What's wrong with me if my ears itch?
By makenzie
An Audiologist once told me that if a person uses Q-tip swabs all the time to clean his ears (the wax was meant to lubricate the ear canal) and removes all the wax, the canal will dry out and cause terrible itching. Then, they'll keep using the Q-tips to scratch the ear canal, which might cause an irritation. The Q-tips will also compact the wax at the end of the canal against the ear drum. Infection is usually in the inner ear, not the canal, although you can get "swimmer's ear" which is a fungal problem in the canal. Peroxide will soften wax in the canal. You'll know if some is there cause it will fizz a lot. If you continue to have problems, I'd say to see a doctor, but most have few audiology classes. Do you have a college near-by that has a Speech-Language pathology department? If so, make an appointment to see their Audiologist. The cost at these schools is minimal since they're teaching schools. If you need a referral or medication, they can usually take care of that cheap too.
Allergies will cause ears to itch. See your doctor.
My doctor said that pain or itching in ears is sometimes caused by teeth problems. See a dentist.
I have had numerous ear problems my whole life with chronic ear infections being the root cause of my problem. Ear and fungal infections can both cause itchiness in the ear. It is important that you see an ENT to diagnose what you have because treatment is different for ear infections and fungal infections. Ciprodex can help if you have an ear infection.
I have just gone to an ENT for that specific problem. He said it is dryness and to NOT use peroxide, as it is drying. Use a drop or two of sweet oil or olive oil. It works. Do not use cotton buds or anything in the ear as you can experience an injury very easily. I know.
You could possibly have an infection in there. It's not like an inner ear infection where you have to take antibiotics for 10 days. I used to get infections a lot when I was a kid.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Bed time for me is a time for ringing noises and itching ears. What could be the cause? One thing I have and suffer from is that my ear builds up lots of wax, which means I get my ears cleaned every year. I never had the disco and dancers in my ear until this year.
By King from Dublin, Ireland
Usually the ringing is not related to ear wax. It is called tinnitus and is one of the joys of getting older. The trick is to just forget about it and not let it annoy you.
Perhaps you need your ears cleaned more often. I would start with that. If that doesn't help, see a doctor.
I already had tympanoplasty surgery in my right ear, but it failed for some reason. Now in my right ear dry itching comes very often and to stop that I am using ear buds. I want to know what may be the reasons for this itchiness in my right ear and how can I stop that?
By John
Why don't you go back and ask your doctor? I had itching in my ears and my dr. said I probably had a fungus. Take a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide and gently swab your ear.
I've heard there could be one of two causes, if not both (in my case, anyway). One: Allergies. Two: People with fibromyalgia (which I have) seem to suffer with ear itching a lot. As for remedies, I'm sorry to say I don't have any. I wish I did, though. My right ear, in particular, itches almost constantly.
When I got tested for my first hearing aids not too long ago I asked the technician about that. He recommended a squirt of vinegar in the ear, then flush with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol removes all water in the ear - which is good.
Hi I'm 17 who also had hearing aids. Yes my ears do itch too. It is not cause of your ear buds, it could be the wax in the middle of your ear canal that made your ear itch. I recommend go to an ENT to get it out they use a special ear vac to suck the ear wax out. If still itch try to drop baby oil with a dropper in your ears let them in for overnight and flush then with the blue tube thing that they have in the ears wax drop box and flush the wax out in the morning.
I have been having this problem over the years. My ears are very itching especially when wet. I can't stop scratching it with my finger or with the cotton puds. I need help please, it's annoying me all of the time.
By Sal from Australia
I use Blistex. It is a medicated lip ointment here in the USA. It is in a tube and says it is an external analgesic. I use it for many, many, many things. Itchy places on bodies, pain on skin, on lips, insect bites, itchy ears, and many, many more.
Hope this helps, it sure is something I've used for many years, and would not do without.
I use Blistex. It is a medicated lip ointment here in the USA. It is in a tube and says it is an external analgesic. I use it for many, many, many things. Itchy places on bodies, pain on skin, on lips, insect bites, itchy ears, and many, many more.
Hope this helps, it sure is something I've used for many years, and would not do without.
First thing to do is see a doctor. You write that your ears itch more when wet and that is usually a sign of either fungus, chronic infection or impacted ear wax.
If it's a fungus or chronic infection, antibiotics will clear it up, and your GP will also give you information on keeping the condition from recurring. And if it's ear wax, your GP can safely remove excess wax with equipment in his/her office. Btw, if it is ear wax, the cotton buds are only making it worse by pushing the wax deeper into the ear canal.
If the GP visit doesn't solve it (and it more than likely will), try using a non-sulfate shampoo. You'll have to read a lot of labels to find the ones that don't have any ingredients containing the word sulfate (example: sodium laurel sulfate).
