What causes a boil to appear in the ear, behind the auricle or on the lobe, and what does a boil look like in the photo? Boil (furuncle) in the ear: photos, symptoms, treatment.

Statistics indicate that about 65% of boils form on the face, most often in the nose and ears. Men are more likely to suffer from boils than women. Also, people aged 12-40 years are more susceptible to this disease.

Diagnosis of the disease

In order to properly organize the treatment of a boil in the external auditory canal (or treatment for another location on the organ of hearing), you must first carry out a diagnosis. That is, to determine whether it is really a boil or a regular pimple.

Most often, an adult can make a diagnosis independently.

If negative sensations indicate an abscess in the ear, what can and cannot be done.

  • examine the affected area with a mirror, pulling back the auricle or pressing on the cartilage above the lobe;
  • if this is not possible, then carefully feel it with cleanly washed fingers;
  • wipe with alcohol to disinfect nearby parts of the skin.
  • rinse or syringe the ear canal or wash your hair;
  • open the abscess with fingernails or improvised objects, as this can lead to serious consequences (thrombophlebitis, sepsis, the formation of difficult-to-treat carbuncles).

If possible, it is better to contact an otolaryngologist, who, under appropriate conditions, using an ear specula, will be able to examine the lesion in detail. He will determine the stage of development of the abscess and the degree of maturation of the capsule with infiltrate and give advice, after examining the boil in the ear, on what to do: conservative treatment or surgical intervention is necessary. Radiation and ultrasound may be used occasionally, mainly in children. A blood test often indicates a slight increase in white blood cell levels, which is natural in this situation.

Removal of boils surgically and therapy in a hospital setting

If, when examining a large abscess, the ENT specialist suspects that he is dealing with a complicated case, home treatment is not the best option. Unreasonably high temperature, severe pain, the risk of the rod breaking through into the internal tissues with pus entering the bloodstream, and involvement of neighboring areas in the process are quite serious arguments. In such cases, you should agree with the specialist’s arguments and go under the scalpel.

Most often, the abscess is opened on the 3-4th day, when maturation ends. The doctor makes a small incision with a scalpel in the place of the highest tension of the abscess, after which he removes the necrotic core and pus, treats the wound with a 5% iodine solution and places a drainage (gauze turunda moistened with saline solution). Turunda removes the emerging fluid, and the hypertonic fluid dries the wound. The entire procedure is performed under local anesthesia. After surgery, the affected area should be treated with antiseptics or antibiotic drops (Ofloxacin, Neomycin) for several days to avoid relapse.

The question is often asked: if a boil (boil) bursts in the ear, what should you do? It is advisable to go to the nearest hospital. There, in a hospital setting, the doctor will rinse the canal with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and bandage it, after applying a tampon soaked in hypertonic liquid, dimexide or ointment (Levomekol, Vishnevsky) to the wound. The main task of the otolaryngologist in this case is to prevent the spread of infection.

In case of a complex course of the disease, the patient may be offered to undergo autohemotherapy. These are intramuscular injections of the patient's own blood, taken from his vein, after ultraviolet irradiation. Infusions are given every other day (maximum 15 times) and show good results in combination with antibiotics.

Conservative treatment

By immediately paying attention to the unpleasant sensations in the organ of hearing and diagnosing a boil, you can try to prevent it from ripening. Turunda with antibacterial impregnation is inserted into the ear canal. For impregnation the following are used:

  • ethyl alcohol solution 60%;
  • a mixture of iodine and alcohol;
  • a mixture of iodine with a 5% solution of silver nitrate.

Ultraviolet irradiation and UHF therapy, which are used in complex therapy, help well.

If the disease is discovered late or treatment with alcohol does not produce an effect, you can speed up the process of maturation of the boil in the ear, and how to treat it with the help of warming agents. For this, both special pulling ointments (Vishnevsky, tar) and saline solution are suitable. It is convenient to use such remedies if the boil is on the earlobe, behind the ear; treatment consists of attaching a cotton swab soaked with special agents to the affected area with a plaster for several hours or overnight.

In order for the abscess to mature quickly, it is advisable to use dry heat. Typically the following devices are used:

  • a heating pad with warm water;
  • a bag of heated sand or salt;
  • mirror lamp (Minin reflector).

However, the use of heat should be limited (no more than 15 minutes per day), otherwise Staphylococcus aureus can enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis.

If an abscess develops, antibiotics must be used. Applicable:

  • amoxicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, Rulide, oral streptocide;
  • penicillin in the form of injections in difficult cases.

Elevated temperature and the development of pathogenic flora are combated with the help of:

  • painkillers and antipyretics (acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, ibuprofen);
  • anti-inflammatory drugs (efferalgan, panadol).

To avoid the infiltrate from getting into the ear canal after an independent (natural) opening, the patient is recommended to sleep only on his side, with the affected organ on a pillow. Otherwise, microorganisms can penetrate deeper and provoke a boil in the middle ear, the treatment of which is more dangerous and painful.

Features in children

If a boil (boil) appears in a child’s ear, treatment at home should begin at a very early stage. If one follicle is affected, the child is prescribed conservative therapy, which consists of cleansing the area around the abscess and applying compresses with rivanol, vodka or warming ointments.

