Itchy ears/eczema

[clevername]

Hi all - I posted this in the children's health forum but then discovered this one (which may be more appropriate)...

My lovely 8 month old daughter has been suffering with really itchy ears for a few months now. She started out pulling them (which I assumed to be teething-related) and then this progressed to full-on clawing, rubbing and scratching so that she broke the skin. Her ears got really sore – every time they looked like they might be getting better she got at them again and broke newly formed scabs etc. The skin around her ears then got all inflamed and looked eczema-y and a vicious cycle was created that we’ve been struggling to break ever since!

Took her to the docs (several times) and they don’t seem particularly concerned. They’ve given her some hydrocortisone and some Timodine cream (which is a steroid/anti-fungal mix) as well as some Hydromol emollient… none of these things seem to do much. We’ve also tried putting a bit of olive oil in her ears, as well as not using any soap/shampoos etc in the bath (and not getting water in ears at all). I’ve also changed washing powers to non-bio. Again, nothing seems to make much difference. The excema-like rash fades with the steroid but the itching doesn’t really stop.

We cut her nails so they're super short and put socks on her hands at danger times (i.e. at night and in the car). We also have taken to 'bundling' her in a blanket when she sleeps so she can't get at her ears (seems to piss her off... don't blame her, I'd hate to have an itch that I couldn't scratch!).

A seemingly separate issue (I’m now beginning to think that they are probably linked, despite doctor thinking not) is that she seemed to have a reaction to formula when we tried her with a bottle. I had been BF but wanted to start to wean her off the boob in readiness for returning to work. Gave her a bottle of SMA ready made stuff – she drained it all and the next day had top-to-toe rash. Anyway, doctor has prescribed an allergy formula which she loathes (don’t blame her, smells foul) and we’ve been keeping her off dairy. Thing is, her dairy-free diet doesn’t seem to be having a positive effect on her ears…???

There are so many variables and it's totally doing my head in… it could be teething, dairy allergy, another allergy (grandma is coeliac), eczema inside her ears, some kind of swimmer’s ear (perhaps caused by overly rigorous ear-washing in the past?!), a bad habit etc etc. You can probably tell that I’m going round in circles with this. Whilst I realise that this is a relatively minor problem at the moment (other than this she seems to be doing so well), I'm tying myself in knots worrying that I'm doing something to exasperate it…

Sooooooo, is there anyone out there who might have had similar experiences?? Anyone got any advice as I hate seeing my usually happy baby distressed by bloody itching ears!
Any ideas/advice would be gratefully appreciated.
Sorry for the super-long post…

Is there any discharge? Could be an infection - otitis externa? I'd go back to the GP and see if there's any possibility of AB's (I know they're a bit reluctant but I think it's worth a try if anti-fungal/steroid isn't helping). I'd also keep the whole area as dry as possible. Am not medical but long history of similar issues

Hth

Are you dairy and soya free?

Are you cleaning around her ears twice a day?

Are you both strictly dairy free? My DD also used to have itchy ears and an eczema type itchy rash on face. When we went completely dairy, egg, soya and wheat free, it all cleared away.

If I were you I would ask your GP for an urgent referral to an allergy pediatrician. If you are in London, ask for Dr Adam Fox at The evelina childrens allergy clinic.

Secondly, completely remove all traces of dairy, soya and egg from both of yours diet. All traces, everything. Do that for 2-4 weeks and see if it reduces the eczema. My guess is, it probably will, especially because you said she reacted to cows milk formula.

Hi all - thanks for your replies.

There isn't any discharge that I can see, although I occasionally see a very small amount of gungy/waxy gunk - but I think that this is cream/oil residue mixed with the usual wax (sorry...yuk). She's had three different doctors look in her ears 4 times now and they don't seem to think it's an infection. And my boyfriend has just informed me that the Timodine cream contains an antibiotic too (although I’m not sure if would have reached an infection if it was inside her ear). I've wondered about otitis externa – especially as I used to be very rigorous when washing her ears! Might go back and ask the doc about the possibility of this. Can I ask, ASmidgeofMidge, how you got to the bottom of your problem?

I’m avoiding getting her ears wet as much as possible… am cleaning them with ear buds (moistened with either oil or a small amount of water).

She’s dairy- and soya- free at the moment. She’s had a bit of egg and she eats a lot of wheat. We’re both vegetarian and so she has been too since we started weaning… she’s doing fine atm because she still has 5 boob feeds a day but I know that when these reduce (which is imminent as I’m returning to work part time at beginning of July), we’ll have to re-think her diet. I haven’t adjusted my diet… seeing as the doctors didn’t think there was a link between the reaction to formula and the ears, I didn’t think it was necessary (perhaps stupidly!). Perhaps I’ll give this a go.

Thanks again for all your help – you’ve given me some more things to consider. Hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of it soon.

This sounds like my DS, he has had terribly itchy, red, weeping, infected ears since 8 weeks old. He is 19mo now, he still gets it but not as bad. He is dairy, soya, egg free (and lots others because he has multiple allergies).

BUT the only thing that helped his ears, which were terrible, was strong steroid cream his dermitologist prescribed. His GPs were horrified but the consultant dermitologist is very good and explained why GPs were wrong.

If I were you I would PUSH for referral to paediatric dermitologist. I respect GPs but their knowledge is "general".

Good luck, it's heartbreaking seeing your LO in pain :(

Hi, it was dx'd by my GP and I was given antibiotic ear drops. GP told me it was essential that I kept my ears bone dry other than the drops. The treatment didn't initially work and I couldn't suss out why; then I realised that I was often submerging my head in the bath when rinsing my hair (I used to do shampoo stage in the bath so I could sit and soak with conditioner on, then rinse that off with shower at the end). Stopped doing that, and was religious about drying ear area if there was any stray lather/water from washing hair in shower. Drops did the job, and Ive never looked back! I wouldn't introduce anything (oil, moistened cotton buds) into her ears at all...

Apart from things GP has prescribed, of course. Ears don't need any cleaning

I get eczema on my ears and it's a pain. Some of the itching is hay fever related (DD gets this too) and Piriton helps with that. Sometimes the hayfever causes itching and it's the itching that wrecks the skin.