Human ears have elastic cartilage and soft tissue that protect the eardrums from adverse influences. But “broken ears” - can such a thing exist?
It turns out that even though ears have a soft structure, it is quite easy to break an ear. Typically, broken ears characterize boxers or martial arts fans, since they are characterized by gripping and contact with the ears.
What does a broken ear look like?
Broken ears is a general term that combines several types of injuries . This definition in itself is incorrect, since only cartilage breaks when injured. When the outer ear is injured, the risk of injury to the brain and skull increases.
What to do if you break your ear?
It is very difficult to immediately determine that a patient has a broken ear - this is explained by the intensive production of hormones. But after 2–3 hours, an extensive hematoma appears, filled with liquid.
If medical attention is not provided in time, deformation of the outer ear may occur. Often, with such a fracture, a perforation occurs on the eardrum, which poses a serious danger to human health.
Such injuries are also common in children who enjoy active play. Unfortunately, an ear fracture is very difficult for children to endure, since the pain spreads both to the ears and to neighboring organs.
What leads to ear injury:
- Severe bruise;
- Fall or bite;
- Mechanical injury;
- Extreme sports.
Wrestlers ears
In human ears, elastic cartilage is part of the auricles. These soft components of cartilage tissue perform a protective function, protecting the eardrums from all kinds of negative factors and harmful influences. Despite the fact that the structure of this organ is very malleable, ears still break in some cases. As already mentioned, injuries of this kind most often occur in wrestlers involved in contact martial arts, and in rare cases - in boxers.
In our country, damaged ears are often compared to dumplings, and in European countries - to cauliflower.
Probably everyone has seen the broken ears of wrestlers. The photos remind many people of dumplings. After a break in the auricle, fluid begins to secrete inside, which will harden over time, giving the damaged organ bizarre shapes.
Symptoms of an ear fracture
Changes in the walls of the ear cartilage are the first signs of a broken ear. Such manifestations can significantly worsen the patient’s health, so in case of any fractures you should immediately consult a doctor.
Usually only the outer ear is broken, but in rare cases the middle or inner ear may also be damaged. There may be the following symptoms of an ear cartilage fracture:
- A congenital anomaly in which the ear has an unusual shape;
- Open part of the shell (for example, due to a gunshot wound);
- A hematoma formed as a result of the effusion of blood under the skin can cause the formation of lymph;
- If the ear canal is damaged, hearing loss and severe bleeding occur.
Such signs are characteristic of injuries that directly destroy the structure of the ear and cause great discomfort to the person. In addition, the ear can be damaged as a result of an accident and other extreme events. To determine the severity of an injury, the following symptoms are taken into account:
- Ear tissue damage;
- Throbbing pain;
- Marked impairment of hearing;
- Dizziness;
- Presence of hematomas.
Damage to soft tissue causes bleeding. When the ear canal is injured, it is necessary to take into account the facial features of the patient’s face. As a rule, while talking, the patient feels severe pain.
What areas of the ear can be damaged?
The symptoms of damage are influenced by which part of the ear was injured.
- External ear fractures are the most common. Injuries to the auricle noticeably change shape, and this is accompanied by pain. When parts of the shell rupture or are torn off, a severe hematoma is observed, and bleeding from the ear canal is also possible. The patient complains of hearing loss and finds it difficult to eat.
- Injury to the middle ear is rare. The victim complains of hearing loss, with noise and pain in the ear. Absolute hearing loss also occurs, as well as the presence of blood clots in the ear canal.
- Severe injury to the inner ear is often accompanied by loss of consciousness, the presence of blood in the ear canal, and hematomas on the eyelids. Sometimes serious injuries are accompanied by emphysema, deformation of the nasal septum and neurological pathologies.
Serious fractures of the inner ear sometimes result in surgery, and if the auditory ossicles are broken, the patient will require tissue implantation.
For any symptoms, the patient should immediately consult a doctor, since lack of treatment may be aggravated by the following symptoms:
- Hearing loss;
- Narrowing of the ear canals;
- Not the functionality of the eustachian tube;
- Dysfunction of the auditory ossicles;
- Penetration of viruses.
Health care
Regardless of whether you accidentally got injured or figured out how to break your ear at home, it is better to see a doctor as soon as possible. In a medical facility, as a rule, a puncture is performed and the fluid that has accumulated in the tissues is pumped out.
In order for it to thicken and collect in the ear, the doctor can introduce a little (literally a few drops) of 5% iodine tincture. If the hematoma is pronounced and the shell has turned red and blue, then the doctor may insist on the use of antibacterial agents. Antibiotics are applied topically.
They are inserted into the ear, on which a bandage is applied.
If the integrity of the shell has been compromised, then first of all the surgeon stops the bleeding and applies sutures. The patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory medications.
It is important to prevent atresia of the auditory canal, especially if its walls have been damaged. For this purpose, tamponade is performed using sterile turundas.
In some cases, to avoid narrowing the passage, special dilators are used.
