Ear Itching
WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR
* You are also experiencing drainage (bad-smelling, pus-filled discharge), fever and pain.
* You have a reddened area around your ear opening.
What Your Symptom Is Telling You
All kinds of things can start an ear itch, says C. Warren Bierman, M.D., clinical professor and pediatrics chief in the Division of Allergy at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Topping the list are skin conditions, like eczema, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (the same troublemaker responsible for dandruff).
Having any of these skin conditions elsewhere on your body is a clue that it could be responsible for the ear itch, according to Kenneth Brookler, M.D., attending otolaryngologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Check especially your elbows, eyebrows and scalp.
A bug looking for a warm home during the winter can treat your ear like a motel and check in, causing an itch, says Charles P. Kimmelman, M.D., professor of otolaryngology at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. "This is fairly common in colder climates and poorer areas," he says.
Moisture caused by earwax buildup can also make for itching ears, while too little earwax can do the same, says Dr. Bierman. Itching is also a common reaction to the rubber in some bathing caps, he says. Fungal infections in the ear canal—which can appear in the outer ear as redness and inflammation—have also been known to cause ear itching, but these infections are rare.
Symptom Relief
When that itch starts screaming for attention, here's what to do.
Don't try to scratch it. Sticking a cotton swab—or if you're really foolish, a house key or paper clip—in your ear could damage your eardrum, says Margaretha Casselbrant, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of clinical research in the Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. It could also set you up for earwax buildup. "Doctors have an old saying: Never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And we mean it," says Dr. Casselbrant.
Oil that itch. A drop or two of mineral oil, olive oil or some other vegetable oil can soothe an itchy ear instantly. Have a friend or spouse use a dropper to put the oil in while you're lying down, itchy ear up, says Stephen Harner, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Give bugs the boot. You can evict errant bugs from your ear canal by gently squirting them with warm water from a rubber bulb syringe, says Dr. Kimmelman. A couple of drops of mineral oil will kill any insect that resists your efforts, he says. Or simply drown the little guy by putting alcohol in your ear with an ear dropper. (The bug should float to the surface, but if it doesn't, have your doctor remove it).
Go after earwax. You can remove stubborn earwax buildup by lying with your ear on a warm hot-water bottle. The heat will soften the wax and allow it to flow out, making it easier to wipe away, says David Marty, M.D., a Jefferson, Missouri, otolaryngologist and author of The Ear Book. Don't feel like you have to get all of it out, however. A little earwax actually helps prevent itching.
Counter with an OTC. Half-percent strength over-the-counter hydrocortisone lotion should also soothe most itching, says Dr. Bierman. Apply just a dab carefully with the twisted end of a handkerchief, he advises. If the OTC version doesn't work, prescription-strength hydrocortisone solution can help soothe the itch of eczema, psoriasis or other forms of contact dermatitis, says Dr. Brookler.
See your doctor. Because it's difficult to see many of the causes of itching—like a fungal infection—you may benefit from consulting with your doctor if the itching persists for more than a few days, says Dr. Brookler.
