posted
I don't want to call my doc and be a whiny...you know.
I talked to Theca about this last night.
I've had this painful bump inside my ear since Saturday. Now, I could see how it could be a zit...but it's awfully far inside my ear. I mean, it's past that little piece of flesh that sorta blocks the beginning of your ear canal. It's opposite of that and on the wall of the ear canal. It's red. Actually, the whole inside of my ear is red. If I poke my ear, it hurts (duh). Sometimes it hurts without me poking it. I've got a couple lymph nodes on my neck on that side that I can push around with my fingers (I can't do that with the lymph nodes on the other side of my neck).
I don't want to be a whiner. Can I just let this go and see what happens? Is it a zit? A bugbite? (it isn't itchy).
What IS going on with my ear?!
(Theca gave me some input yesterday and I respect that but this questioning is me not wanting to be whiny).
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Zits absolutely occur in the ear canal itself. You would be surprised at how many people have crops of scattered blackheads even back in behind the tragus (that cartilage flap you mentioned).
Could also be something like a bug bite. Lymph nodes would react to any inflammation.
You could just let it go and see what happens, especially if you have someone that can peek at it for you every now and then. So long as you don't get a fever, chills, sweats, or widespread aching along that side of your head, I wouldn't worry too much.
A nice hot (but not burn your skin hot!) moist washcloth can help "bring it to a head" (i.e., encourage a little more swelling, which kind of helps all the pus and extra fluid to coalesce in the center, relieving some of the widespread pressure).
I wouldn't encourage anyone to, um, "pop a zit," if something were to "come to a head," as it is not what dermatologists recommend you do at home. They will, however, sometimes "unroof" vesicles and pustules in the office, and they are careful to first sanitize the skin (e.g. with alcohol) and use an instrument that is also sanitized or sterilized. But this isn't the sort of thing you do for yourself with any sort of control, and anyone who does it for you runs the risk of jabbing you if they slip (and they either love you a lot, or you gotta be paying for it). *grin
Probably a very warm, moist washcloth, OTC analgesia if needed, and tincture of time will do the trick.
Good luck! On this one, you just gotta let us know what happens.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had one like that before. It was way down there, and hurt like a mother.
Against the advice posted by Sara, I messed with it until I finally got it popped and you should have seen the amount of pus and blood that came out on my little kleenex.
Gnarly.
But it felt much better after that.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well I think a --|-- is a sign that our mack is still alive and kicking, ear or no ear. Though I've been getting worried since she hasn't been flipping people off enough lately... AJ
Posts: 11265 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Stop poking it. I had a zit that was right by my ear canal. My dad's a doctor, he gave me samples of Bactroban to put on it several times a day until it goes away. I'm assuming you could do the same thing with OTC antibiotic ointment, although it wouldn't be as efficient (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had mastoiditis when I was four. I had to go to the hospital, but it miraculously resolved during the night before I had to go in for surgery. I think there are lymph nodes inside the mastoid process, and that's what was up with that.
I hope it's just a zit, though. Unbeknownst to most, getting at zits in unseeable places is one of the key benefits of marriage. (edit to insert winky)
posted
Belle, I did the same thing. I don't recommend it professionally. Personally, I found it tremendously satisfying.
kq, I don't think there's much difference in coverage between mupirocin (bactroban) and something like neosporin (bacitracin/neomycin/ polymyxin B), but I could well be wrong. I would think, though, that the topical ointment would act as a topical agent (i.e., not really penetrate down to the area of inflammation), and the oily base would serve as a comedogenic. I think that's why dermatologist don't recommend topical antibiotic ointments for acne, even though they do sometimes prescribe oral antibiotics.
On the other hand, I did use it after the experience above, once the integrity of the skin was breached.
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
pooka, I'd expect mastoiditis to show up behind the ear, not in it. The mastoid process is below and behind the ear canal.
But wow, you had mastoiditis? You poor thing, that must have been awfully painful.
Yah, true love is a glorious (and sometimes oddly, oddly beautiful) thing. Seeing my baby in pain means I do just about anything to stop it, and it's all luuvvv.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know, I really like Tea Tree Oil as an antibiotic/antifungal. It also penetrates the layers of your skin so it can get a bit deeper. My dad who has problems with ear infections will put it in olive oil (to dilute) and put a couple of drops in his ear. He hasn't had to go to the doctor for an outer ear infection since my parents discovered this stuff. In my experience, I have found it to be the best topical antibiotic.
I've never had to use it as such, but I've also been told that it is a fantastic antifungal. And studies have seemed to uphold it.
