The inside of my ears are dry, cracking and very itchy. I had psoriasis then was told it was eczema. Please help by providing me with some home treatments?

Most ear conditions or infections are easily treated with prescription medications that are usually a combination of oral antibiotics and topical solutions. Bacteria or fungi in the ear that may be causing the problem usually takes time to react to the medication and hence you may need to exercise some patience before you notice positive results and respite from the condition ailing you. Having said that, it is important to obtain a correct diagnosis about the condition that you are experiencing, as mixed diagnosis from different medical experts can cause you great anguish and more importantly, the conflicting medications may even worsen the ear condition.

psoriasis of the ears is not a common condition but a number of people can be affected by it. There are no specific reasons as to why psoriasis appears more in areas such as the scalp or the ears, unless it has been present in a dormant condition or has been masked by other conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff on the scalp and other areas of the body. A number of medications have been proven to be effective for psoriasis as well as eczema, and it is strongly recommended that you continue with the prescribed treatment and medications to treat the condition.

It is important to note that the buildup of the scaling caused due to the psoriasis can block the ear canal and hence you must inform your dermatologist or your doctor to remove the scale buildup in the ear canal.

One of the most basic rules to prevent the worsening of the condition it to avoid aggressive cleaning of the ear as it can cause the ear to become dry. If approved by your doctor, you can try administering a few drops of warm olive oil to moisturize the ear from dryness and also protect it from water. Eczema can be a highly frustratingly and recurring condition and is often seen among people who also experiencing allergies or hay fever. A gentle piece of advice is to refrain from scratching the ears or having the ears syringed. If you must do so, take the help of a medical expert in doing so. While swimming you can wear small plugs of cotton wool dabbed in petroleum jelly to prevent the water from entering the ear canal.

In most cases, the application of topical and steroid solutions can settle down a stubborn infection and hence you may probably have to wait for a while before the treatment sets in and heals the condition. Do not attempt at compulsively cleaning out the ears, each time, and leave it to the doctor during scheduled appointments. You are likely to push the scale build-up further into the ear canal if you use ear buds as a cleaning agent. Hence it would be wise to refrain from using any form of instrument in cleaning your ear.

answered by G M

Since the ears are extremely sensitive, dry and itchy ears can be due to a wide number of reasons. Dry, itchy ears can be caused by ear infections, trauma to the outer ear or even an allergy. Itching can also be caused by an allergy to the plastic of hearing aids or when the hearing aid gets wet, trapping water between the aid and the inner ear. Similarly "swimmer's ear" can cause irritation and itching of the ear and lead to infection when the water gets clogged in the inner ear.

Other causes include irritation from chemicals in hair products or over-enthusiastic ear cleaning. Compulsive ear cleaning dries the ear by removing all the natural wax which is important to keep the ear lubricated. Flakes of dry, dead skin tend to accumulate in dry ears, leading to itchiness. If you have naturally dry ears, you can keep them lubricated by applying a few drops of vegetable oil in your outer ear. Psychological reasons also cause people to scratch their ears in stress and nervousness leading to dry and itchy ears. If you suffer from skin diseases such as allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis then you are likely to experience dryness and itchiness in the ear as well. Treatment is the same as for these skin conditions affecting other parts of the body. You can apply a vegetable oil like olive oil to the outer ear every day or two to prevent the ear from becoming dry and leading to itching. It is also important to protect your ears from water, products such as shampoos entering them and not to clean them aggressively.

answered by G M