A Boy Heard a Buzzing Sound in His Ear. It Was a Tick on His Eardrum
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People freak out over a viral fever or flu, and you are probably one among them – no judgments! But there are a few things which we hope never happen to anyone. Because, as a matter of fact, we never imagine something like that can ever occur in the first place. There are times when we hear rare cases of a spider or insect bite. A 9-year-old from Connecticut had to deal with a similar bizarre situation. He was taken to the hospital as he complained of a constant buzzing sound in his right ear. According to reports, he felt the presence of something foreign in his ear. It was three days after a normal day in his school playground. But he didn’t experience any pain in the ear or hearing trouble (1).
The boy was taken to the Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Doctors there were able to identify the cause of the trouble as soon as they examined the boy’s ear (2). It was the blood-sucking arthropod, a tick, which had latched on to the boy’s eardrum. The doctors could also see inflammation in the surrounding area. Dr. David Kasle and Eric Waldman at the Yale-New Haven Hospital reported in the May 2nd issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that attempts were made to remove the tick during the initial office visit using an operative microscope, but to no avail.
The boy was then taken to the operating room for surgery under general anesthesia. Now it was clearly evident to the doctors that the mouthparts of the eight-legged visitor were burrowed into the membrane of the eardrum. However, it was a sign of relief that the hearing structure remained intact. A hook-like instrument was used to detach the tick from the boy’s ear. After the tick was removed, the boy showed no signs or symptoms of related illness, according to Dr. David Kalse and Dr. Erik Waldman (3). The boy’s hearing was absolutely fine and the eardrum has also healed.
What The Doctors Say
Dr. Darius Kohan, who directs the otology department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City states that such cases are more common in kids than adults. There are cases where roaches, bugs, and flies creeps into the eardrum of children, according to Dr. Kohan (4). He believes that earwax could be the reason that attracts these visitors. Later, they get stuck in the wax or penetrate into the eardrum.
Dr. David Hiltzik, who directs the Otorhinolaryngology Department at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City says that he has also treated patients that come in with similar cases, and it is not limited to just insects (5). He says that he had to remove batteries, beads, crayons, and even diamonds from the ears in the last few months. He says that more than bugs and worms creeping in, maggots and cockroaches are seen more commonly.
Dr. Kohan explained how the bugs do not survive in the ear canal for long (6). That makes it easier to remove them. Children usually require sedation when they are taken to the surgery as they are not easy to cooperative with during such a procedure. He says that for adults, a local anesthetic in the ear is usually enough. In cases where the insect is alive, they irrigate the ear with mineral oil and wait for 10 minutes. This helps to kill the insect and then they proceed to remove it with the help of a microscope or an endoscope.
What You Can Do
Cases like these do make us think if our kids are safe as they are always crawling on the floor or playing outside in the mud or an open field. But we cannot let fear take over and cage them inside our house. Taking a few precautions like keeping your house clean and proper disposal of food waste can help curb such cases to an extent. Also, do not let your children play in the rubbish or food waste. If you have a pet dog, make sure it does not have any ticks on it. Keep an eye on your kids when they are inside the house. If your child complains about any pain or discomfort in the ear, consult an ENT specialist in your area immediately.
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