Why does my earlobe hurt and what should I do?

In the vast majority of cases, earlobe piercing causes only temporary inconvenience: soon the wounds stop hurting and need care.

However, sometimes this procedure has quite unpleasant consequences, expressed in pain, redness and suppuration of the earlobes. It is impossible to leave these alarming phenomena without attention: connivance like “I’ll be patient and it will heal on its own” can further aggravate the situation.

Note! Self-medication can harm your health! Pain and inflammation after a puncture are a reason to consult a specialist!

Causes of swollen earlobes and methods of treatment

There are many reasons why inflammation occurs; most often the situation occurs among piercing enthusiasts or even among children getting their ears pierced for the first time. Other factors also contribute to swelling; we will consider them below.

Puncture

One of the common reasons why the earlobe hurts is a puncture. Because the procedure is common, minor complications are not uncommon. After a puncture, the inflammatory process can begin due to a number of reasons:

infection introduced during the manipulation process, for example due to the use of unsterile instruments;
poor treatment after ear piercing, when an infection gets into the wound that has not yet healed, which often happens due to dirty hands or poor hygiene;
failure of the lipid-fat balance, causing blockage and inflammation of the ducts.

Often inflammation is found in children or teenagers who pierce their ears on their own at home. If the skin becomes very red and the ears begin to become inflamed, it is necessary to remove the earrings and treat with hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, alcohol or another antiseptic.

If the condition worsens and home manipulations do not help, you need to consult a doctor, he will open the skin and clean the pus.

Insect bites

Many people know about swelling due to the bite of certain insects, such as bees or wasps, and swelling can also occur on the earlobe. Also, mosquitoes, gadflies and other species can “select” the ear to bite and cause inflammation of the earlobe, but this usually does not require treatment as the condition resolves quite quickly.

Depending on the type of insect, a person may feel severe cutting pain, followed by a burning sensation at the site of the bite and swelling. Sometimes it is necessary to squeeze out the sting; it is better not to carry out the procedure yourself, but to ask someone else who can better see the full picture.

People who are allergic to insect bites should be careful; in this case, they should immediately take an anti-allergy medication. For the rest, it is enough to use special balms that allow you to quickly relieve swelling and relieve burning.

Furuncle

Furunculosis is one of the most serious reasons why earlobes hurt. The purulent inflammatory process is fungal in nature, it is characterized by the presence of a boil with a white core and a conical elevation. The condition is caused by blockage of the sebaceous glands, as a result of which bacteria develop - streptococci, staphylococci. Normally, they “live” on the skin of every person, but their development is facilitated by an environment favorable to them.

The process is accompanied by various symptoms:

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presence of compaction in soft tissues;
swelling of the earlobe;
earache;
redness of the skin;
increase in local temperature;
accumulation of pus in the center of the neoplasm, followed by its breakthrough and release of pus.

After a breakthrough, many symptoms will disappear, the pain will go away and the swelling will decrease. Despite this, pathogens will still remain on the tissues, which causes the risk of complications and inflammation in neighboring areas. In this regard, it is necessary to treat the condition:

local antiseptic drugs: chlorhexidine, boric alcohol or zinc ointment will help treat the skin and dry it;
to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms, you need to use antibacterial ointments, for example Levomekol or Gentaxan;
anti-inflammatory drugs will help against edema: Desitin, Diklak or Sinaflan;
To prevent the spread of infection, nystatin ointment is prescribed.

It is important to remember that the boil cannot be opened independently; only the attending physician should do this, otherwise, in the worst case, home manipulations will lead to sepsis. The appearance of new boils or severe pain requires immediate medical attention.

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is a skin disease accompanied by peeling, itching, redness and swelling. If all the symptoms are present and the lobe is swollen, it is probably dermatitis. The process is caused by fungi and bacteria, usually their activity is caused by weakened immunity.

Dermatitis on the ear is manifested by the following symptoms:

skin redness;
itching and burning sensation;
swelling of the skin;
the presence of bubbles or scales, as well as a wet surface;
After the ulcers dry, crusts appear, and over time they will begin to peel off.

The condition often causes discomfort and a desire to constantly scratch the skin, which can lead to damage and, as a result, infection. A dermatologist will be able to determine the cause of the skin disease and, depending on this, prescribe appropriate treatment.

