Introduction
Pain in the earlobe can be very unpleasant and, despite its minimal spread, can be a major hindrance in everyday life. If it starts to pull or prick on or behind the earlobe, many patients swear by self-therapy. However, this is often not enough, especially if an inflammatory process is involved. Torn ear lobes often cause pain as well. This can happen, for example, when wearing earrings during sports, because you can easily get caught up in them and injuries such as torn earlobes can occur.
Pain behind the earlobe
The earlobe is the source of pain, especially for girls and women, because earrings and ear jewelry often require piercing the earlobe. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this in the first instance. It is an absolutely usual and usually also harmless procedure.
However, the piercing should always be done under sterile conditions, otherwise the pierced hole may become inflamed. In the case of an inflammation, the pain increases rapidly within a few days, resulting in a pulling and piercing at or behind the earlobe. This is usually accompanied by swelling of the earlobe and hardening, which can also affect hearing.
The cause is bacteria that have penetrated the open wound on the earlobe and are now multiplying there. Even if the earlobe does not cover a large area and an inflammation at this point is not considered to be of great importance, it is important to act quickly: Initially, an attempt can still be made to control the inflammation with glucocorticoids so that a chronic inflammation does not develop. However, pain behind the earlobe can also simply be caused by pustules.
These can be felt as very small lumps directly on the earlobe and are relatively harmless. They occur when sebaceous glands located there become blocked and the sebum under the skin accumulates to form a plug. A blockage can occur, for example, when a hair grows into the earlobe and blocks the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland. In principle, pustules can be “expressed” on or behind the earlobe. In case of distinct redness, pain, such as pulling and pricking, as well as hearing loss, an ENT doctor should be consulted immediately.
