Anyone else get Dermatitis in their ears?

[Effjay]

Drives me mad. It's been like that for years, since I was in my early 20s. The insides of my ears shed loads of skin and are very dry. It's worse at the moment which I think is because of the air-conditioning at work. It regularly flairs up into outer ear infections and can be very itchy. They are also blocked with skin quite often. Bleurgh. I don't have dermatitis or excema anywhere else, so why my ears!?

I don't think there is any remedy - certainly no doctor has ever suggested one other than drops when they are infected.

It's not a big problem in the grand scheme of things, really, just irritating.

Let me know if you've found some wonder cure or have it too!

I've had it occasionally. Just little flare ups thankfully but then it goes. As well as the inside of my ears, I also get patches on my elbows but again they come and go. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why I get them - stress is possibility a factor?

Don't know of any remedies I'm afraid, and it sounds like your condition is chronic, rather than occasional like mine.

Just googled and there are a number of articles about it but the main treatment seems to be the Ciproxin ear drops which are combination of antibiotics and hydrocortisone. There also seems to be a heredity factor to this condition - does anyone else in your family suffer from it?

I get this and it's really annoying. Last trip to the GP resulted in a little spray called Otomize. Pretty sure it's just hydrocortisone, completely sorted it with one spray. Occasional flare-ups easily taken care of as well.

Yes yes yes! I started a thread on this a few months back. It's absolutely infuriating having the most intense, crazy itch right inside your head, along with the cycle of itching and ear infections.

Otomise is pretty good, it also helps with the infections. I also find that ibuprofen is good when they're feeling itchy and inflamed, it just takes down some of the inflammation so moisture doesn't get trapped and infections are less likely.

Mine never really goes away though!

This was my thread.

Once in a while. It piles in there and I go deaf for a while. Pain in the backside!

Thanks gagamama. There are some useful suggestions on your thread.

I have to say that my tool of choice is the kirby grip to get some of the dead skin out, but I'm so careful when I do it. GPs amongst us will be horrified I'm sure!

I'll try some of the suggestions on your thread - cider vinegar sounds like it might be good. Also, the sudocream option is probably worth a try. I've just remembered a doctor a long time ago told me to use olive oil in my ears.

OOoooh- expert here. I haven't but DH had. saw dr who thought it was ear infection ...

but it wasn't. was referred to ear specialist privately. Found out it was eczema in outer ear which had caused blockage in middle ear due to skin etc etc. Yuck.
Was given steroid drops/cream.

Suggest your GP gives you a steroid cream etc like Betnovate.

this all sounds very familiar too.....been on a huge repetitive cycle of itchy ears that get infected, get the optomise out, great ears for a week or so, then the itchiness starts etc....
the cure?....
don't get water in your ears; use cotton wool/vaseline
and;
get referred to an ENT specialist: the ears can get blocked with the flakes etc, so when you get an infection, the drops don't get to the root cause of the infection, hence the recurrences.
ENT clinic will suck out the gunk, give you the ear drops, your hearing is perfect, and if you keep water out your ears, and spareingly use a bit of steroid cream, infection recurrences are at a minimum...