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Chinese media recently reported the bizarre case of a
10-yer-old boy who allegedly developed black mold in his ear canal
because of wearing earbuds for long periods of time.
You would think that the human body had some way of preventing mould
from developing, even in dark and secluded orifices like the ear canals,
but it turns out that with the right conditions fungal infections can
occur in our ears. Doctors at the Shunyi Women and Children’s Hospital
in Beijing recently reported the case of a young boy who came in with
his mother complaining of ear pain and stuffiness-like sensation. Upon
examination, he was diagnosed with ear canal mycosis, or in simple terms
– mold in the ear canal.
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The causes of ear canal mycosis can vary, but in this particular case it
was established that the infection had been caused by a combination of
factors. The 10-year-old boy had a habit of picking his ears, and
routinely damaged the sensitive tissue there. Because he also used
in-ear headphones for long periods of time, he also prevented the
natural ventilation of the ear canals, and the humidity made it possible
for the mould to develop.
Dr. Wu Yuhua, from the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck
Surgery of Shunyi Women and Children’s Hospital, said that the increased
humidity and elevated temperature were a side-effect of wearing the
headphones for too long, and provided good conditions for mold growth.
Still, the mycosis was in no small part caused by the ear-picking as
well, which caused local mucosal damage.
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The 10-year-old boy is undergoing treatment and should make a full
recovery in a matter of weeks. Still, doctors warn that if left
untreated such fungal infections can cause all sorts of problems
culminating with hearing loss.
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