Arguably there is no itch more annoying than one that is felt deep within your ear. It’s kind of like when you break a bone and have to wear a cast, but then you can’t reach the area to have a scratch. The solution I found was to stick a plastic fork down the side, it worked a treat. Well, until the fork snapped inside. As you can imagine the weeks that followed weren’t too enjoyable. Any-who, back to the matter at hand; that itch going on inside your ear. It turns out there are a variety of different ways that you can deal with the situation safely, and they don’t require a plastic fork going anywhere near your ear. Phew. First you have to find out why you are experiencing this awful feeling, then you can turn your attention to your ear gremlins. All you have to do is follow these simple steps. 1. Find the cause This could be a whole heap of different things, from a simple irritation to a fungal infection. Most infections are initiated by water being left in the ear, which opens the door to bacterial growth. 2. Try to refrain from itching Everyone is told that excessive use of Q-tips can be dangerous, but some doctors have actually treated patients who have taken to much more extreme means to relieve the sensation. For example, by using toothpicks, bobby pins and even coat hangers. Although the constant intense itch will urge you to scratch, don’t. Especially not with a coat hanger. We are all told that we should refrain from itching our ears, but why? What damage will it actually cause? Find out how potentially harmful scratching can really be on the next page… 3. Scratching will only make things worse If you thought that shoving a cotton bud deep into your ear benefits you, think again. There is a chance that scratching may break the skin of your canal, meaning that more bacteria will grow. Ultimately, if you have an infection, it will get worse. In addition, if you do not have an infection it is probable that you will develop one as a consequence. 4. So what’s the solution? Your best bet is to speak to your doctor; they are the experts after all. After they’ve had an inspection of what’s going on inside, they’ll be able to inform you if you have an infection. If you do, the likelihood is that they’ll prescribe you with a mild steroid. A few drops inside and the itching sensation should be relieved. 5. Alcohol is the answer The word on the street is that you can solve the problem yourself with the help of 70% rubbing alcohol. However, you must ensure that you don’t have an infection before applying it. Otherwise you’ll get a nasty burning sensation when you drop it in. And nobody wants that now, do they? However, although mild steroids or rubbing alcohol may be the answer to many people’s ear itching woes, there’s a high chance that neither of these would have provided the solution to this man’s problem. The reason his ear was itchy was because he had a black widow spider living inside. Source