In some cases, the abscess is pricked on all sides with antibiotics to prevent its spread. In case of surgical intervention, children are prescribed antibiotics, as well as a course of vitamins and drugs to boost immunity. This is done to prevent the infection from spreading throughout the body and rashes in other parts of the body.

ethnoscience

Some tips on how to cure a boil in the ear using folk remedies:

  1. Mix honey and rye flour to the consistency of plasticine, make a cake, apply to the sore spot and secure. Change the bandage after 5 hours, preferably at night.
  2. Use a mixture of Vishnevsky ointment (30%) and fir oil (70%) as a warming compress. Change 2-3 times a day.
  3. Soak a strip of linen fabric in vegetable oil and rub with garlic. Under the influence of this compress, the abscess will open quickly.
  4. Fry a little grated garlic and onion (50/50) in vegetable oil. Change the bandage three times a day until recovery.
  5. Pour flaxseed oil into the cavity of the bulb and bake it in the oven. The juice squeezed from the bulb is dripped into the ear canal.

Brew a tincture of string and lingonberry leaves in equal proportions. A tablespoon of the mixture per glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, then strain. Drink 50 grams half an hour before meals for 2 weeks.

Purulent skin diseases are quite common. Suppuration can appear in the most unexpected places, but usually boils form in the lower extremities. The proximity of suppuration to organs and blood vessels can cause serious complications. A boil in the ear is a rare and dangerous case of a purulent disease.

Boil is a popular name. A furuncle is a purulent inflammation of the hair follicle of a bacterial or fungal nature. Such suppuration can appear in any scalp of the skin. The skin around the boil also becomes inflamed. The boil looks like a red lump with a whitish dot in the center.

The boil can be closed or open:

  1. A closed boil is a source of chronic infection - it can periodically become inflamed and thicken.
  2. An open boil gradually accumulates pus. After a few days, the membrane of the open boil ruptures and the pus comes out.

Sometimes a person has a predisposition to frequent development of boils. In this case, several ulcers may appear on the body at once. This disease is called furunculosis.

Boils most often form on the lower extremities, face and neck. The location of the abscess is important because the tissue around the area of ​​infection could potentially be infected with bacteria or fungi. A boil in the ear can cause secondary infectious diseases.

Reasons for education

Almost any type of pathogenic bacterium or fungus can cause a boil. The main condition is the penetration of the pathogenic microorganism into the sebaceous gland of the hair follicle. Most often, such suppuration is caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, so boils can also be called staphylococcal skin infections.

They are constantly present on human skin and cause infection only under certain conditions. Such conditions may include:

  • Violation of skin integrity (cut, scratch).
  • Blockage of the sebaceous gland of the hair follicle.
  • Low activity of the immune system.

In areas of broken skin, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause a more serious infection. The pus that forms in the boil is the result of a fight between immune system cells and pathogenic bacteria.

There are certain risk factors that cause frequent occurrence of skin ulcers. This may be a dysfunction of the immune system, a chronic skin disease or pathology that slows down wound healing. Boils are especially common in diabetes and eczema.

In addition, the bacteria that causes boils can also be spread through contact, so it is worth maintaining personal hygiene measures.

Other risk factors for developing a boil:

  1. Malnutrition. This is especially true for the consumption of vitamins necessary for skin health.
  2. Insufficient hygiene measures.
  3. Exposure to harsh chemicals that irritate the skin.
  4. Chronic infection of staphylococcal nature.
  5. Intravenous administration of drugs.

Doctors are not always able to find out the cause of the abscess.

Signs and symptoms

In the early stages of development, a boil may resemble a benign formation on the skin, similar to a pimple. The gradual development of infection increases the size of the boil, pain and a feeling of skin irritation appear. Dead cells of the skin, immune system and bacteria gradually turn into pus, overflowing the cavity of the boil. Increased formation of pus increases pressure, which gradually leads to rupture of the boil capsule and release of pus out.

The boil usually develops within 7-10 days. The most intense pain is observed several days before the abscess ruptures, which is explained by an increase in pressure. The size of a boil can be from 1-2 cm to 5-8 cm. Large boils are especially dangerous due to the possible involvement of neighboring tissues in the purulent process.

Bacteria that multiply in a boil can enter the bloodstream and cause a systemic infection. In this case, urgent medical attention will be required, since a widespread infection threatens the patient's life. Possible symptoms of such a complication:

  • Increase in body temperature to a feverish state.
  • Weakness, dizziness.
  • Swelling of the lymph nodes.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Lack of appetite.

For patients with diabetes, it is especially important to monitor the course of local skin infections.

Medication and folk treatment

In the early stages of boil development, boils can be treated with medications, including the use of antiseptics, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents. Treatment can be controlled without medical intervention if threatening symptoms do not appear. With proper treatment, the boil heals without scarring on the skin. However, improper treatment can cause relapse or severe complications.

If the boil has appeared recently, you should wait for it to “ripen.” Before opening the abscess shell, no serious measures should be taken. You can treat the skin in the area of ​​infection with an antiseptic.

After opening, the boil should be thoroughly treated with an antiseptic.