But if the bleeding does not stop, in most cases surgical intervention will be recommended. In this case, doctors should check for intracranial complications. Indeed, in this case, we are no longer talking about how the victim managed to break his ear, but about the fact that he may have suffered a serious head injury.
Treatment of a broken ear in a child
Symptoms and signs of injury in children are often similar to those in adults. Typically, most childhood injuries are related to games. Adults should monitor the baby, and if the baby cries and is nervous when touching the ears, they should be carefully examined.
Fractures in children most often occur:
- Due to a fall from a height;
- During active games;
- When practicing martial arts.
In addition to these, there are many other causes of broken ears, which are indicated by the following signs:
- Ear redness and pain;
- Violation of tissue integrity;
- Hearing loss;
- Presence of hematomas;
- Severe dizziness;
- Bloody issues.
If you have at least two of the listed signs, rush to the doctor. This way you will protect your baby from complications and simplify subsequent treatment.
Rehabilitation
Basic rules that will speed up the rehabilitation process:
- limited physical activity;
- taking antibacterial agents and vitamin complexes as prescribed by a doctor;
- careful treatment of the damaged organ. And this is especially true for sleep;
- taking herbal remedies that speed up the healing process. For example, chamomile or rosehip.
The duration of the recovery period varies and depends on the individual characteristics of the body, as well as the severity of the damage.
What to do if your ear is broken?
First of all, when treating a broken ear, it is necessary to treat the tissue while maintaining the functioning of the organ. To protect the ear from infection, you need to stop the bleeding and wash the wound using iodine or hydrogen peroxide. Introduce the turundas by moistening them with hydrogen peroxide. When going to the clinic, apply a cold pack to your ear, wrapping it in gauze.
While providing first aid to the victim, you should not talk, as this can damage the ear canal.
In the clinic, the patient will be provided with professional care, cartilage and tissue will be restored. For large wounds, surgical intervention is prescribed.
If the injury is minor, the patient is prescribed medication and physical therapy. In addition, patients are prescribed heat treatment and laser therapy. The treatment process will not drag on for long, and the patient will quickly recover.
If the injury was caused by a fall on the chin, both ears should be examined, as the risk of injury to both bones increases.
In addition, the skull and brain should be diagnosed, since ear injuries often provoke a concussion.
Is surgery really necessary if your ears are broken?
In each situation, the doctor prescribes individual treatment. If the injury is moderate, the doctor recommends tight bandages and lotions on the ears.
For fractures of the ear bones, deformities of the middle ear and damage to the conchae, the patient is prescribed surgery or otoplasty.
In case of severe bleeding, the damaged cells should first be healed, since there is a high risk of developing a hematoma.
In the most severe cases, if the ear is detached during a fracture, the organ is placed in ice. This method helps to increase cell viability.
Replantation can only be carried out within 7 hours, so you should contact a doctor immediately after the ear has been broken!
The patient should be helped to get rid of painful shock and have the ear bandaged. Then the patient is prescribed medication (using antibiotics and vitamin supplements) to prevent complications of the disease.
The patient should strictly follow the doctor’s instructions and not violate the dosage of medications. Be careful and avoid exercise. Taking vitamins and medications is also useful in tissue repair. Healing herbs are also an effective treatment method.
First aid: what to do if a person breaks his ear
- Brew a decoction containing rose hips, lemon balm and chamomile (this mixture will calm the body and help restore damaged cells);
Rosehip Melissa Chamomile - Regardless of the cause of the injury, do not self-medicate;
- Even after discharge from a medical facility, the patient must visit the doctor for a certain time.
Primary sensations
Kuramagomedov says that after the fight there is severe pain in the broken ear, and at night you can’t turn over to sleep on your side on that side. Makhno claims: in a few months he broke his ears more than 30 times, and then he got used to it, “because, probably, there was nothing left to break.” Kuramagomedov has the same feeling.
It is noteworthy that MMA fighters have a certain pattern of self-medication for ear injuries. Makhno learned about it from his comrades and applied the method himself: after an injury, athletes wash their hands and the damaged ear with hydrogen peroxide, and then pump blood out of the swollen ear with a syringe. Then apply a tight bandage.
Auricular fracture and possible complications
As a rule, with correct treatment, the patient quickly recovers. Complications occur in rare cases, so timely medical treatment is very important. Incorrect treatment can cause absolute hearing loss and even disability.
Adviсe:
- After the victim has been given first aid, he should be immediately sent to a specialist; you cannot reset the cartilage yourself;
- If the ear cartilage is fractured, the ear canal should not be cleaned or rinsed;
- Do not use tampons or wipes to clean the ear canal;
- To relieve pain, you can take painkillers.
Further actions
Once you have received the necessary first aid, you should not relax. The damaged ear must be protected for at least a month. Moreover, we are talking not only about the fact that wrestlers must be extremely careful in training. Victims need to remember that they should not even rub or scratch their ears. They should be especially careful while sleeping, because if they turn their heads incorrectly, they can hit the damaged shell. It is strictly forbidden to try to show someone by your own example how to break an ear, fiddle with it, and even more so, bend it.