A word of caution though: it is drying and could irritate your skin if you use it too much. Once or twice a day on cuts and scrapes is sufficient. Like oitments, I don't think it is a good treatment for acne or zits.
posted
Okay, what if I've had a little bump on the top/back of my head, in the crown area, more or less in the center of my thin patch, for the past six to eight months? It's sensitive if I put pressure on it.
posted
If you keep poking it and it is a zit and it hasn't yet "come to a head," you will just irritate the area and make it swell more. Let it go until there is something at the surface to poke at. (Otherwise, putting it under pressure can just cause it to tear the inner flesh downwards, as there may be less resistance there than at the taut, stretched skin at the surface. You can kind of explode them downwards, causing more inflammation and scar tissue.
posted
Icarus: It's probably just an alien implant. Have you experienced missing time lately? I wouldn't worry too much, you're just doomed to be their slave now.
posted
Lymph node? I have one behind my ear that is chronically swollen and is tender if someone actually presses on it. I have one in both my legs too. At least, I assume those are what the lumps in my legs are that have lasted a few years. I figured that because I had a doctor look at a similar lump and say it was a lymph node reacting to the planter's wart I had, and that sometimes they never recede or it takes years.
It could also be a boil that is no longer infect but calcified (??) Had this offered as a possible outcome when my daughter had a pretty nasty boil I took her in for.
But these are the ramblings of a patient, not a medical professional...
Am I totally off base here, Sara?
Posts: 438 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote: I think that's why dermatologist don't recommend topical antibiotic ointments for acne, even though they do sometimes prescribe oral antibiotics.
(Hmmmm -- my son is taking both a topical, actually two topicals, and an oral antibiotic for his acne. The meds cost me almost $100 per perscription. But his doc is an MD, not a dermatologist -- I wonder if he should get another opinion?)
posted
Icarus, anything like that in an adult I'd have checked out the next time you see a physician or nurse. It is unlikely to be anything serious (especially because painful = generally good, as cancer tends to be painless), but that is an area of strong sun exposure, so worth checking out. Can you see it with a mirror? Is it just a smooth lump under the skin, or are there surface changes?
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've got a pilonidal cyst that was giving me all sorts of trouble a few years back; although antibiotics took care of the infection in the cyst, it would come back within a few months, and I'd have to go back on antibiotics again. My doctor said he wanted to cut it out if it got infected again. I really didn't want that. The next time an infection started I put ti tree oil on it every night for a week, and that completely took care of it. I can't believe how well that stuff works.
Off topic, I know, but Amka's post made me think of it.
A little more on topic, but not much: anybody else ever get little zit like, cysty type things inside your ear lobes? I get these occasionally, and they're fairly painful. I generally have a hard time keeping myself from messing with them, and they usually end up popping (although, since they're a cyst, no fluid comes out). I hate those things. Sara, Theca, is there a name for them?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I should have been more clear (and accurate!). I was speaking of antibiotic ointments. The topicals used for acne, IIRC, aren't antibiotic ointments (like bactroban or neosporin) -- they are gels or lotions. And many are used with something like benzyl peroxide both to improve penetration and to prevent antibiotic resistance.
If your son has been prescribed an ointment, Belle, I'd ask questions. Otherwise, sounds like he just has a really bad case and they're using all the modalities they can. If there are open lesions of any sort (unlike a single closed cyst), the topical antibiotics would be more effective.
Also, there are topicals that are not antibiotics; e.g., Retin-A. Different mechanism, different pharmacology.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Amka, I don't think you are off base at all. This doesn't sound the typical site of a lymph node chain, though, so I'd be a bit more doubtful of "lymph node" as diagnosis. A cyst soulds like a great possibility.
Yeah, tea tree oil is a great anti-fungal, too.
Noemon, I've had one of those tiny little guys in my earlobe, too. Don't know an officiallish name for them, but I'll look.
Have to go back to work. But, you know, a good cyst discussion makes for a great reason to get up in the morning.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
An Israeli scientist has invented a handheld ultrasound emission gadget which "opens up" pores to permit medication from a patch to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The disrupted membrane returns to normal in 12-24 hours, which is why they are keeping a patch during that time (prevents entry of unwanted things).
Christy's OB/Gyne had raised a concern about teratogenicity of ultrasound, although I haven't been able to document that. I wonder if this will bring such concerns to the forefront.
More on-topic, I wonder if this will really aid the treatment of acne?
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Very interesting Sara. I'd like to play with one of those.
Completely off subject: hey, has anybody tried to Dr. Scholl's wart freezing stuff that's available OTC now? What is it? How cold does it get? I want to buy a package of the stuff to play with, but I keep forgetting when I'm in the grocery store.
A little bit more on topic than that last bit, but still pretty tangental: Anybody ever feel like their ears are on too tight? Every now and then I'll feel that way. The area where the ear meets the side of my head will feel...tight. If I, say, turn my head all the way to the left, I'll be able to feel tugging at the base of my left ear that verges on being painful. If I grab my ear and pull it out away from my head it kind of pops, and is somewhat more comfortable for a little while, but before too long the sense of tightness will have returned. Eventually this problem goes away, but I experience it 5 or 6 times a year, I'd guess.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:I generally have a hard time keeping myself from messing with them, and they usually end up popping (although, since they're a cyst, no fluid comes out).
