Dry Ears: Causes, Treatment, Prevention

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Getting bothered by skin dryness that makes your ears itchy, red, and painful?

Experiencing dry ears is not an uncommon condition. However, the discomfort you get from dry ears may interrupt your daily routines. Many factors can result in you having this troublesome ear dryness.

Find out what are the common causes of dry ears, their possible treatments, and prevention now.

Causes

The ear is a complicated and sensitive organ despite its small size. Although that seems to be the case, your ears are full of sensitive neurological fibers. These fibers are prone to flare up even with small exposure to certain factors.

Not only that, but some people’s ears also do not produce ear wax or have a thin layer of oil in their ears. These reasons are some of the causes of dry ears in people. Dry skin within and around your ears brings discomfort, itch, and in some cases, pain.

This dryness makes the skin around your ear flaky and red, and if left untreated, can cause more harm to the surrounding skin of your ear.
The following are some of the most common causes of dry ears.

Environment

Contact dermatitis or the dryness of your outer ears often comes from allergens and other environmental irritants. Due to the irritation of the skin, it becomes dry, red, and itchy. This ear dryness is quite common with people who have sensitive skin.

The environmental irritants that can cause ear dryness are:

• Shampoo
• Hair conditioner
• Moisturizers
• Bath soap
• Perfumes/colognes
• Ear jewelry (studs, cuffs, helix, conch)

Ear dryness can also be a result of compulsive ear cleaning. This means you dry your ears out by cleaning all the natural wax inside your ear.

Age

Aging can also be one of the causes of dry skin. Most people who reach their sixties have a condition of dry skin in some parts of their body.

Aside from age, other factors can affect skin dryness. These are some of them:

• Vitamin or mineral deficiency
• Diabetes
• Thyroid or kidney disease

People who smoke or are undergoing cancer treatment may also experience dry ears. Undergoing severe stress can also make the dryness of your skin worse.

Chronic Skin Conditions

Another probable cause of dry ears is chronic skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. Skin conditions like these often appear in and around the patient’s ears.

Eczema

Eczema or atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition. It makes your skin itchy, painful, and red. Although anyone can get affected by this condition, it is more frequent in children.

Affected areas include the back of your ears and ear folds. You may also experience dryness where your earlobes connect to your face.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that makes skin cells grow fast. Because of this, old skins cannot slough off and begin to build up into thick, itchy patches of skin. They start pink or red and turn into silvery-white.

Seborrheic dermatitis

Also called cradle cap, this inflammatory skin condition causes flaky, dry patches of skin. Often seen on babies’ scalps, they can be itchy and prone to infection. Doctors believe seborrheic dermatitis’ triggers are oily skin, stress, and extreme weather changes.

Treatment

The main purpose of most treatments for dry ears is to stop the itching. It also helps to relieve the redness and restore a healthy moisture balance in the ear.

The treatment for dry ears will always depend on the severity and cause of the dryness. Some causes can have treatments accessible to your homes. However, chronic skin diseases will need proper consultation and prescribed medications.

Home Remedies

At-home treatments can be for dry ears due to perfumes, shampoo, soap, or other hair and skin products. Getting your ears pierced or buying a new piercing can also be an effect of a nickel allergy. Stop any of the products and or remove your piercings and observe if your dry ear improves within a couple of days.

If your skin heals from this, ensure to avoid them from that point on. Applying quality emollient to your healing skin can create wonders.

Gentle ear cleaning can also treat ear dryness that comes from harsh weather changes. Applying petroleum jelly is also good. Here are some medications that you can use for dry ears.

Topical steroid creams

Topical steroids are for treating the redness and inflammation from dry ears. Depending on your case, you can buy OTC medication or get a prescription.

Antibiotics

When your dry skin gets infected, prescribed antibiotics help kill them. It will depend on your doctor if this comes in an oral pill or topical creams.

Medicated shampoo

Is your ear dryness due to seborrheic dermatitis? See your dermatologist so you can get a prescription for a medicated shampoo.

Ear spray

Ear sprays can help ease the itchiness and redness of your dry skin. They also help bring moisture back into your ear.

Antihistamine

Antihistamine tablets are also great treatments for ear dryness coming from allergies. They’re also good preventive measure drugs that can help avoid dry ears.

Prevention

Avoiding having dry ears is always better than having to treat them. You can prevent dry ears by following these things.

• Avoid scalding-hot bathwater
• Change your soap and shampoo to mild ones
• Apply moisturizers on the skin after taking a bath
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid allergens that trigger your allergy
• Make biannual checkups with your trusted Dermatologist
• Avoid nickel and choose hypoallergenic earrings instead
• Avoid smoking
• Keep your bedroom cool and use soft fabric sheets

It’s important to be on the lookout for any changes that don’t seem right in your ears. Because they’re small and sensitive, even the smallest thing can become a major problem for your ear health.

A Guide to Dry Ears’ Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

Environment, age, and chronic skin diseases are some of the most common causes of dry ears. Treatments for curing the dryness of your ears will always depend on its causes and how severe they are. To maintain your ear health at its best, avoiding certain variants and doing ear care tips are essential.

Looking for treatments and medications for any of your health concerns? Contact us today and get to know more about quality healthcare products.