Earlobe

anatomy

The earlobe can be seen as an appendage to the auricle that forms the lowest part of the ear. It can grow onto the scalp or hang freely, both of which are naturally possible. All variants in terms of shape and size can be used with the Embryonic development explain and have no disease value as long as no hearing impairment is associated with it.

In relation to the rest of the ear, it differs in that it consists only of skin, fat and connective tissue and, in contrast to the rest of the ear, is very malleable due to the lack of cartilage. It is noticeably strong blood supply, which can be proven by massaging the earlobe.

function

It is not clear whether the earlobe has any function at all. In any case, it is clear that it mainly consists of well-perfused fatty tissue. And you do that within the framework of the acupuncture or Reflexology to activate the energy metabolism. It is of no importance in the context of the listening process.

Inflammation of the earlobe

If an earlobe is inflamed, it is usually noticeable by the typical signs of inflammation. Specifically, that means it red, overheated, swollen and painful is. In some cases, a purulent inflammation occur.

As root cause different things come into consideration. Most often the inflammation of the earlobe is due smallest "micro injuries" by e.g. wearing earrings or, less often, insect bites. These tiny injuries cause the normal skin barrier on the earlobe to be damaged and in response the body tries to repair this defect by triggering an inflammatory response. Inflammatory cells help both to avoid or combat the possible immigration of bacteria and to initiate the repair process. Thus the inflammation in itself is a benign reaction of our body, but it makes the bothersome symptoms.

One possible form of the less common inflammation triggered from "inside" usually starts from the skin. Thus it can also be a harmless one Pimples inflamed on or near the earlobe or a Intolerance reaction in the form of e.g. one Nickel allergy and trigger the same observable symptoms.

Pain in the earlobe

In most cases, earlobe pain can be attributed to an exact cause by looking at it. So you can see either a painfully swollen earlobe, a wound or perhaps a purulent pustule. Often the person affected can also name the cause of the pain such as new costume jewelry, the earring getting caught on clothing or an inflamed pimple.

What they all have in common is that pain in the earlobe is often called "pulsating"and it appears to those affected as if their earlobes are glow. If there is a skin injury, the wounds are characterized by a Bleeding appearing disproportionately heavy out. This is explained by the good blood circulation in the earlobe. That you can Pain so intensive for such a small area is because the earlobe is very well cared for. Not least because of this, it is also called the erogenous zone.

Since it is still the lowest point of the ear and its position cannot be actively changed by muscle movement, no pain-relieving positioning is required, as is the case with e.g. a swollen knee possible. Thereby The blood and free fluid in the tissue always collects at the lowest point like here in the earlobe and thus triggers the highest pressure there, which is then called tight skin feeling perceives.

Torn earlobe

A torn earlobe is characterized by a visible skin wound. It depends on the cause and the duration of the presence of the wound, how deep the tissue defect is and over what length it extends.

You can find more detailed information here: Torn earlobe

Characteristically one finds a torn earlobe at the transition to the scalp behind the ear. The skin can be dry or even flaky or, on the contrary, damp and oozing, which can be explained by the origin. In the case of babies, it is mostly wrong drying after washing. Because the earlobe likes to be overlooked and thus not dried off, a moist chamber is formed behind the ear, as the ear is almost in contact with the head and the protective film of the skin is damaged. The skin swells up locally because of the moisture and the skin cells lose their contact surface with one another. This encourages the skin to dry out and this in turn leads to tears on the earlobe. Due to these tears, bacteria that naturally occur on our skin now have the chance to penetrate and trigger an inflammation, which in turn makes a weeping wound.

So you should treat a torn earlobe depending on the wound. Dry skin should be cared for with moisturizing products and made supple again and weeping skin should get enough air to heal and, if necessary, take it with you Antiseptics are supplied. In general, however, any wound that has persisted for a longer period of time in the baby or that just triggers a strange gut feeling in the caregiver should be seen and treated by a pediatrician. In particular, deposits on the wound or strong crust formation, as well as fever or unwillingness to drink, should have a visit to the pediatrician, who can usually take care of the wound himself and can also decide whether and when a referral to an ENT doctor or dermatologist is necessary.

Only prevention by properly drying the skin after washing should be done on your own, as it can spread to the ear very quickly and can have serious consequences. You should go straight to the ENT doctor if you have or are suspected of having a hearing loss. An absolute emergency is a significant swelling on the skin mastoid (Red, warm bump palpable on the bone behind the ear) with fever. Here the parents should immediately see a specialist in a hospital because of the urgent suspicion of mastoiditis.

Stretch the earlobe

The stretching of earlobes serves to be able to wear "tunnels" as costume jewelry. The goal is to be able to wear a ring in the earlobe, which, depending on the subjective taste, is larger than a normal ear hole for stud earrings about 1mm in size. It is important to make it clear in advance that a stretched earlobe will never look the way it used to once it has been stretched. Only up to an ear hole size of 8-10mm does the ear hole grow back together with a scar formation.

If you have decided to stretch the ear hole, there are basically two alternatives. One alternative is to surgically widen the ear hole by punching or incising, which is very quick, but at the same time is an injurious measure to the skin. The other alternative is to widen an existing ear hole using stretch screws or stretch rods made of acrylic or steel in small steps over a long period of time. This method is very gentle if you do the stretching with a small increase in diameter of the rods and sufficient spacing with at least two weeks between the stretching phases. This avoids tears and inflammation caused by too fast stretching and keeps stretching pain within limits. This process is always painful because you put tissue under tension that is not normally used to it. The stretching should always be based on the pain and not exceed a pulling feeling, which explains the often long duration of the stretching.

In the event of any complication such as a tear or inflammation, the stretching should be stopped until it has healed and, if necessary, clarified and treated by a doctor.

Read more on this topic: Inflammation of an ear hole

If you are interested in piercing the ear cartilage in the sense of a helix, we recommend our website: Piercing of the ear cartilage