A 29-year-old member asked:
after i was bitten by a rat on my ear, i've been experiencing an intense ringing in my ear, what's going on?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Gutti Rao answered
Hospital-based practice 46 years experience
Tinnitus: Occasional ringing in the ears may be caused by wax, otosclerosis, neurological disorders, menier's disease, ischemia, medications such as Aspirin etc. The best way to find out what it is, is to see an ENT doctor.
You may have injured ossicles or nerves. Get checked.
5696 views

Dr. Jed Kwartler answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 38 years experience
Rat bite: First... No infection at the site of the bite, right? Not sure but go see ENT and have ear examined and hearing tested.
5104 views
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Similar questions
A 46-year-old member asked:
Do ticks bite your ear?
3 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in

Dr. Patrick Melder answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 27 years experience
They can: Ticks generally favor warmer parts of the body... Groin, neck, arm pit, belly button. If they favor the ear... It is more likely where the ear joins the skull. They would typically not bite the outer part of the ear along the rim.. It's just to cold for them.
6236 views
CA
A 54-year-old member asked:
What are ear waxes made out of?
3 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

Dr. Jeffrey Pollard answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 21 years experience
Ear Wax: Ear wax is the ears natural way of protecting the skin of the ear canal from infection and other types of damage. The wax actually has a natural pH (acidity) that prevents bacteria and fungus from growing in the ear canal. If you scrape the wax away and leave the skin uncovered, then you are at a higher likelihood of getting and external ear infection which can be quite painful. Hope this helps!
6198 views
A 23-year-old member asked:
How often are you supposed to pick out ear waxes?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Mike Bowman answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 19 years experience
As needed: Best not to pick out the ears, you risk injury or impacting the wax. Clean the ears with peroxide followed by a drop of mineral oil. Or you can use an otc wax kit. If you try that for a week without improvement, see your ent.
6204 views
CA
A 28-year-old member asked:
How does flying affect your ear health? Can flying permanently affect your ears?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Mike Bowman answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 19 years experience
Normal ears, no prob: With normal ears, flying doesn't really have any permanent effects. If you have severe problems equalizing the pressure in your ears, flying can cause pressure imbalances, which are painful. Rarely, this pressure difference can cause eardrum perforations. If you have this kind of problem, see your local ent. Placement of a myringotomy tube (ear tube) can prevent these problems. Best wishes.
6196 views
Mt Plymouth, FL
A 33-year-old female asked:
Can wearing ear bud headphones 24/7, literally, cause damage? If so how and what symptoms could occur?
3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A Verified Doctor answered
A US doctor answered Learn more
Yes,: especially if the volume is too high. It can cause irreversible sensorineural deafness or hearing impairment. Some estimate that over 5% of current young adults and teenagers may have hearing impairment from such use.
3707 views
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated Jun 24, 2014
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