Itchy ear canal

The Ear Overview

The ear is an organ for the sense of hearing and it is a part of the auditory system. It is very complex since it is comprised of many parts. The three major parts of the ear are the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.

All three parts work in coordination. Each part of the ear further has its own parts. The outer ear is consisted of the ear flap and ear canal, while the middle ear is comprised of the eardrum or tympanic membrane and three tiny bones called hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The inner ear is made of a spiral tube, semicircular canals, and the auditory nerve. The ear has three main functions and those are hearing, head positioning, and maintaining the body balance.

Itchy Ear Canal and the Causes

Sometimes it occurs that we feel itching in the ear. It can be a very uncomfortable condition, especially if we are not alone and can not scratch.

One of the causes for the appearance of an itching sensation in the ear is a fungal infection. People who are engaged in watersports are at high risk to develop a fungal infection because the fungus best survives in warm and moist environments.

When a fungal infection occurs, one of its symptoms is itching in the ear canal.

Itching is a common symptom of many skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis. These skin disorders usually spread to the ears and cause uncomfortable itching. Sometimes it occurs that the ear canals are blocked and scaled. In those cases, hearing can be impaired.

A prospective, case-control study was performed of 24 patients undergoing evaluation for contact dermatitis of the external auditory canal, and 24 controls.

Skin biopsies were examined histologically by a single, blinded dermatopathologist, using light microscopy, to determine histopathological characteristics. The immunohistological presence of the antimicrobial peptides human ?-defensin-3 and LL-37 cathelicidin was also assessed. Findings for patients and controls were compared.
There was a statistically significant difference in the degree of inflammation, comparing patients and controls (p
There was no significant difference in the presence of spongiotic changes, comparing patients and controls (p > 0.05).
Furthermore, the patients' skin biopsies did not show pronounced expression of human ?-defensin-3 or LL-37 cathelicidin.

✓ Fact confirmed: Isolated itching of external auditory canal: clinicopathological study with immunohistochemical determination of antimicrobial peptides B. Acar, G. Güler Simsek, S. Oguztuzun, M. Zaim, R. Murat Karasen; 2011 Mar

Itchy ear canal may be caused by various allergies to certain foods and substances. In such cases, this itching sensation is accompanied by watery and irritated eyes.

Furthermore, inadequate production of ear wax by the glands in the canal of the outer ear is also responsible for the occurrence of this unpleasant sensation. On the other side, the excessive production of ear wax and its build-up in the ear canal also cause itching and bad hearing.

Treatment of Itchy Ear Canal

When one feels itching in the ear, he/she should pour some drops of mineral or olive oil into the ear. When the ear wax causes itching, then one should put the bottle with hot water under the ear while lying. The wax is thus melted and the ear canal can be cleaned and unblocked.