Pain in the earlobe
In most cases, earlobe pain can be attributed to a specific cause by looking at it. Thus, one sees either a painfully swollen earlobe, a wound or perhaps a purulent pustule. Often the affected person can also name the trigger for the pain, such as new costume jewelry, the earring getting caught on clothing or an inflamed pimple.
What they all have in common is that pain in the earlobe is often perceived as “pulsating” and it appears to the affected person as if their earlobe is glowing. If a skin injury has occurred, the wounds are characterized by a disproportionately strong bleeding. This is explained by the good blood circulation of the earlobe.
The fact that the pain is felt so intensely for such a small area is due to the fact that the earlobe is very well supplied sensitively. Last but not least, this is why it is called an erogenous zone. Since it is still the deepest point of the ear and its position cannot be actively changed by muscle movement, it is not possible to position the earlobe in a pain-relieving way as is the case with a swollen knee, for example. As a result, the blood and free fluid in the tissue always collects at the lowest point, as here in the earlobe, thus triggering the highest pressure there, which is then perceived as a tense skin sensation.
Torn earlobe
A torn earlobe is characterized by a visible skin wound. It depends on the cause and duration of the wound how deep the tissue defect is and over what length it extends. You can find more detailed information here: Torn earlobe Characteristically, a torn earlobe is found at the transition to the scalp behind the ear.
The skin may be dry or even flaky or on the contrary, it may be moist and weeping, which can be explained by the origin. In babies, the cause is usually incorrect drying after washing. Because the earlobe is often overlooked and thus not dried, a moist chamber is formed behind the ear, as the ear almost lies against the head, and the protective film of the skin is damaged.The skin swells locally due to the moisture and as a result the skin cells lose their contact surface with each other.
This favors the drying of the skin, which in turn leads to cracks in the earlobe. Through these cracks, bacteria that naturally occur on our skin now have the chance to penetrate and cause an inflammation, which in turn makes a weeping wound. Therefore, a torn earlobe should be treated depending on the existing wound.
Dry skin should be cared for and made supple again with moisturizing products and weeping skin should be given enough air to heal and, if necessary, be provided with antiseptics. In general, however, any wound that persists for a longer period of time in the baby or even causes a strange gut feeling in the caring persons should be seen and treated by a pediatrician. Especially coatings on the wound or strong crust formation, as well as fever or unwillingness to drink should have a visit to the pediatrician, who can usually take care of the wound himself and can also decide if and when a referral to an ENT doctor or dermatologist is necessary.
Only the prevention by means of proper drying of the skin after washing should be done on your own initiative, since a spread towards the ear can happen very quickly and then have serious consequences. The direct visit to the ENT physician should take place if there is a hearing loss or the suspicion of one. An absolute emergency is a distinct swelling on the mastoid (a palpable distinct red, warm bump on the bone behind the ear) with fever. In this case, the parents should immediately go to a specialist in a hospital because of the urgent suspicion of mastoiditis.
