What can I use for eczema in my ears?
I have had problems with my ears since my late teen years which is over 30 years ago. Read my full story here.
My ears continue to have intense itching and build up and now it seems to go straight for my ear drum making my hearing muffled and eventually completely blocked. I have learned that I can go the family physician to have them irrigated to save on cost IF there is no infection. I just use an antibiotic ear drop for a couple of days to prevent infection. I know eczema is not curable but I want to find something that minimizes the itching and build up.
I got in touch with a specialist dermatologist who prescribed prozide 5mg and treatment for seborrhea dermatitis that grew from my head into ears, neck face and down chest and back. I was treated poorly by many doctors, thinking I was nuts with the itch and pain in my ear. It took my constant going to ent doctors till one suggested I see this specialist. She was great! She ordered coal shampoo, now you can get without rx. Drugs I stated earlier and badly meds I used as prescribed. I also grow in my mouth and nose into sinus. It grew inside and lost all my teeth. The teeth just poop out! It took 12 years before I got help
Hi, bakerdrummer30,
Ear eczema has to be up there with some of the worst places that you can have an itch! I have found myself using Q-tips in my ears five times a day! (I absolutely do NOT recommend this. When I told my doctor how often I was itching the insides of my ear canals with Q-tips, he got very upset, and explained that they are probably making the itch worse because they are so abrasive. Sigh. What's a girl to do?!)
I wanted to share some ideas that have (sort of) worked for me: The last time I went to see a doc about the eczema in my ears, he suggested a few drops of olive oil into each ear every two weeks. I don't have a dropper or anything like that; I use a Q-tip dipped into olive oil that I store in a small container and just rub around my inner ear canal. This helps give relief for about two weeks, though in the first day or so, my ear also feels clogged and still kind of itchy. It also seems that the next day there is a lot of skin that peels off.
The other suggestion I have is to use a prescription steroid gel (like Desonate) which I have also found to be pretty effective. Like the olive oil, it has a temporary effect, and I generally use it a few days in a row, and then repeat the next week when I start to get itchy again. I also get the peeling skin the following day with this approach, but it does seem to help the itch pretty immediately.
I hope you get some relief! I can definitely relate to the quest for relief!
-Stefanie (AtopicDermatitis.net Team Member)
Hi bakerdrummer30,
Your case of ear eczema sounds incredibly frustrating. I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with intense itching and build up. Have you been able to ask your doctor about solutions other than irrigating that might help minimize your symptoms?
I wanted to share with you this forum about Ear Eczema: https://atopicdermatitis.net/forums/ear-eczema. There's some community discussion about experiences with ear symptoms that you may be able to relate to. I hope that you find this helpful.
Anyway, we're glad that you've come to the community for answers! I'm hoping others in the community will chime in with their experience here.
Wishing you relief,
Sarah (AtopicDermatitis.net Team Member)