Before handling, you must wash your hands. To speed up healing, you can gently press your fingers on the area of ​​the boil to remove pus from the capsule. After this procedure, it is necessary to once again treat the area with an antiseptic, and then apply an antibiotic ointment to the affected skin. All these measures must be carried out under conditions of maximum sterility to avoid complications.

When choosing an antimicrobial ointment, you need to pay attention to the composition. An ointment with gentamicin and clotrimazole is recommended.Self-medication of a boil is associated with certain risks. If you are not confident in your abilities, you should consult a surgeon.

More information on how to treat boils at home can be found in the video:

Treatment at home is recommended only for small boils.If the size of the suppuration exceeds 3 cm, you should consult a doctor. Traditional methods of treatment are also not recommended if the purulent infection is close to organs and large vessels.

At home, you can use warm ones.This helps speed up the “maturation” of the boil and alleviate the inflammatory process. The affected skin area can also be carefully treated with alcohol.The formation of an abscess in the ear area requires special control. In this case, independent treatment is excluded, since there is a risk of infection of the middle and inner ear.

Surgical treatment of complicated boils is preferable. Stages of surgical treatment:

  1. The skin is treated with an antiseptic, then a small incision is made in the area above the boil.
  2. The incision is carefully widened to facilitate removal of the pus. The pus is then removed from the cavity by pressing.
  3. The cleaned cavity is treated with an antiseptic. Or a solution of potassium permanganate is used as an antiseptic.
  4. An antibacterial agent is introduced into the cavity in the form of a gel, solution or suspension.
  5. The final stage of the operation is the installation of drainage, which facilitates the release of newly formed pus.

For 7-14 days, it is necessary to periodically treat the affected area with antiseptics and antibiotics. If necessary, intravenous antibiotics can be administered.

Laser removal of postoperative scars is possible.The stages of the operation may differ depending on individual characteristics and complications.

What not to do?

Careless treatment measures can aggravate the patient’s condition and spread the infection in the body. The following methods of treating boils should not be used:

  • Open or pierce the cavity of the boil yourself. This can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream and cause a systemic infection.
  • Use agents that draw out pus.
  • Touch the affected area with dirty hands.

When a boil forms in the ear, any independent attempt at treatment will be obviously incorrect, since such a location of the purulent process requires qualified treatment.

Purulent inflammation of the skin can lead to the following complications:

  1. Sepsis. This disease is also called a bloodstream infection. This condition can lead to the death of the patient.
  2. Recurrence of infection. After improper treatment, new ulcers often form.
  3. Damage to an organ located close to the infection. When a boil appears in the ear, a purulent infection of the middle and inner ear may develop.

Medical supervision reduces the risk of complications.

A boil in the ear is a sign of the presence of a purulent-inflammatory process in this area. Quite often, such a neoplasm indicates the presence of an ailment such as otitis media.

A boil in the ear can cause severe headaches

Boils in the ears contribute to swelling of the auditory canals, resulting in compression of the nerve fibers. This situation leads to very severe headaches.

The disease is worst in young children, because they are not able to describe what exactly is bothering them.

Causes

The main reason that a boil occurs in the ear is the penetration of various pathogenic microorganisms, especially staphylococci, into the human body.

But in order for these microorganisms to penetrate the body, a favorable environment must be provided for them.

Its provision occurs as a result of the following factors:

  • The presence of scratches on the hands or other parts of the body.
  • Quite often, pathogens can live under a person’s skin, but due to the high-quality functioning of the immune system, they do not manifest themselves in any way. Such a proximity is fraught with the fact that with the slightest decrease in the performance of the immune system, pathogenic microorganisms are activated. As a result of this, it is noted that a boil in the auricle can form after suffering from colds and with vitamin deficiency.
  • Inaccurate ear cleaning. For example, sharp objects were used.
  • Lack of care for the ear area.
  • A common cause of the formation of a boil in the outer ear in children is hypothermia. This condition again leads to a decrease in immunity, and as a result, the activation of pathogenic organisms.
  • Occasionally, a boil occurs as a secondary manifestation of a disease such as diabetes.
  • Stagnation of water in the ear. A humid environment is favorable for the growth of bacteria.

Careful and timely ear care will help prevent boils from occurring.

Symptoms

A boil in the ear, in addition to its external manifestation, is accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • the area of ​​the ear canal itches, there is a burning sensation and a number of other uncomfortable sensations;
  • the inner part of the ear concha is redder, a small red bump appears;
  • pain in the ear area, sometimes even shooting in nature, which intensifies during touching, talking or chewing movements;
  • swelling in the ear canal, a person’s hearing deteriorates significantly;
  • severe headaches, from the side of the affected ear there are shooting pains in the temple;
  • occasionally there is an increase in body temperature and inflammation of the lymph nodes;
  • insomnia, nervousness, especially if a boil has formed in a child;
  • at the last stage of the disease, when the boil spontaneously opens, pus is released from the ear, the pain decreases.

A boil (the popular name for a boil) cannot be confused with the appearance of a regular pimple, since it is accompanied by a lot of discomfort.

Diagnostics

You can also identify a boil behind the ear or in the ear visually. But in order to fully verify the presence of this problem and identify the cause that caused such a neoplasm, you should contact an otolaryngologist.

