Causes Of Itchy Ears

Treatment For Itchy Ears

What causes itchy ears? The most common causes of itchy ears are: 

• allergies,
• debris, like dead hair or dust and dirt from outside sources,
• dry, flaky ear wax,
• excessive ear cleaning and ear wax removal. This can leave the skin inside the ear too dry.  
• hearing aids, which can cause abrasion of the skin if they don't fit properly,
• an ear infection,
• irritation from chemicals in hair products,
• skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis, which is similar to dandruff, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema,
• trauma, like an injury or scratches and bruises that result from putting foreign objects in the ear.

Other causes of itchy ears include tension, nervousness or anxiety. These often cause individuals to scratch their ears, which resullts in dryness, flakiness, or damage to the skin. Some ears produce no ear wax, which also causes dry and itchy ear skin.

Another of the common causes of itchy ears is the condition known as "swimmers ear." Contrary to its name, this can occur anytime water gets trapped in the ear canal, not just during swimming. Bacteria and fungi grow in the trapped water, irritation of an infection can result.

Treatment for itchy ears Since there are a variety of possible causes of itchy ears, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best course of treatment.

If your itchy ears are caused simply by dryness, there are a number of both prescription ear drops and over-the-counter ear drops available. However, if you're feeling pain or have a fever, don't use drops without talking to your doctor.

For itchy ears caused by skin conditions, you can use a cream or ointment on the external part of the ear. A few drops of a vegetable oil or olive oil should help. This treatment also works for people whose ears simply don't make enough ear wax.

In the case of swimmers ear, the first step is to keep the ear dry. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about antiseptic ear drops. These will restore the natural acid balance of the ear canal, help to dry it out, and kill bacteria that are causing the itch. Follow the instructions on the label carefully.