Long story short I suffered incredibly itchy ears and scalp for decades-GP couldn't figure it out, sent me to all manner of specialists but nothing helped. That was in the US and they all called it eczema but after moving to the UK my new GP said to try non-sulfate shampoo and body wash. My ears never itched again from the first use. My scalp is clear too.
This is very good to know...Thank you so very much for helping people with their problems...you are a God send....I appreciate you and your helping people and your taking the time to explain and giving a solution. God Bless You....
How to stop my ears from itching? I was diagnosed with an ear infection in both ears last week. I have been taking antibiotics and using ears drops that have been prescribed, however my ears are still itching.
What can I do to stop the itching and how soon will the meds kick in?This is a question you need to ask your doctor. Tell him or her you are having this problem and ask how soon the meds are supposed to start working.
Not too sure what to do to stop the itching, but I will share about my own itching issue here, and perhaps you can gain some insight: Most of my life, I had ear itching quite frequently. Sometimes it drove me nuts. About 10 years ago, I found out I have quite a few allergies, among them dairy. When I don't have dairy, my ears never itch. When I do, they itch from the dairy, and some of the other things I am allergic to as well, including pollens and grasses. Long story short, the itching is likely a reaction to something, and it is somewhat possible that your infection could have been caused by an over-production of wax that couldn't drain fast enough, from allergy as well.
Could be a yeast infection. Antibiotics will make it worse. I would use a 1/2 white vinegar 1/2 alcohol mix. You can also add some peroxide and/or a little bit of betadine/povidine solution (NOT betadine scrub as that has soap in it!!)
FYI One time I had a very very itchy ear and a doctor noticed a tiny black hair on the eardrum. One day about a year later it finally came out on a qtip and it did'nt itch anymore. It was probably a dog hair as i have many of them. It looked like an eyelash though. And other doctors could not see it and made me feel a little stupid for asking about it LOL. What can you do...
What makes the ear to itch that ends up irritating it?
By Sebeo from Botswana, Molepolole
I have had itchy ears for some time now and the last time I visited an ENT I was given antibiotics and it stop for almost a year and now it has started again. Please what might be the cause of it? Thank you.
By Jenny from Accra, Ghana
You can try using white vinegar and water or peroxide in a 50/50 ratio to flush the ear, this way if there is an infection starting it will cure it.
If the antibiotics stopped the itch for a year, it sounds as though what ever conditions caused the itch in the first place have caused it again.
You live in Ghana which is a tropical country, is it possible the environmental conditions there have exposed you to a fungus? Tropical countries are wonderful places to live but unfortunately come with lots of fungal infection conducive conditions.
For example, I lived in Guatemala for 2.5 years and on my return to the USA it took my doctor several years to figure out I had picked up a fungal infection whilst in Central America. The antibiotics would clear it up enough to stop the horrible itch but then as soon as it got warm and humid (I was living in the US Deep South) the fungal infection would flare up and I would be back in the doctor's office.
He thought I had recurring ear infections and didn't think to test me for a tropical fungus until I read something in a travel magazine and took the article to him. Once the test results came back I was put on the right medication and while I had to take the meds for close to two years, the fungus was cleared and I'm fine now.
Perhaps you might ask your doctor to test you for a fungus. The test is painless: the doctor gently scrapes the area where the itch is worse to gather several samples of dead skin cells. He/she then either cultures the samples in the clinic lab or sends the samples to a centralised lab for culturing and a diagnosis. The results take about two weeks to come back.
The proper medication to completely clear the fungus may need to be taken for as long as 6-12 months but is very much worth it!
I was diagnosed with swimmers ear on Friday, and ever since I started taking the antibiotics my ears have been itching like crazy, to the extent where it's kept me up all night. Could I be allergic to the medicine? I've had swimmers ear before and usually it's a relief to out in the drops, but now it makes them feel worse.
By Posy
I would certainly phone the doctor, at the very least, about this. Perhaps where you are , there is a phone in "help line" where you can talk to a nurse about this to see if this is common. You can talk to your druggist to see if this is an expected side effect of the medication. If you are reluctant to go to the doctor again because of the cost, try the other options first, but if it continues, go back to your doctor ASAP. I've had swimmers ear once, and there was no reaction at all. I am pretty sure this is some sort of allergy. If it was me, I would discontinue the medication, and phone the doctor.
Try the Hyland's earache drop it also calm the ears for cold and flu, swimmer's ear, and allergy. Also it soothes itchy ears.
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I get inner ear sores, and have constant itching and tickling in the same ear. Can you help me with this problem?
I get this terrible itching and tickling going on inside my ear, mostly in my right ear and every now and then in the other ear as well. It just drives me nuts.
I get this terrible itching and tickling going on inside my ear, mostly in my right ear and every now and then in the other ear as well. It just drives me nuts. I know I should just go see my Dr but I thought I'd ask here first. It doesn't appear that I have wax in my ear, although, it could be way inside.