The doctor performs a visual examination of chiria, feels it and indicates the stage of its development. After this, a course of treatment is prescribed.

Ultrasound and radiography are occasionally used.

There is no need to take tests to diagnose the problem, since the formation of a boil can only contribute to a slight increase in leukocytes in the blood.

An otolaryngologist diagnoses a boil by visual examination

Initial treatment

Treatment of a boil in the external auditory canal at the initial stage is carried out using compresses of alcohol or vodka, the area of ​​inflammation is lubricated with iodine and other disinfectants. In addition, treatment is carried out using special ointments - tar and Vishnevsky, which are applied to a tampon and placed in the ear.

Thanks to such procedures, the maturation and release of pus is much faster.

In order for the boil of the external auditory canal to ripen faster, you can use a heating pad.

The procedure is carried out as follows: hot water is drawn into the heating pad, then you need to wrap it in a towel (preferably terry) and lie down so that the inflamed area of ​​the ear is on the heating pad. You should remain in this position for about 15 minutes. You should not hold the heating pad for a longer time, since a staphylococcal infection can spread into the blood, thereby causing infection.

Additionally, warming therapy can be done with the help of a doctor. He may prescribe special physiotherapy or ultraviolet irradiation.

In order to reduce pain and prevent blood poisoning, the doctor may prescribe ear drops that will have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Occasionally, chirp pricking with the use of antibiotics is observed.

Tar ointment will help the boil ripen faster

Treatment of complicated cases

A boil in the ear if there are complications requires slightly different treatment. The most common complication is prolonged non-ripening of chiria.

In such situations, the disease should be treated with tablets or injections. The most commonly prescribed drugs are Tetracycline and Erythromycin. But when choosing a drug, the main focus is on whether the patient is allergic to any component of this drug. It is strictly prohibited to prescribe tablets and injections for treatment to women during pregnancy and young children, especially infants.

If, along with the formation of chiria, the temperature rises, then this is a direct indication for hospitalization of the patient. An increase in body temperature may indicate that an infection has entered the blood, so you should not delay treatment.

In addition, in complicated cases, the boil of the external auditory canal is treated with a Dimexide solution, which was previously diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1:5; if a person has delicate skin, then the ratio of the solution to water should be 1:10.

If none of the above methods of fighting boils helps, then doctors take extreme measures, namely removing the boil. In this case, the patient, under anesthesia, makes a small incision on the boil and removes its stem along with the nearby affected areas. After the operation, the patient is prescribed ointments, antibiotics and drugs to restore the quality functioning of the immune system.

Dimexide - a means for treating boils

Treatment of boils with folk remedies

At this stage of time, there are many traditional medicine recipes that can help get rid of a boil in the ear area:

  • Select a medium-sized onion and make a small hole in it, pour flax oil into it. The hole is covered with rye bread pulp and placed in the oven. After baking the onion, squeeze out all the juice from it. This juice is instilled into the affected ear.
  • You should chop the onion and garlic in a 1:1 ratio to a pulp, and then fry it in vegetable oil. The resulting product should be applied to the affected ear at least 3 times a day.
  • It is necessary to prepare several shreds of linen fabric and place them in vegetable oil so that they are saturated. Next, the shreds are rubbed with garlic juice. The ratio of oil and garlic juice should be the same. A strip of fabric is rolled up with the smeared side inward and applied to the affected area. The compress should be changed twice a day.
  • It is necessary to mix rye flour and honey in such quantities to obtain the consistency of wet clay. A cake is made from the resulting mixture, which is applied to the affected area and covered with a small piece of compress paper on top. The dressing is changed every 5 hours.

Special flatbreads are made from rye flour and honey

Preventive measures

As you know, it is much easier to prevent a problem than to deal with it later. Therefore, in order to prevent the formation of an abscess inside the ears, it is necessary to ensure that they are always dry, especially for people with sensitive skin. To do this, during the process of washing your hair, it is advisable to prevent water or soap from getting into the auricle.

When cleaning your ears, you should only use cotton swabs; you should not put any foreign objects into your ears. It should be remembered that ear sticks are intended to clean the ears, and not the ear canal.

When it comes to cleansing the ear canal, you should twist a thin tourniquet out of cotton wool, dip it in hydrogen peroxide, squeeze it out and hold it in the ear for 5 minutes.

If the ear has been damaged in some way, the scratch should be immediately treated with an antiseptic. If this is not done, then the risk of infection entering the wound increases, which entails the occurrence of an inflammatory process, and then suppuration.

It is imperative to monitor your immune system; for this, it is recommended to eat foods containing large amounts of vitamins (fruits, vegetables), and strengthen the body with long walks in the fresh air.

A boil in the ear area, although not as dangerous a disease as a malignant tumor, can also bring many unpleasant consequences to a person’s life.

Boil is the popular name for a boil. A furuncle is a purulent inflammation of the hair follicle of a bacterial or fungal nature.

Such suppuration can appear in any scalp of the skin. The skin around the boil also becomes inflamed.

The boil looks like a red lump with a whitish dot in the center.

The boil can be closed or open:

  1. A closed boil is a source of chronic infection - it can periodically become inflamed and thicken.
  2. An open boil gradually accumulates pus. After a few days, the membrane of the open boil ruptures and the pus comes out.

