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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How To Cure Swelling & Irritation In Ears?

My ears have been giving me trouble for 2-3 years now. I developed Swimmer s Ear in my right ear a few years back and went to the doctor and got rid of it, but ever since my ears have been uber-sensitive with water. The lymph nodes behind my ears swell up every time I get a shower and if I leave them alone they go away within a few hours, but if say I have an itch in my ear and I scratch it, they will either stay for a day or two or they will turn into Swimmer s Ear again. Recently I went swimming for about 1 1/2 for two days straight with showers directly after, and my lymph nodes have swelled quite a bit. However, the one under my right ear is now a pea-sized, somewhat painful lump that hasn t gone away in two days. I really don t feel it unless I try to massage it, which is just painful by itself and really doesn t offer any relief at all. But just today the cartilage in the upper half of my ear has gone numb, and I compared it with my left ear and I can definitely tell that it is going numb. It s never done this before and the painful lymph node is getting to where I can feel the pressure all the time. My left ear is completely fine and I m getting worried. Before my first ear infection I never had any trouble with my ears, ever, but after the first time I had Swimmer s Ear it s rare for my lymph nodes NOT to swell up at least twice a week. I m sick of it and constantly going to the doctor for medicine that only gets rid of the infection, not the swelling itself. Do I need to see an ENT? Or am I just going to have to life with it for the rest of my life?
posted on Thu, 15 May 2014
Twitter Fri, 16 Dec 2016 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 16 Dec 2016 Last reviewed on
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ENT Specialist,  's  Response
Hi,looking at your symptoms,you are probably suffering from Right ear Otitis Externa with Right infra-auricular lympnode swelling.

If the water goes inside ear and you scratch the ear,there are chances of infection on skin of the outer ear.Lymph node enlargement occurs secondary to the ear infection.

You can use analgesic (like ibuprofen),antihistaminics (like Cetrizine) and antibiotic cream(like soframycin) over the external ear.

You might need to take Oral Antibiotic if your complain does not resolve after 2-3 days of taking the above treatment.

Small lymph node may be palpable .It is normal.Only if it is paining or increasing in size,then it is of concern.So,after using the medicines,still if you have small lymph node palpable,but not painful,then there is no need to worry.

Have the habit to use ear plug while taking bath.Avoid scratching inside your ear.

Hope this answers your question.Take Care.
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How To Cure Swelling & Irritation In Ears?

Hi,looking at your symptoms,you are probably suffering from Right ear Otitis Externa with Right infra-auricular lympnode swelling. If the water goes inside ear and you scratch the ear,there are chances of infection on skin of the outer ear.Lymph node enlargement occurs secondary to the ear infection. You can use analgesic (like ibuprofen),antihistaminics (like Cetrizine) and antibiotic cream(like soframycin) over the external ear. You might need to take Oral Antibiotic if your complain does not resolve after 2-3 days of taking the above treatment. Small lymph node may be palpable .It is normal.Only if it is paining or increasing in size,then it is of concern.So,after using the medicines,still if you have small lymph node palpable,but not painful,then there is no need to worry. Have the habit to use ear plug while taking bath.Avoid scratching inside your ear. Hope this answers your question.Take Care.