Hazards of Ear Buds

Unfortunately more and more people are resorting to ear buds and hair pins to manually remove cerumen from their ears causing many complications. Many patients are also using ear buds to relieve itching in external auditory canal resulting in a vicious cycle of pruritis and repeated use of ear bud. More and more patients are coming with complications arising out of their use. Complications are varied and many fold. One hundred and forty one patients were included in this study who reported to our institution from July 2014 to July 2015. Youngest patient reported was of the age of 8 years and oldest patient reported was of the age of 78 years. There were 76 females and 62 males. Commonest complaint was intense pruritis in external auditory canal (EAM), followed by impaction of wax in deep EAM causing sudden diminution of hearing. Other complications were furuncle in EAM, otomycosis, otitis externa and rarely traumatic perforation of tympanic membrane. While allergen causing allergic pruritis in EAM by use of hair pins is identified as metal nickel, no work is being done to find out allergen in ear bud which is being more commonly being used these days.