Causes

Boil is a purulent-inflammatory process that affects the hair follicle. The appearance of boils in the ears can signal diseases of the digestive tract and endocrine system. Other reasons for a boil in the ear may include:

  • Obesity and diabetes;
  • Minor damage to the ear;
  • Staphylococcal infection;
  • Past viral diseases;
  • Weakening of the immune system due to prolonged use of antibiotics;
  • Hypovitaminosis.

Purulent inflammations in the ear can also form due to frequent colds and hypothermia. Therefore, you should not walk without a hat in windy and wet weather. If this problem occurs frequently, consult a dermatologist about how to treat a boil in the ear.

The causative agent of the infection is representatives of pathogenic flora (staphylococci and streptococci) of the skin.

Stages

Also read:

Abscesses are characterized by three stages of development:

  • The duration of the first stage is 1-2 days. The area where the boil is located swells and is filled with a pus-free infiltrate.
  • At the second stage, the formation of a boil in the ear continues: over a four-day period, purulent masses begin to accumulate. The presence of exudate is insignificant and has no clear boundaries. In order not to aggravate the process or disrupt the flow, it is not recommended to squeeze out the contents.
  • The third stage is accompanied by severe redness of the inflamed area with itching and pain. The affected area becomes denser and outlined. The pathological element turns purple with a bluish tint. After 3 days, the formation of a rod and a purulent vesicle is observed. The maturation process ends with the rejection of the necrotic follicle, the breakthrough of the capsule with exudate, and the release of the contents to the surface. The last stage ends with recovery and takes from 7 to 10 days.

Symptoms and course of the disease

If a boil appears in the ear, the first signs will soon make themselves felt. Namely:

  • itching, burning, discomfort in the ear canal;
  • redness inside the ear, the appearance of a red tubercle;
  • painful sensations, sometimes strong, shooting, pain that intensifies when touching the inflamed area, as well as when chewing, talking and other movements of the jaw;
  • swelling of the ear canal, hearing loss;
  • headaches or temporal pain on the side of the affected ear;
  • sometimes fever and enlarged lymph nodes;
  • sleep disturbance, irritability, short temper, especially if a boil has formed in the child’s ear.
  • at a late stage of the disease, when spontaneous opening of the boil occurs, purulent discharge from the ear is observed, while pain decreases.

Diagnosis of inflammation does not require special research, since the symptoms are quite simple.

Remember! Before starting treatment, a consultation with a specialist doctor - an otolaryngologist is required.

In the initial stage, the patient feels a burning sensation and discomfort in the affected area. There are also the following symptoms:

  • increasing pain expands its boundaries, radiating to the temple and jaw from the side of the inflammation;
  • pressing on the tragus (cartilaginous tubercle), the patient feels pain;
  • an enlarged abscess blocks the ear canal, reducing hearing;

Treatment of boils

Measures to eliminate a boil of the external ear are complex and include:

  • suppression of pathogenic microflora;
  • general strengthening of the body;
  • surgical removal of contents.

The use of antibacterial and antiseptic drugs as part of therapy is aimed at reducing the activity of pathogenic bacteria and preventing re-infection.

They are used:

  • externally (solutions, emulsions for direct treatment of the problem area);
  • as part of general treatment (pills);
  • for internal administration (injections, if the process is severe).

Locally prescribed:

  • Boric alcohol. The turunda is moistened with the product, which is then inserted into the ear. The drug inhibits the growth and development of microorganisms. Under the influence of boric acid, the protein structures of pathogenic cells are destroyed and the bacteria die.
  • Streptomycin, Levomycetin (1%). The emulsion is instilled into the ear canal after the suppuration has broken through.

An appointment is made internally:

  1. Semi-synthetic penicillins (Amoxiclav, Dicloxacillin, Cloxacillin, analogues).
  2. Macrolides (Erythromycin, Azithromycin). They are used when the patient is intolerant to the penicillin group of medications.
  3. Cephalosporin and quinolone drugs (Ceflacor, Ciprofloxacin). They are used when the isolated microorganism is resistant to penicillins and macrolides.
  4. Rifampicin. Allows you to cure multiple and recurrent types of furunculosis.

General restorative therapy consists of:

  • from autohemotherapy (the patient is injected with his own venous blood);
  • taking vitamins or immunostimulants (to prevent relapses characteristic of chronic furunculosis);
  • immunization (stimulating the production of specific antibodies by creating artificial immunity to the pathogen).

For a boil in the ear, treatment may involve removing the contents surgically with local anesthesia. The operation is performed on a mature pathological element (approximately 4 days from the onset of inflammation).

When the pus and necrotic core are removed, the resulting wound is treated with iodine (5% alcohol tincture).

A hypertonic solution is injected into the ear every 3-4 hours, with which the gauze turunda is pre-wetted. The salt it contains helps quickly dry the wound and stimulates tissue regeneration.

Home methods for treating boils in the ear are not prohibited, but it is recommended to coordinate the chosen remedy with your doctor.

Thanks to antibiotics, surgical removal of abscesses is prescribed only when complications develop. Despite the possibility of aggravating the inflammatory process, the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is minimal.

