Ear lobe inflammation
General
The earlobe, in Latin Lobulus auriculae, has no function in the strict sense of the word, just as the auricles and the Darwin cusp have become functionless for modern humans.
The earlobe is located on the lower part of the auricle. It could be described as a fleshy flap of skin that is either free (so hanging on the ear) or may have grown.
It is relatively insensitive to pain.
Like an individual ear looks, determine the Genes. The allele for attached earlobes is genetically recessive, that for free is dominant. So it happens that the free earlobes can be found about twice as often as the grown ones. For the ear and the Hearing ability of a person, however, the form does not matter at all. Only in the Middle Ages was it customary, especially in newborn girls, to incise the attached earlobes a little bit so that they hung freely from the ear, because the population believed that attached earlobes are a sign of witches.
Even today, the earlobe plays in the social life a major role; quite a few people wear it Stud earrings or rings and other Piercings in and on the ear. In addition, the earlobe is called erogenous zone described.
Of course, like every part of our body, the earlobe can also Pain and problems prepare. You can roughly subdivide this into pain caused by piercings or pierced ears, i.e. a foreign body in the ear. And those that have genetic causes. But injuries can also lead to pain, for example torn earlobes.
Earrings and nickel allergy
The most common are dirty and dirty jewelry Reason for inflammation of the earlobe. If that is the case, the jewelry should be the very first thing taken out and very thorough cleaned such as disinfected become. You can use the earlobe itself anti-inflammatory ointments apply lotion. It is best to give it a rest and only put the jewelry back on as soon as the inflammation has subsided.
If the problem is not the contamination of the jewelry, but the jewelry itself, it may be that one Nickel allergy and is sensitive to the ear stud. A nickel allergy is actually relatively harmless, despite its often impressive appearance: The Skin becomes inflamed, becomes red and itches, a so-called eczema.
It is typical of a nickel allergy that this skin eczema only occurs in the area that has come into contact with the material. However, some people are particularly sensitive and even react allergically to the smallest amounts of nickel in food. Nickel may be contained in Strawberries, Nuts or Cigarettes.
The diagnosis of a nickel allergy is usually relatively simple and quickly results from the anamnese of the patient. A Allergy test be carried out in which one nickel-containing ointment on a small area of skin and observe the reaction.
Treatment consists primarily in the Avoid contact with nickelWhen it comes to earrings, it is advisable to only choose precious metals such as gold or silver or surgical steel.
If in the Family has already known cases of nickel allergy it is advisable to resort to higher quality jewelry in advance to avoid an outbreak allergy to prevent.
Perichondritis
A completely different cause of inflammation on the ear and it's on the earlobe Perichondritis. This is inflammation of the cartilage in the ear that spreads to the surrounding area skin can spread. It is caused by germs and pathogens that have penetrated the skin, mostly through very small, unnoticed injuries. The most common pathogens are Pseudomonas and Staphylococci.
One characteristic of perichondritis is reddened and swollen auricle. The earlobe itself is often spared as there is no cartilage more is located. Perichondritis can be treated with Antibiotics, preferably administered in tablet form. Ciprofloaxin and Levofloxacin are the first choice here. If the inflammation is too advanced, the drugs can also be used as infusion administered.
Erysipelas
Is from the Redness and swelling However, if the earlobe itself is also affected, it is suspected that it is a Erysipelas could act. An erysipelago, too Sore rose or Rotlauf called, is also a through bacteria caused infection of the top layers of the skin. The reddening is very strong and clearly defined. In most cases, these are invaded ß-hemolytic streptococci of group A (Streptococcus pyogenes).
Patients with are particularly prone to erysipelas Water retention (Edema), because the disturbed removal of the Lymph fluid the harmful bacteria cannot be fought by the body's own defense cells. Treatment for erysipelas is similar to that of eczema, in the gift of Antibiotics, Are the gold standard Penicillins or Cephalosporins.
Atheromas
If the inflammation of the earlobe is not caused by external factors, genetic ones are possible. The so-called atheromas are of interest here. Atheromas are small, benign cysts in the subcutaneous fat. The vernacular also calls them sometimes Groats bags, Belly lump or Semolina knots.
Read more on the topic: Groats bags
Atheromas are caused by a blocked sebum duct. This also explains their composition: fat droplets and crystals as well as skin cells.
As a rule, symptoms only arise when such an atheroma becomes inflamed or festered. Then it is best to see a surgeon for surgical removal. Since there are bacteria in the pus, the contents of the atheroma must first be removed before it can be operated on itself. That sounds like a lot of work, but it's just a small, routine operation.
Read about this too: Clogged sebum - what to do?