Allergy

In some people, the earlobe becomes inflamed due to an allergy to the material from which the earrings are made. In this case, we can talk about contact allergies. People with this problem should only wear gold or silver items. A reaction to jewelry is manifested by the following symptoms:

redness of the ear in the area of the puncture;
itching and rashes;
tissue swelling.

If redness and swelling of the earlobes are noted, it is necessary to remove earrings as soon as possible and in the future abandon simple jewelry, giving preference to hypoallergenic metals. If the allergy does not go away, the ear still hurts and the swelling has not disappeared, you need to take an anti-allergy remedy.

Atheroma

An epidermal or follicular cyst is called atheroma. It is a subcutaneous capsule containing a cheesy mass with an unpleasant odor. Atheroma is considered a benign neoplasm; even if there is no infection inside, the capsule can cause pain and swelling in the earlobe.

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A person may not pay attention to the cyst for a long time, since it usually does not cause any inconvenience for a long time. But, over time, its growth is observed and the atheroma can become inflamed, the process of suppuration is accompanied by several symptoms:

redness of the skin over the capsule;
increased pain;
noticeable swelling of the skin.

In general, the appearance of atheroma is very similar to a boil. But the latter tends to open on its own, and the fatty cyst must be removed surgically in the clinic.

The process takes only a few minutes and is performed under local anesthesia. The fatty tissue is cut out and the tissue is sutured; there is an even more gentle method of removal - in the office of a professional cosmetologist, the specialist makes a puncture and draws out the contents of the atheroma.

Injuries

The earlobe can also become swollen as a result of injury to the outer part of the auditory organ. This happens due to cuts, bruises, blows, etc. If the injury was mild, then all the symptoms, along with swelling, will disappear quickly, literally in a few days.

In the event that after an injury there is serious damage and the ear becomes very sore, you need to go to a clinic where specialists will help. Sometimes injuries can lead to serious and even dangerous consequences, so neglecting the help of doctors is highly not recommended.

After an injury, you need to treat the auricle so that the hearing organ does not become inflamed.

Classification

According to the course of the disease in otorhinolaryngology, acute (up to 1 month), subacute (from 1 to 3 months), chronic (lasting more than 3 months), and recurrent (3 episodes or more acute external otitis within a year) forms of external otitis are distinguished.

The type of disease is determined by the location and nature of the inflammatory process. Among the nosological forms there are diffuse (eczema, dermatitis, erysipelas, herpes, perichondritis, chondroperichondritis, malignant external otitis and a number of other types and limited external otitis (furuncle, abscess).

According to the degree of severity, there is a mild degree (minor discomfort and itching in the ear, minimal swelling of the skin of the external auditory canal), moderate (pain and itching in the ear, narrowing of the external auditory canal due to severe swelling of the skin), severe (severe pain in the ear, external auditory meatus completely closed, periauricular erythema, regional lymphadenopathy and fever)

Inflammation after puncture

Punching the soft tissue of the lobe is a practically safe, but still traumatic operation. Therefore, most often the ear hurts after an earring piercing. The master should explain what to do immediately after the manipulation. He gives brief instructions on how to care for the canal, what earrings to wear and how often to treat the affected area.

However, even if you follow all the recommendations, your ear will hurt for some time. The healing process can take up to 6 weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the body, and painful sensations will persist throughout this time. During the first days after the piercing, the earlobes will be red and swollen. This is normal as they swell after injury. But then the redness and swelling should go away.

If this does not happen, it means that some kind of infection has entered the canal, which caused an inflammatory process. If you do not fight it, then ulcers will begin to form, which will continue to spread.

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Sometimes prolonged, longer-than-usual redness may be caused not by infection, but by other reasons, for example:

What if it's barotrauma?

The condition when bleeding comes from a child’s ear causes panic in any parent. Such a symptom is a clear reason to go to an ENT specialist, because there is a high probability of a ruptured or torn eardrum.

Barotrauma occurs due to a strong blow to the ear, for example from water, or after a fall. It can also be triggered by a sharp foreign object in the ear. Internal pressure changes rapidly. The eardrum vibrates violently and becomes damaged. The child experiences noise or crackling in the ears and complains of a deterioration in his general condition.