More often, treatment of a boil in the ear is carried out at home, sometimes in advanced cases the patient needs to be in the hospital. However, in both cases, therapy is carried out only after examination by a doctor, diagnosis and appropriate prescription.

After the examination, the doctor toilets the ear and introduces turunda with an anesthetic or antibacterial ointment based on an antibiotic.

Antibiotics for boils in the ear are, as a rule, the main part of drug therapy. They are prescribed in the form of tablets or a cycle of intramuscular injections.

When an elevated temperature appears when the boil ripens, the doctor recommends taking anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs internally.

For severe pain, it is allowed to take painkillers, for example Pentalgin, Tempalgin or Analgin for adults, children's Nurofen for babies.

In order for the process of maturation and elimination of the boil to accelerate, it is necessary to treat and treat the affected area. For this purpose, special antibacterial ointments, ear drops, and compresses are used.

In the early stages of boil development, boils can be treated with medications, including the use of antiseptics, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents.

Treatment can be controlled without medical intervention if threatening symptoms do not appear. With proper treatment, the boil heals without scarring on the skin.

However, improper treatment can cause relapse or severe complications.

General restorative methods of treatment

  1. Immunomodulatory therapy is effective for the chronic form of furunculosis, achieved by taking drugs that increase the body's defenses.
  2. Autohemotherapy – helps stimulate local immunity to fight infection. To do this, the patient is injected with his own venous blood.
  1. The introduction of staphylococcal toxoid promotes the production of specific antibodies to staphylococcal bacteria. After such vaccination, the patient’s immune system begins to recognize and destroy this type of infection, preventing inflammation from developing.

Antibiotics and antiseptics

Oxacillin against furunculosis Boric alcohol is often used for external treatment of this disease. This drug has a destructive effect on the protein membrane of pathogenic flora, which leads to the death of bacteria.

Boric alcohol also slows down the reproduction and development of infection. Cotton pads soaked in this solution are inserted into the patient's external auditory canal.

After the abscess has burst, chloramphenicol, 1% streptomycin emulsion or any antiseptic drops are instilled into the ear.

Also, depending on the cause of the disease, various antibiotics that are active against strepto- or staphylococcal flora are taken orally. Usually these are penicillin drugs - Amoxiclav, Dicloxacillin.

In case of an allergy to penicillins, the patient is prescribed macrolides (Erythromycin, Azithromycin) or cephalosporins (Ciprofloxacin, Cefacor). For widespread furunculosis with frequent relapses, antibiotics from the rifamycin group (Rifabutin, Rifampin) are used.

Surgery

This involves opening the boil in a hospital setting. The operation is performed under local anesthesia. Through an incision, the doctor removes the core of the boil and the accumulated purulent masses, and the resulting damaged surface is treated with iodine.

Traditional methods of treating illness at home

Furuncle in the ear - there are many folk remedies designed to treat this disease. The following are the most popular methods of treating this pathology at home:

  • Vishnevsky ointment is the most effective medicine for furunculosis. This product has pronounced antibacterial properties. Vishnevsky ointment draws out pus well, so it is applied to the affected area after opening the boil. The dressing should be changed every 6 hours.
  • Burdock - will help cleanse the surface of the skin from germs, relieve pain and reduce inflammation. In this case, you can use the leaves or root of the plant. The burdock leaf is washed well and applied to the boil as a compress. The juice from the leaves of the plant also helps. A medicinal ointment can be prepared from burdock root boiled in milk.
  • Aloe – has antiseptic properties and is suitable for treating any purulent inflammation at home. Drops of the juice of this plant are applied to the affected skin several times a day. You can also apply crushed aloe leaves to the site of inflammation.
  • Onion - used to speed up the ripening of boils. The onion must be boiled or baked in the oven, cut and bandaged to the sore spot. The dressing should be changed 3-4 times a day.
  • Laundry soap - this bactericidal agent can be found in every home. The soap is crushed and mixed with milk to the consistency of sour cream, then the finished mixture is applied to the affected area in the form of a compress. Use no more than 1 time per day.
  • Ichthyol – has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Ichthyol ointment destroys harmful microorganisms and anesthetizes the inflamed abscess. For treatment at home, the remedy is applied to the boil and covered with a small layer of sterile cotton wool.

Until you see an ENT doctor (he treats only these organs specifically), to treat an ear boil, you can do the following.

Treatment of an ear boil at home will differ depending on the stage of development of the inflammatory process. At the first symptoms - irritation, itching or tingling in the ear - you can use iodine tincture.

You just need to lubricate the affected area. If you pay attention and take measures in time, you can generally prevent the further development of an ear boil, but this advice can only help people who really listen to themselves.

Sometimes paying too much attention to your condition can be beneficial.

For unformed ear boils, you can make compresses with a solution of borax (sodium tetraborate). It can be purchased at those pharmacies that prepare their own medications.

Preparation: 1 tbsp. dissolve a spoonful of borax in 200 ml.

warm boiled water. Apply moistened cotton swabs to the affected area.

If the boil is in the ear canal, then turundas (narrow tampons) are moistened and inserted into the canal. They are replaced as they dry out.

If borax is not available to you for some reason, then boric alcohol can be successfully used.

