Your ear is a beautifully crafted piece of your body which allows you to hear and also keep your body’s balance. However there are times when your ear can suffer from ailments or conditions too. If you noticed that you have a foul smelling odor emanating from your ears, don’t panic. Many if not most of these causes are not fatal and can be treated. Here are some of the causes of ear odors and the treatments needed to heal them back to health.
Some of the causes of foul ear odors can be:
- An ear infection. This is either a fungal or bacterial infection that can cause a thick, very yellow smelling discharge from the ears. Sometimes, the discharge is not so noticeable; however, you will know there is something wrong with your ear if you notice a strong odor coming from your ears.
- Swimmer’s ear. This form of bacterial infection is cause when water is trapped the passage of the ear. The excess moisture can cause foul odors.
- Excess ear wax. Having ear wax is normal. The wax protects your inner ear from other microscopic and harmful organisms. There is a chemical in the wax that helps to repel invaders. However if there is too much wax, the chemical can cause a strong odor. Your ear wax may also smell if there is too much dead skin cells or bacteria mixed in it as well.
- Your hygiene habits. If you don’t take the time to wipe away excess moisture or clean your ears regularly, you increase your chances significantly to get an ear infection or ear odor. Even things such as the built up for soap residue can eventually cause foul odors over time.
- Ear cancer. While rare, the cancer in the ear can destroy the tissue and will also result in ulceration. This will result in having a foul odor to emanate from the ears.
- This is a fancy way to describe a keratin mass found in the middle of your ear. For those who have cholesteatoma, you will experience painless of foul smelling discharge because of the erosion of the tissue. This is also a serious condition and will require medical attention, especially if the hearing is getting increasingly worse.
Here are some treatments for ear odors:
- Clean your ears on a regular basis. After your shower, make sure to wipe away excess moisture and also to gently clean your ears to remove any dirt, grime, sweat, or buildup that has occurred during the day.
- Boost your immune system by maintaining a healthy diet. A healthy body has a much better chance to ward off infections.
- Once a week, clean your outer ear canals with a Q-tip that is dipped in rubbing alcohol. Be careful not to go to deep and poke your inner ear canal.
- If the infection gets progressively worse, do not prolong your visit to the doctor. Take the prescribed medication according to your doctors directions until all the symptoms and the odor is completely gone.
