Cauliflower Ear

Cauliflower ear is a condition that affects people who have suffered an injury to the ear. It comes about when the ear suffers a blow or multiple blows, as a result of which the shape and structure of the ear can change and resemble a cauliflower. And that's how this weirdly disturbing name comes about. We'll learn more about this ear problem in the following paragraphs.

Cauliflower ears are very common among boxers and other sports personalities because there are increased chances of them getting hit on the ear. That is why this condition is sometimes referred to as boxer's ears or wrestler's ears. But why is this condition termed after the cauliflower vegetable? And what causes this to happen, really? Let us find out more about this in the article that follows.

Causes

When the ear is struck or receives heavy blow(s), there are a number of things that can go wrong and cause the ear to resemble a cauliflower. The main point being that the shape of the ear changes dramatically. This can happen for many reasons. For one, there might be a blood clot formed under the ear thus leading to the ear blowing up and changing the shape of the ear. A blood clot can be caused by a bruise or a blow.

Another reason is that a part of the skin can be torn off from the ear cartilage. The ear cartilage is an integral part of the ear and is responsible for giving the ear its normal shape. Therefore when the skin is torn off from the cartilage, its supply of blood, nutrients and oxygen is taken away and that can permanently damage the cartilage. Once the cartilage is damaged, the ear becomes shriveled, folds around itself, looks pale and thus begins to resemble a cauliflower.

Symptoms

Here are some symptoms of this condition.

• Bleeding ~ A severe blow to the ear can cause damage to the underlying skin and cause a rupture leading to bleeding. Both internal and external.
• Pain ~ Ear pain is the most important symptom that will make way after a person suffers a blow to the ear.
• Swelling ~ Swelling can appear all around the ear as well. This could be caused due to the formation of blood clots under the surface of the skin. Along with swelling there is usually redness that accompanies the wound.
• Pus and Fluid ~ If there is an ear infection that is formed in the ear then there will be the formation of pus and fluid in ear that will cause a sharp pain in the ear.
• Hearing Loss ~ If the ear swells and there are blood clots all over then there are chances that the ear canal will get blocked and thereby cause a loss of hearing.
• Hardened Skin ~ If the ear is not treated immediately then the cartilage can shrivel up due to the lack of nutrients and blood and therefore the skin will harden and cause lumps to form all over.

Treatment

There is a need for immediate action when a person suffers a blow to the ear because it can lead to permanent deformities and hear loss. Pain killers may be prescribed as a part of ear pain relief to begin with. The first thing that needs to be done is that the ear needs to be examined by a doctor to determine whether there are blood clots formed or the skin has ruptured from the cartilage. The blood clots need to be treated immediately by draining the blood and other fluids from the ear which the doctor will do by administering a small cut.

Along with that, the loosened skin needs to be either bandaged or stitched back or a surgery performed to join the ear cartilage (depending on the severity of the damage). This will ensure that there is proper blood supply to the cartilage. There is also a diagnosis done of the ear to check for the damage to the internal parts like the ear canal and eardrum and the treatment administered accordingly. If left untreated this condition can be turned into a permanent deformity that not only looks weird but also causes complications like loss of hearing.

A cauliflower ear can be easily prevented by protecting your head with a helmet or a protective headgear and if there is ever an injury suffered, then the most important thing that remains to be done is that a doctor be immediately consulted and the right treatment started.