Dry skin in your ears may be caused by a chronic skin condition or an irritant in your environment. Skin conditions that can affect the ears include eczema, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis. Environmental irritants may include shampoos, conditioners, hairspray, lotion, soap, laundry detergent, perfume, or makeup.
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline™) or skin care ointments (Aquaphor™) can help treat your ear eczema. These products moisturize and protect your affected skin. They're hypoallergenic and have antibacterial and antifungal characteristics that help heal your skin. Gently wash your ears with warm running water and mild soap.
Allergies and certain products like soaps and body washes can also lead to crusty ears if they contain harsh chemicals that can strip the natural oil from the skin. Other causes of dry and crusty ears can include dehydration, stress, smoking, swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool, or excessive sun exposure.
Frequent washing, however, can do more harm than good because it strips the ear of this delicate, protective lining, leaving the way open for bacteria to get in and multiply. Experts, recommend that you only clean your ears every two to four weeks.
Itchy ears can sometimes be a sign of an ear infection. Bacteria and viruses cause them, usually when you have a cold, the flu, or allergies. One kind, swimmer's ear, can happen when water stays in your ear after you swim. Too much moisture wears away your ear canal's natural layer of defense against germs.
Narrowing of the ear canal
If you have long-term (chronic) otitis externa, thick and dry skin can build up inside your ear canal. This causes the ear canal to narrow (stenosis), which may affect your hearing and, in rare cases, can even cause deafness.
Consuming dairy products such as milk, eggs and cheese in high quantities can lead to the excessive production of earwax in your ear canals. This is because dairy foods contain lactose. Dieticians have also noted a link between milk and earwax, but mostly for people who are lactose intolerant.
Allergies, head colds, pregnancy, and air pressure are some common reasons it may feel like your ears are full. Typically, plugged ears settle after a few days. Decongestants and nasal sprays are the best treatment for plugged ears that allergies and head colds cause.
Dry earwax is not as effective as wet earwax in trapping foreign particles and is more likely to cause blockages in the ear canal.
If it feels like water in ear for more than a week or so, you most likely have a build-up of earwax in your outer ear canal. Earwax causes a blockage in your ear canal that can make sounds muffled. You may feel like you have water in your ear, especially if the wax is close to your tympanic membrane or eardrum.
Your ears feel wet because they are making more wax. It really is that simple. Ear wax (properly referred to as cerumen) is a sticky substance that serves as a skin conditioner, dust catcher, insect repellent, and has pretty impressive anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties.
Earwax removal tips
Instead, soak a cotton ball and drip a few drops of plain water, a simple saline solution, or hydrogen peroxide into the ear with your head tilted so the opening of the ear is pointing up. Keep it in that position for a minute to allow gravity to pull the fluid down through the wax.
Dark brown or black colored earwax is typically older, so its color comes from the dirt and bacteria it has trapped. Adults tend to have darker, harder earwax. Dark brown earwax that is tinged with red may signal a bleeding injury. Light brown, orange or yellow earwax is healthy and normal.
Gray or black earwax usually means there is a buildup of dust in the ear or impacted earwax. If you are experiencing hearing loss, this could be a sign of impacted earwax. Your doctor can safely remove the blockade and provide you with tips on how to prevent this in the future.
Earwax genetics can explain why you have a certain earwax type. One significant marker in the ABCC11 gene seems to determine whether you have wet or dry earwax. There are two versions of the gene: one codes for wet earwax, and the other codes for dry.
If earwax buildup continues, you may need to visit your health care provider once or twice a year for regular cleaning. Your health care provider may also recommend that you use earwax-softening agents such as saline, mineral oil or olive oil. This helps loosen the wax so that it can leave the ear more easily.
Most of the time, any fluid leaking out of an ear is ear wax. A ruptured eardrum can cause a white, slightly bloody, or yellow discharge from the ear. Dry crusted material on a child's pillow is often a sign of a ruptured eardrum.
It's better to use an ear moisturizer, because it can soften and loosen wax, making it easier to remove. It will also cleanse and hydrate the ear, preventing any dryness.
Ear drops alone will clear a plug of earwax in most cases. Put 2 or 3 drops of ordinary olive oil down the ear 2 or 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks. This softens the wax so that it then runs out of its own accord without harming the ear. You can continue for any length of time, but 3 weeks is usually enough.
When earwax comes out on its own, it means your ears are working correctly. Chewing, talking and regular bathing is often enough to move earwax up and out of the ear. Usually, earwax gets rinsed away in the shower without you knowing it's happening.