Why does a child often scratch his ears?

Has your child started scratching their ears more frequently than normal? Parents may find this common behavior perplexing, so it makes sense to wonder what’s causing it. Scratching of the ears can indicate a number of problems, from minor irritations to more serious illnesses.

Children may scratch their ears due to allergies or small irritants like wax buildup. At times, it could be a reaction to skin conditions or infections that cause itching. In order to resolve the problem and make sure your child is comfortable, you must identify the root of the problem.

This post will discuss some of the typical causes of children’s ear scratching and provide advice on how to assist. You can better support your child’s health and wellbeing by being aware of the warning signs and knowing how to act upon them.

When this happens?

Although a baby is unable to express to his parents exactly what is upsetting him, he makes every effort to draw their attention to his wellbeing. Furthermore, the ears might not even be the cause. Infants are naturally curious and enjoy getting to know their own bodies. A child may rub his ears just to feel and look at them out of pure curiosity.

However, not everything is that safe. Since it is still difficult for a child to understand where exactly he needs to scratch if it itches, the most common reason a child scratches his ears is that he is experiencing uncomfortable or moderate pain in the hearing organs or somewhere nearby. Acute pain typically doesn’t make you want to scratch the sore area, and touching it hurts a lot. However, such behavior could very well be the result of chronically low levels of irritation. Let’s look at some potential physiological and pathological causes that might exist.

Possible reasons

• Breach of hygiene. If a child is rarely bathed, then the reason why he rubs his ears may be due to banal contamination of the auricles and the skin fold behind them. Excessive accumulated earwax can also cause unpleasant sensations. Parents can cope with this problem on their own, without seeking help from a pediatrician.

• Parasitic disease. The itching sensation in the ears can be caused by parasites – lice, fleas, as well as skin and ear mites. In medicine, this is called parasitic otitis. It can be external, when only the outer ear is affected, or it can be middle – when the middle part of the hearing organ is involved in the process. Parasitic infection can be recognized by a reddened and slightly swollen ear. As the number of parasites increases, the skin on the ears becomes drier, begins to peel, small pustules may appear.

If you experience similar symptoms, get in touch with a pediatrician right away. If one is available in the clinic, it’s best to see an infectious disease specialist.

• Otitis. Only external otitis can itch and itch, it is easy to recognize by inflammation of the auricle. Abscesses and boils appear quite often. Otitis media does not itch, but hurts. However, a newborn or infant cannot clearly communicate this, and simply rubs the ear, not understanding where and what is going wrong. You can suspect otitis media by the characteristic discharge from the ear. They can be transparent, yellowish or purulent. If you lightly press your fingers on the tragus (a small cartilage located right at the entrance to the ear canal), the pain intensifies, and the baby begins to worry and cry.

You should speak with an otolaryngologist or pediatrician right away.

• Otomycosis. Fungal damage to the hearing organs causes itching and a lot of unpleasant impressions. It is noteworthy that such a pathology develops for a very long time, gradually and almost imperceptibly. At first there is a slight itching, then it increases. The baby will scratch the ear in bouts, as the itching sensations appear. There is practically no pain with otomycosis. It is very difficult to suspect such a disease. Parents may be alerted by a slight swelling in the ear canal, sometimes whitish discharge (not always), as well as a possible decrease in hearing acuity, with which the baby will react to a constant feeling of congestion. Otomycosis can only be diagnosed with the help of laboratory diagnostics, microscopic examination, which will detect fungi. You will have to be treated by an infectious disease specialist and an otolaryngologist.

• Psoriasis. Itching and unpleasant burning in a child is also caused by psoriasis, if it develops in the ear area. The auricle and the middle ear area can be affected by seborrheic psoriasis. With this disease, a red rash first appears. With its appearance, the child begins to scratch the ear. Then severe peeling appears, the skin can acquire a whitish tint, the scales of the epidermis separate very easily. If such a pathology is suspected, the child is taken to see a dermatologist and ENT doctor.
• Allergy. An allergic reaction may well cause itching in the ear. Usually, the skin is practically unchanged, sometimes slight swelling may be observed. It all depends on what type of allergic reaction began to develop. If it caused allergic otitis, then there will be no discharge from the ear, as with ordinary otitis. But pressure on the tragus will show that the cause is still inflammation of the middle ear.

It is unlikely that the symptoms will only affect the hearing organs if the allergy presents as dermatitis. There will undoubtedly be skin rashes on other body parts. Make contact with an ENT specialist, allergist, or pediatrician if you believe you are having an allergic reaction.

• Insect bites. If a child is bitten by a mosquito or other insect, then the itching in the area of ​​​​the bite will not be particularly long-lasting. However, the child may begin to scratch the ear in his sleep, because insect bites not only itch on their own, but also cause local inflammation, and sometimes a slight allergic reaction. Parents can cope with this problem on their own, without going to the doctor. If you managed to find the bite, lubricate it with "Fenistil". Even without this, the bite will not bother the baby for a long time, and after a couple of days the child will stop scratching the ear.
• Foreign object. If a child has something foreign in his ear, then it is quite reasonable that it will bother him. If the parents managed to see the foreign body, then you can remove it with small tweezers and independently. But if the object is located deep, in order to avoid injury to the hearing organs, it is better to seek help from an otolaryngologist, who, using special tools, will be able to remove the object without pain and risk of injury.

How to examine a child?

The first home examination must be done if the child started to scratch his ears. The child’s temperature is taken first. A fever that is elevated is typically indicative of an inflammatory process in the hearing organs, teething, or otitis.

The auricle must then be examined. You should use a small household flashlight to accomplish this. The auricle’s size, presence of swelling, rash, abscesses, and peeling are evaluated first. If nothing appears, you should use a flashlight to look inside the ear canal.

Most of the time, even parents who are not very knowledgeable about medicine can notice insect bites, earwax buildup, discharge coming from the ear, and a foreign object in the ear canal. Press lightly on the tragus to conduct an otitis test after the examination. It is worthwhile to look into other reasons if pressing elicits no response.

Take off the child’s clothes and check the skin for any signs of allergies or rashes. It is important to watch the child to see what circumstances and how he scratches his ear, as there may be entirely different reasons if the temperature is normal, the ear is painless, and the child is not experiencing any visual problems.

Children frequently scratch their ears, and this behavior can indicate a number of problems. Frequently, it’s just a slight itchiness or irritation brought on by earwax accumulation or dry skin. But often, scratching can be a sign of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.

Allergies or ear infections may be the cause in certain situations. If your child is frequently picking at their ears, you should look for any indications of redness, swelling, or discharge. These signs could point to an allergy reaction or infection that needs to be checked out by a doctor.

Your child may occasionally scratch their ears out of habit or as a means of finding solace when they’re upset or exhausted. You can get hints by observing when and why they scratch. Never be afraid to seek medical advice from a professional if you’re unsure or worried to make sure nothing more serious is going on.

Generally, ear scratching is harmless, but it can be helpful to identify potential problems early on if you monitor its frequency and context. Frequently, the issue can be fixed by following easy instructions to manage allergies and keep your ears clean.

There are a number of reasons why a child might scratch their ears a lot, from innocuous habits to more serious issues like ear infections, allergies, or irritation from earwax accumulation. For the purpose of determining whether medical attention is required, parents should be aware of additional symptoms such as redness, swelling, or fever. The majority of the time, a brief visit with a doctor can help determine the cause and offer relief, guaranteeing the child’s comfort and wellbeing.

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