If the boil is located on an open surface of the body, then it is easier to deal with it. But if a boil is ripening in the ear, onions and linseed oil can come to the rescue.

Preparation: you need 1 beautiful and juicy onion, without damage. Use a knife to make a funnel into which a small amount of flax seed oil is poured.

Then it is placed in the oven and baked. A liquid is formed in the funnel from onion juice and linseed oil.

You can bury it in your ear, always warm. At night, close the external auditory canal with a turunda previously soaked in the prepared liquid.

To treat ear boils using folk remedies, you can use ointment from calendula flowers.

Preparation: Grind 1 tablespoon of calendula herb, add 30 grams of Vaseline, mix well. Apply to the affected area.

Preparation: Do not peel the garlic from the film, bake in the oven. Then remove the film, grind, and place the resulting porridge in gauze. Apply to the sore ear for 3 – 4 hours.

There is an ancient recipe for preparing a white plaster that can be prepared to treat an ear boil at home. It is not very easy to prepare this patch, but its drawing and healing power is enormous.

For preparation you will need equal quantities of rosin (extracted from the resin of coniferous trees), white beeswax, and lard.

Rosin is crushed to a powdery state, sifted through a sieve, poorly ground particles are ground again. In order for the product to be effective, rosin must be of high quality.

Fresh lard is finely chopped. A prerequisite is that it be fresh and not melted, this is the method of treating a boil at home..

In a water bath, begin to melt white beeswax, adding it in small portions and stirring. Then add rosin powder, mix vigorously so that the rosin evenly combines with the wax.

Then add lard. Once the ingredients are combined.

You must immediately remove the container in which the mixture is being prepared and stir vigorously. You need to stir until the mass becomes thick and homogeneous.

Subsequently, the mass is generously applied to gauze or a bandage folded in 8 layers and applied to the boil of the ear. This dressing is changed 3 times a day.

This mixture can be stored in a dry, dark place, in a hermetically sealed container (if there is any mixture left after treatment).

To effectively treat an ear boil at home, in addition to local procedures, you also need to help the body fight the infection. There are many herbs that can relieve intoxication, alleviate the condition, stimulate the immune system for boils in general, and for ear boils in particular.

Here are the most affordable ones.

Dandelion herb and treatment of ear boils.

10 grams of dandelion flowers are brewed with a glass of water, infused for 3 hours, and filtered. You need to drink 1 tablespoon at least 5 times a day.

Nettle grass.

A handful of nettles, dry or fresh, is brewed and infused for 35 - 40 minutes. After this, you can drink 1/2 - 1 glass in the morning, before lunch and in the evening. Stinging nettle is often used, but in the case of a boil in the ear, it is better to use stinging nettle.

Medication and folk treatment

From the first days of inflammation, the doctor prescribes ear drops and antibacterial drugs. If the condition worsens, the patient is prescribed injections. After the boil matures and breaks through, regular washing of the diseased organ with special solutions is required, as well as treatment with Vishnevsky ointment.

Other home remedies

At the early stage of the disease, there are ways to cure a boil in the ear or help relieve unpleasant symptoms before going to a specialist. What to do if a boil in the ear hurts and itches. There are quite effective folk recipes, here are the main ones:

There are many ways to treat boils at home. Before choosing a suitable recipe, it is important to make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components used. To get rid of boils in the ears you should:

  1. Make a hole in the onion and pour flax oil into it. Then the recess needs to be sealed with a piece of rye bread and baked. Squeeze the juice from the cooled onion and apply drops to the affected ear.
  2. Take equal amounts of onion and garlic, fry a little in vegetable oil and make a compress. Repeat the procedure 3 times a day until relief occurs.
  3. Soak small strips of linen fabric in vegetable oil and rub with garlic. Then twist the strip inside with garlic and apply it to the abscess. Garlic promotes the release of purulent contents. You need to renew the strips twice a day.

Prevention

In order to avoid the recurrence of boils in the ear or other parts of the body, the body's defenses should be maintained at a constantly high level. Hardening procedures, walks in nature and, of course, a balanced diet will help strengthen a weakened immune system. You should also adhere to other preventive measures:

  • Keep your ears clean by washing them regularly with soap;
  • Immediately lubricate minor scratches and microdamages with iodine or hydrogen peroxide;
  • Do not use sharp or pointed objects to clean your ears.

It is worth emphasizing that improper treatment and ignoring preventive measures after recovery can lead to the formation of carbuncles, which are more dangerous for the body, which are inflammation of several hair follicles at once.

To prevent a boil inside the hearing organ from becoming a real phenomenon for every person, you need to carefully monitor your health and properly perform personal hygiene products. A person needs to take into account the following recommendations:

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  1. You should not clean your ears with any foreign objects, especially if they are sharp.
  2. It is necessary to carry out hygiene procedures correctly and in a timely manner.
  3. It is not recommended to stay in extreme cold for a long time.
  4. It is worth constantly monitoring the condition of your own body, replenishing your supply of vitamins and beneficial microelements.
  5. Do not use old accessories for hygiene measures.

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Acute purulent inflammation of the hair follicle, sebaceous gland with limited inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the membranous cartilaginous part of the external auditory canal.