If a complete rupture of the eardrum occurs, sudden hearing loss, severe bleeding and other symptoms are possible, including loss of consciousness. Minor tears can be asymptomatic for a long time, but the damaged area becomes an open gate for infections and otitis media. Therefore, it is dangerous to ignore mechanical ear injuries even with minor bleeding.

Bleeding from the auricle is the first sign of barotrauma

Causes of earlobe pain

When asked by patients about why external ear pain occurs, specialists answer that its origin is directly related to the development of the inflammatory process. Inflammation in the earlobes can have different origins.

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The list of reasons that provoke it is quite wide:

Allergic reaction. Under the influence of an allergen, the earlobe can become inflamed and swollen, which provokes inflammation with the appearance of itching and pain.
Oncology. Quite rare, but very dangerous reason. Only a specialist can distinguish a malignant ear tumor from a pathological phenomenon that arose under the influence of safer factors after conducting a histological examination.
Abscess. It develops as a result of poor-quality puncture of the lobe and the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms into the wound that provoke inflammation.

But most often, the prerequisite for the appearance of an inflammatory process in the lobe, accompanied by severe pain, is atheroma, which is popularly called a wen. Its appearance is associated with excessive production of sebaceous secretion, which “clogs” the gland. Initially, atheroma looks like a small soft ball in the earlobe and does not pose a threat to health, but after the excess amount of sebum is colonized by pathogenic microorganisms, the process of inflammation begins in the earlobe.

Worth knowing! No person is immune from the development of atheroma. A pathological process that can lead to serious consequences is provoked by metabolic disorders and lack of personal hygiene.

What to do if your earlobe is inflamed

In order to understand the nature of pain, you must contact a specialist to undergo certain studies.

Drug therapy

After an examination and determination of the cause of inflammation, the doctor prescribes a specific course of treatment. Drug therapy includes taking the following medications:

anti-inflammatory ointments (Levomekol, Vishnevsky) or drops (Otinium, Otipax);
antibiotics (Azithromycin, Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin) in the form of tablets or injections if the inflammation is caused by a bacterial pathogen. In this case, it is possible to prescribe antibacterial (Otofa, Anauran) and combined (Sofradex, Polydex) ear drops;
antiseptics (iodine, boric alcohol, hydrogen peroxide) to disinfect the affected area;
analgesics (Paracetamol, Nurofen, Lidocaine) to relieve pain;
antihistamines - Suprastin, Loratodin, Claritin. For allergic manifestations, the use of Flucinar ointment is recommended.

When diagnosing pathologies such as atheroma, abscess or tumor, when the inflammatory process has penetrated too deeply into the ear cavity, the patient is referred to a surgeon for surgery (incision or puncture). After such treatment of inflammation of the earlobe, a rehabilitation course must be completed for a month.

Important: the use of any drug must be accompanied by a doctor’s prescription and strict adherence to dosages.

Folk remedies

This problem can be solved with the help of folk recipes based on medicinal herbs. The following recipes will help relieve inflammation caused by careless ear piercing:

Oil-pine balm with wound healing effect. To prepare it, you need to melt cow butter with pine tree resin in a 1:1 ratio. Then lubricate the wounds 2 r. per day until complete recovery.
Aloe to provide a bactericidal effect. Apply an aloe leaf to the affected area with the wet side and secure with a band-aid. Perform the manipulation 4 times. per day.
The inflamed puncture can be sprinkled with dried horsetail. The ear is not tightly tied with a bandage.

If you are concerned about the question of what to do when your earlobe is inflamed due to otitis, then medicinal plants will help with this problem:

Wormwood flowers. Take 1 tsp. herbs and infuse with alcohol or vodka (50 ml) for 1 week. Turundas are moistened in the resulting tincture and inserted into the ears for 2 hours. Even children are allowed this remedy.
Camphor oil. First, 5 drops of hydrogen peroxide are dripped into the ear and covered with a gauze band for 15 minutes. After the time has passed, the ear is washed with warm water and a turund soaked in oil is inserted into it for 30 minutes. The product must first be heated in a water bath. The procedure must be carried out for 5 days in the evenings, and after it you cannot leave the house.