doc sees when he looks in my ears and then just shakes his head. What does that head shake mean? :)

My guess would be,... see a dermatologist as it does sound more like their ballpark rather than an ENT specialist or just a GP.

Over the years a few doctors have looked in there. They have all come to a conclusion that it's no big deal. Looks ok to them. I really think it's caused by some teenie, tiny microbe. I have used this Triamcinolone once it did something. I will continue to use it and see what happens. :o