Causes of a boil in the external auditory canal

The disease occurs as a result of the penetration of infection, most often staphylococci, into the sebaceous and hair follicles when contaminated skin is irritated by manipulation of the ear with pins or fingers, especially in persons suffering from suppuration from it.

Common predisposing factors are:

  • cold;
  • metabolic disorder;
  • malnutrition;
  • vitamin deficiencies, etc.

A furuncle of the external auditory canal can also occur with general furunculosis.

Symptoms of a boil in the external auditory canal

The leading symptom of a boil of the external ear is severe pain. From the ear it can radiate to the eye, teeth, neck, and sometimes diffusely spreads throughout the head.

The pain intensifies when talking and chewing due to the fact that the articular head of the lower jaw, shifting, exerts periodic pressure on the walls of the external auditory canal and, consequently, on the area of ​​​​inflamed skin.

Sharp pain occurs when pressing on the tragus and lower wall of the ear canal, or when retracting the auricle. This pain is based on the same mechanism as when pain occurs during talking or chewing.

Otoscopy reveals a rounded elevation of hyperemic, inflamed skin, narrowing the lumen of the ear canal. Sometimes several boils can be seen.

Insertion of the ear funnel is extremely difficult due to swelling and pain. Skin infiltration often extends to the soft tissues surrounding the auricle and to the mastoid process.

Regional parotid lymph nodes enlarge, become dense and painful on palpation. If the boil is located on the front or lower walls in the area of ​​the Santorini fissures, the infection can spread to the parotid gland and cause its inflammation.

The body temperature of a patient with a boil depends on the phenomena of intoxication; one can often observe its sharp increase and chills; large changes in body temperature (1-2 degrees) indicate the development of sepsis.

The furuncle of the external ear often opens spontaneously after maturation. At this moment, the patient notes the disappearance of pain, and his health gradually improves. The average duration of the disease is 7 days, but relapses are possible.

Descriptions of symptoms of a boil of the external auditory canal

Diagnosis of a boil in the external auditory canal

Diagnosis is based on medical history, complaints, examination results (pain when pressing on the tragus, chewing, etc.).

Often the boil can be seen without the help of instruments if it is localized at the entrance to the ear canal; in other cases, the examination is carried out using a narrow ear specula.

At the beginning of the disease, a translucent rod may be noticeable, and after emptying, you can see a crater-shaped depression on the swelling, from which pus is released.

Differential diagnosis

In the differential diagnostic plan, mastoiditis should be excluded. With a boil of the external ear, in contrast to mastoiditis, swelling and pain will be expressed primarily in the area of ​​attachment of the auricle; with mastoiditis, hearing decreases and pain in the mastoid region.

With a boil, the eardrum is normal and hearing does not change. In terms of a general examination of the patient, it is necessary to test the blood and urine for sugar content and sterility (recurrence of the boil is often associated with diabetes).

Treatment of boils in the external auditory canal

In the first days of the disease, antibacterial drugs are used (augmentin, rulide, streptocide, erythromycin or tetracycline orally; in severe cases, penicillin is prescribed in injections of 1,000,000 units 4-6 times a day, etc.).

A turunda soaked in boric alcohol is inserted into the external auditory canal. Such turundas have a local anti-inflammatory effect. In some cases, especially when the process subsides, streptocidal, penicillin or 1% chloramphenicol emulsion is used.

Antipyretic and painkillers are prescribed - acetylsalicylic acid, analgin, paracetamol, Tylenol, etc. Sometimes autohemotherapy is used (2-3 intramuscular injections of blood taken from a vein in the amount of 7-10 ml, with an interval of 48 hours).

In cases where the boil has matured (usually on the 4th day of the disease), the pain syndrome has intensified or there is a danger of suppuration of the lymph nodes, the boil should be opened.

An incision is made under short-term anesthesia or local anesthesia at the site of the greatest bulging of the boil, then the core and pus are removed, and the resulting cavity is treated with 5% iodine tincture.

The ear canal is drained and then a turunda moistened with alcohol or a hypertonic solution is introduced for drainage 2 times a day.

General strengthening treatment is important, but when prescribing therapeutic agents and procedures, examination data from other organs and systems should be taken into account.

General anti-inflammatory treatment involves the use of antibiotics, sulfonamides, autovaccine and staphylococcal toxoid, a complex of vitamins.

Questions and answers on the topic "Furuncle of the external auditory canal"

Question:Hello! I discovered that I had a boil in my ear. How should I deal with such a situation? I turned to a doctor for help, an appointment ticket is possible only after 5 days. Is my situation dangerous? There is no temperature, pain in the earlobe is felt, but not severe. Unpleasant sensations arise after I begin to move my lower jaw. Is it possible to have otitis media?

Answer: A furuncle of the ear canal never causes acute otitis media. Ear drops with antibiotics (eg Normax, Uniflox) will help cope with the problem.

Question:I recently developed a boil in the external auditory canal, today it burst and pus was leaking out. Please tell me what actions can be used? (considering that I am breastfeeding). No previous treatment was carried out.

Answer: Carefully treat the ear canal with a swab containing chlorhexidine, and protect the ear from water. If you feel worse, contact an otolaryngologist.

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