When your ears feel itchy, you will naturally stretch out your little finger or use an ear pick to "pick it out". This small action that seems to be "enjoyment" can cause damage to the ear canal and cannot be underestimated.

Recently, a piece of news about "Man's Ear Diagnosed Every Day for 10 Years" became a hot search topic.

　　Ni Rongsheng, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital, said that frequent ear picking leads to ear inflammation and even tumors in clinical practice.

　　Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News reporter Lu Yanlin

　　If you habitually pick out your ears, the tumor will grow into your ears.

　　According to reports, Mr. Zhou, who is in his 50s in Guangzhou, Guangdong, likes to pick his ears. He feels uncomfortable if he does not do it for a day. This habit has lasted for nearly 10 years.

After developing left earache, ear discharge and other symptoms, it was diagnosed that Mr. Zhou was suffering from the rare "squamous cell carcinoma of the left external auditory canal".

The doctor said that long-term ear picking has irritated the epidermis of the external auditory canal, causing the skin to ooze. This vicious cycle causes new organisms to grow in the external auditory canal and induces external auditory canal cancer.

After surgical resection and radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Mr. Zhou is currently recovering well.

　　"There are still clinical cases of tumors caused by frequent ear picking for many years. Most of them are benign tumors, and malignant tumors, that is, cancers, are relatively rare." Ni Rongsheng, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital, recalled in an interview with reporters that not long ago he I received such a patient.

Uncle Xu, a 65-year-old Nanjing citizen, has been fond of picking out his ears for seven or eight years. Whenever he has nothing to do, he likes to use a small metal ear pick hanging on his key chain to dig into his ears twice. Sometimes his ears are not itchy, but it is. Developed a habit.

　　But just three months ago, Uncle Xu's left ear began to inexplicably bleed a blood-like watery substance. At first, Uncle Xu didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until the foreign matter flowed out for several months that he became a little worried.

After seeing the doctor, Ni Rongsheng looked through the otoscope and found that the tumor was quite large and had almost blocked half of the ear canal.

Fortunately, after further examination, it was found that the tumor in the ear was benign, and Uncle Xu recovered smoothly after the operation.

　　Stop!

Your ears are so delicate that you can’t always pick them out.

　　"The skin of normal people's ear canals is very 'delicate'. Whether it is a benign tumor or a malignant tumor, ear removal is a 'starting' factor." Ni Rongsheng said that the inner part of the human ear is mucous membrane, and the outer part is skin. The mucous membrane is thicker.

"Both the skin and mucous membranes are the protection of the human ear. If you remove it for a long time, it will cause repeated damage." Experts emphasize that when the protective layer is "attacked", the normal defense function is destroyed, and viruses and bacteria are more likely to "invade" .

"Bacteria generally cause infection to form otitis externa, and repeated viral infections may also cause tumors in the external auditory canal."

　　"It is recommended that everyone get rid of the habit of frequently picking out their ears, let alone go to irregular ear picking shops, and do not use ear picks that have been used by others." Ni Rongsheng suggested that if it is really itchy, you can gently rub the outside of the ear. Rub it on the ground and try not to dig it out.

"If you really can't help it, you can gently use a softer cotton swab, but you need to be careful not to use it too many times."

　　The reporter learned that people who often work overtime and stay up late, socialize, smoke and drink alcohol, swim or often have water in their ear canals, like to pick their ears, wear earphones or hearing aids for a long time, etc., will increase the risk of infection and aggravate the accumulation of secretions, which should be noted.

Experts point out that occasional ear itching is normal. If you experience frequent discomfort or severe symptoms, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible to avoid worsening of the condition.

Specifically, if you have obvious hearing loss, tinnitus, ear swelling and pain, ear itching, dizziness and other uncomfortable symptoms, or even ear canal bleeding or exudation, you must go to a regular hospital for symptomatic treatment as soon as possible.

(Yangzi Evening News)