Itchy Blocked Ears: It’s Driving Me Crazy! 5 Helpful Tips

Have you ever suffered from itchy blocked ears? Most people would have experienced this really annoying ear problem at least once in their lives and it can really drive you crazy! We see many such patients with itchy ears or blocked ears at our ENT clinics in Singapore, with many having an irresistible urge to dig their itchy ears. Once you dig your ears, you often find that you just can’t stop and the ears may become even itchier the more you dig them!

So what causes itchy blocked ears in Singapore? It may be as simple as impacted earwax but sometimes, it may be due to mild eczema resulting in the constant itch inside your ears. Ear-digging often worsens the problem and this may lead to ear infections because the inflamed irritated skin inside your ears tends to become very vulnerable to bacteria or even fungus growing in the infected ear canal skin (otitis externa).

Sometimes, allergy problems with the nose and sinuses can lead to more mucus building up at the back of your nose, which is where your Eustachian pressure tubes are located. If there is too much of a postnasal drip/backdrip of water/mucus flowing down the back of your nose near the Eustachian tube openings, this may lead to an irritating itchy sensation deep inside your ears. So it is important to get your nasal allergy (allergic rhinitis) under control and also to find out what you might be allergic to, in the form of an allergy test.

If your ear becomes extremely itchy and blocked, much more than your usual baseline, then this may mean an underlying fungal ear infection. Fungal ear infections in Singapore tend to make the ear feel blocked and very itchy because the fungus leads to the buildup of a lot of fungal spores and associated fungal ear debris. If you are diabetic, then you should be extra careful as diabetes increases the risk of infection and may also worsen the severity of your ear infection, such that it may spread to the bone of your ear.

Here are Dr Annabelle’s 5 Helpful Tips on How to Avoid Itchy Blocked ears:

1. Please avoid digging your ears: It doesn’t matter if you “just” use cotton buds or use more “sophisticated” digging tools like video-assisted ear suckers or metal spoon diggers! Digging is a very unhealthy habit which can really hurt or damage your ears so please stop digging your ears.
2. Olive oil drops may help relieve the itchy sensation inside your ears so applying 1-2 drops after your shower into you ears may be helpful.
3. Treating any underlying nasal allergy (allergic rhinitis) may help relieve the deep-seated itchy sensation annoying your ears. This usually consists of using Sinus rinse, antihistamines and nasal decongestants/nasal sprays to treat the allergic rhinitis and keep it from flaring up.
4. Keep your ears dry i.e. try not to flood your ears with water as small dark and moist places such as the ear canal may lead to the growth of bacteria or fungus. Using swim plugs to stop water from entering your ears when swimming or during showertime may be helpful.
5. Change your earphones to headphones if possible. Earphones often carry bacteria on their surface, especially if you may not be cleaning them regularly. Alcohol wipes should be used to clean the earphones before you put them into your ears. If the earphones do not fit the shape of your ear entrances properly, they may potentially cause irritation and inflammation of your ears and ear canals, leading to itchy ears.

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