(Nominates Noemon for Most Judicious Use of the Passive Voice, 2004. )
The OTC freeze stuff for warts is likely to be real handy. I think it isn't quite as freez-y as liquid nitrogen (which is -195 C), being something like propane with dimethyl ether (which is -57 C). Haven't tried it -- I prefer to play with the stuff at the office.
[re: the ears on too tight thing? Definitely alien abduction. Or, you are from another planet, and your prosthetics need to be adjusted. Oh, yes, definitely. *owl-eyes ]
[ September 29, 2004, 02:34 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Nominates Noemon for Most Judicious Use of the Passive Voice, 2004
I wish *I* had easy access to liquid nitrogen at work. I've always wanted to play with it, but have never had the opportunity. It's probably for the best--when I was younger I was fairly accident prone.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
FWIW, mac, mastoiditis is a complication of otitis media (the typical kid's "ear infection" from behind the eardrum), it is a late sequela (not happening in hours), and the incidence of mastoiditis after an acute otitis media is 0.004%, peaking at ages 6-13 months. It's very rare.
I don't think you have mastoiditis. I think you have I-messed-around-with-my-ear-pimple-itis.
But I could be wrong, and should you want more reading on mastoiditis, try here or here.
Warm pack, ibuprofen, tincture of time, tea tree oil if you like, and wait for some kind of white coalescence before you even think of smushing on it some more.
[ September 29, 2004, 04:01 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I burned the inside of my left forearm with hot water from the cafeteria (no, I didn't sue, as I had no medical costs and it wasn't a third-degree burn. I did, however, make sure the safety issue was addressed).
It wouldn't have been so bad except it doused my sweater, which clung and held the heat to the skin. It blistered, and the blister popped despite all efforts ( ), but I managed to salvage the blister roof as protection. (That sounds weird. I mean, I kept it intact-ish even with the fluid gone.)
It healed, looked like a tanned map of Australia with a hammer sticking out the top, and now has mostly faded.
I feel so Cold-War-y.
[ September 29, 2004, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I learned a bit about conductive metals the other day. I was blow drying my hair while wearing a thick, antique gold necklace. Apparently, gold conducts heat well, as the necklace was so hot after about five seconds that it burned a nice little Wife-of-Frankenstein-shaped line on one side of my neck.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I also get those little cyst things in my earlobes. They are sometimes quite painful, though usually not at all. I haven't been completely without them for as long as I can remember. Do we have a name for them yet?
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
| IP: Logged |
That freez-a-wart stuff can be nasty. I've used it twice, on the same wart. First time I wasn't agressive enough, and it didn't do a thing. Second time, I think I got it right: the skin blistered, puckered, and the wart was pulled away from the underlying flesh along with the top few layers of blistering skin. Then the wart fell off (with some help). It left behind a ragged hole (think "Olympus Mons"). Then the skin fell off, leaving a dime-sized red patch. After a few weeks, it was all healed.
I have a friend with a wart on her ear. I've told her specifically NOT to use it on her ear. There wouldn't be much ear there left.
It's neat stuff, though. Incredibly cold. I tried the regular Wart-X (whatever) multiple times for this partcular wart, but it never quite did the job. If you have access to an LN2 container, try touching the wart to a sharp frozen edge/corner of the fittings, day after day for a week or so. I did that in High School, and it did a beautiful job (no disgusting blistering) of removing a wart from a finger tip. Of course, if the wart's on your ear, you're going to look pretty silly...
Mack,
Sounds like, in one day, you've made yourself all ready for the doctor! (Maybe it's not a carbuncle...maybe it's just your alien transponder has accidentally come to the surface. Most dermatologists can remove these, or re-implant them, without letting you know about it.) JUST KIDDING.
posted
Listen to Sara. Poking never helped a zit. Add that to "you should never put anything except your elbow in your ear", and you get STOP POKING IT!!!
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I can't believe I keep checking this thread. But I know I won't stop, and I will be tremendously relieved when it is over.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's like a train wreck, isn't it? The Ear that Ate Brooklyn.
Poor, sweet mack. Maybe you can freeze some water in a lipstick top and press it against the outside of the canal? Freeze a wet washcloth in a pointy shape?
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
![[Monkeys]](graemlins/monkeys.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
But, you know, a good cyst discussion makes for a great reason to get up in the morning. ![[No No]](graemlins/nono.gif)
![[Kiss]](graemlins/kiss.gif)
![[Wave]](graemlins/wave.gif)
<- hits self on head
