Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT)

Causes and Overcoming of Otitis Externa Caused by Ear Picking Habits

2025.07.09 22:34

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This is a story about the causes of otitis externa and how to treat it.

I suddenly got otitis externa, probably because I often pick my ears.

I'd like to inform you that you can get otitis externa without using cotton swabs or towels...!

Causes of otitis externa

I tend to get earwax often, so I sometimes remove it at home.

People usually think that the cause of otitis externa is because they have been digging their ears with cotton swabs.

I never use cotton swabs and I never clean my ears vigorously with a towel.

Instead, use these LED earwax clips

Causes and Overcoming of Otitis Externa Caused by Ear Picking Habits

I used to just pull out the earwax and remove it.

I thought this would be okay since it wouldn't scratch my ear canal if I used tweezers.

But even that wasn't good for my ears. Even after I dug my ears, they were so itchy that I kept touching them with my hands without realizing it. (I think this might have caused otitis externa.)

And even though I definitely cleaned the earwax, the next day and the day after that, my ears were still itchy and earwax kept growing.

Otitis externa symptoms

Actually, in the early stages of otitis externa, the symptoms are not that special.

If you just have an itch like mine, it's easy to just ignore it and think it's probably because of earwax.

I think it went like that for about a week...

Even then, when I touched it with my finger, earwax continued to come out.

(I later asked an ENT doctor and he said it wasn't earwax but dead skin cells peeling off🙃)

One morning I woke up to a huge pile of dead skin cells...

And from then on, the dead skin cells that were mistaken for earwax began to come out in a slightly yellow and hard form.

Later, when I touched the inside of my ear with my hand, it felt moist.

It was only then that I realized it was an ear infection.

I looked it up and it matched my symptoms with otitis externa symptoms and they said that in severe cases, you can get a headache!!

For some reason, I've been getting headaches out of the blue for the past few days, so I took some painkillers. Now, I feel like I'm finally solving a puzzle.

And while the habit of picking your ears can cause otitis externa, it is said that excessive water entering the ears while swimming or showering can also cause otitis externa.

Treatment of otitis externa

I ended up going to the hospital and it turned out I had otitis externa.

I also had my ears pierced, and I touched them too often because they tickled. I also often got water in my ears when I washed my hair, so I think that was the cause of my otitis externa.

What I thought was earwax was not earwax, but rather the skin inside my ear that had been damaged and peeled off, and I was told not to forcefully remove the dead skin.

Should I dig the earwax or not?

This varies from person to person depending on the condition of their ears. They say that it's not good to dig frequently, but that doesn't mean you should never dig.

My ear was told that I shouldn't clean it at home, but rather that I should go to an ENT clinic and have my earwax professionally removed if it really itches.

After the examination, they put medicine in my ear and I also received infrared treatment.

Infrared treatment doesn't feel anything haha

Instead, the medicine they put in my ear stung really bad.

I was prescribed about 3 days' worth of ear drops (there were more pills than I expected).

He told me to come back if I didn't feel better after taking all the medicine.

As I am writing this review, I have finished taking the medicine and the dead skin cells and moisture are almost completely gone!

But it still feels a little itchy, so I'm worried about whether I should go to the hospital... but it doesn't hurt, so I'm going to wait and see.

It's important to understand the cause of otitis externa so you can avoid repeating the habit.

From now on, I'm trying not to dig into my ears or touch them even if they tickle!

Comments 13

귀 안을 누가 사진 찍어주지 않으면 보기가 힘드니까 그냥 귀지인 줄 아셨나봐요. 고생하셨어요.

2025.07.10 13:42

이재철

그래서 의료전문 기관에서(예를 들면 이비인후과)같은 곳에서 귀를 ㅂ사주었으면 해요

2025.07.10 17:11

김경열

추천코드 입력하고 3000캐시 받자! 추천코드 : KR5HSK1

걷기만해도 돈을 버는 만보기 캐시워크 설치하고 3000캐시를 받아보세요!

2025.07.10 21:14

신금조

귀안에 염증을일으켜네요  전에 어떤선생님께서는  귀지를 절대파지마라  저절로 나오다고 방송에서 듣은적이  있어네요  근데 습관이무섭다고   면봉도쓰고  귀후비기  가지고귀지를 파는것아아니고  가려울때   살살 후벼주면  너무시워하잖아요 그것도  조심해야겠네요 좋은정보감사합니다

2025.07.11 03:55

파워퀸

치료 잘 받으시고 완치 되시길 바래요.
많이 힘드시겠어요.

2025.07.11 11:32

H.J

귀지는 마음대로 파는 게 아닙니다 귀지를 파고 싶어도 간지럽고 해도 어떤 도구나 특히 손가락이나 면봉으로도 사용해서는 안 된다고 하더라고요. 
오히려 병을 유발시킨답니다 역시 이외도염 중요한거같아요

2025.07.11 11:40

저도 저 LED 집게 사용하는데요!! 아직까지 귓병 난 적은 없는데.. 조심해야겠군요...

2025.07.11 13:38

김석주

아무생각없이 귀를후벼는데  정말 조심해야겠군요  이런일도 일어나는군요  덕분에 좋은정보  알고갑니다~~~감사합니다

2025.07.11 14:04

더달달

에고 고생많으셨어요 
저도 그래서 그냥 나오는 귀지만 처리하고 있어요

2025.07.11 16:12

이수경

저도 귀쪽 물기를 잘 안닦으면 염증이 잘 나서 수건으로귓속도 닦는 습관이 있는데..조심해야겠네요.

2025.07.11 20:38

R=VD

귀 잘못 파서 외이도염 걸리시는 분들 정말 많더라구요
저희집 가족도 그랬네요~ 정 간지러우면 이비인후과가서 기구로 빼달라하세요

2025.07.11 23:21

박성진

그렇군요 계속 귀에 노란 귀지가 끼고 안에서 젖은 귀지가 나오더니 이게 외이도염이네요 방치했더니 계속 귀지가 나오네요 병원갔다 후기올려요

2025.07.13 06:24

원희

저도 가려우면 귀파는 걸로
파는데 조심해야겠네요

2025.07.13 22:35

Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT)

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Causes and Overcoming of Otitis Externa Caused by Ear Picking Habits