External otitis
I share the case of a patient with a history of dryness, itching (scratching), scanty cerumen and flaking in the ear who used to manipulate and scratch his ear with everything he could find: hooks, pens, paper rolls, toothpicks, even chicken feathers, etc.
This caused an irritation of the ear canal that added to the entry of water when bathing in the sea, over infected it and accumulated this whitish material that produced a feeling of blocked ear, pain, bad smell and worsening itching. They spent two months applying self-medicated drops recommended in drugstores or by family and friends until they decided to consult the specialist.
It is important to remember the importance of a consultation in time with the ENT because in these cases it is mandatory to perform a special procedure of aspiration and careful removal of this material to leave the duct completely clean and then apply ear drops special. Otherwise it won’t get better. Ear washes in these cases shouldn’t be done because they make the problem worse. Recovery is usually complete with proper management and subsequent ear care after the infection improves.