Patient's question:
I would like to ask, my child is 9 months old, every morning when he wakes up, his eyes always shed a few drops of tears, and he always likes to dig his ears with his hands, leaving many wounds everywhere. Is this a symptom or a normal phenomenon?Doctor's answer:
The baby always scratches their ears with their fingers, which could be due to itchy ears. There are many reasons for itchy ears, such as eczema of the external ear canal skin, mold infection, or irritation from foreign objects. Water entering the ear canal that hasn't dried yet can cause earwax to swell, but it doesn't necessarily lead to fluid leakage. Since your baby is still too young to clearly express their discomfort, it's recommended to take them to the otolaryngology department for a checkup by a specialist to identify the cause. If no obvious abnormalities are found, massaging the ear canal and the tragus in front of the ear can help relieve pain and itching. Parents should never dig their child's ears themselves to avoid breaking the skin and causing infection. In cases of earwax blockage, a doctor should use cerumen softening drops to soften the earwax before gently removing it with a special cerumen hook.