Behind the ear Discharge?
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From: Professor of sour cabbage soup on 11 Mar 2007 20:26 My 1 year 3 month old son has some strange discharge behind the ear. That's not from inside the ear, it is from behind the ear, in a crevice where the skin of the outer ear meets the back of the head. The discharge dries to a substance that looks like dried egg yolk. The kid is not scratching that area, and looks generally happy. I cleaned that area with water and dried with tissue paper, but the discharge continues and that area stays wet. Should I worry, and is there a medical term that I should read about. -Poscs
From: deja.blues on 11 Mar 2007 21:04 "Professor of sour cabbage soup" <einstein(a)aol.com> wrote in message news:af6dnb9KTpe7A2nYnZ2dnUVZ_qqrnZ2d(a)giganews.com... > My 1 year 3 month old son has some strange discharge behind the > ear. That's not from inside the ear, it is from behind the ear, in a > crevice where the skin of the outer ear meets the back of the > head. The discharge dries to a substance that looks like dried egg > yolk. The kid is not scratching that area, and looks generally > happy. I cleaned that area with water and dried with tissue paper, but > the discharge continues and that area stays wet. > > Should I worry, and is there a medical term that I should read about. > > -Poscs It sounds like seborrheic dermatitis, which is similar to cradle cap, but commonly appears behind the ears, in the naso-labial folds, and the eyebrows, and can plague adults as well as children. It flares up in the winter, gets better in the summer, and is more common in fair-skinned people. Seborrheic dermatitis is caused by a yeast , so shampoos like Nizoral or T-gel will help, or a doctor can prescribe a cream.
From: Mary_Gordon on 11 Mar 2007 23:10 I think you are right about it being seborrheic dermatitis or even common ezcema - but heck, it doesn't have to do with yeast. Mine (and my kids) clears right up with a little cortisone (which I wouldn't put on my kids unless the doctor agreed). Mary G.
From: Chris on 12 Mar 2007 00:20 On Mar 11, 8:26?pm, Professor of sour cabbage soup <einst...(a)aol.com> wrote: > My 1 year 3 month old son has some strange discharge behind the > ear. That's not from inside the ear, it is from behind the ear, in a > crevice where the skin of the outer ear meets the back of the > head. The discharge dries to a substance that looks like dried egg > yolk. The kid is not scratching that area, and looks generally > happy. I cleaned that area with water and dried with tissue paper, but > the discharge continues and that area stays wet. > > Should I worry, and is there a medical term that I should read about. > > -Poscs I've only seen it once personally in older kids; they were my mom's best friend's kids. My mom cleared it up with good washings behind the ears and applications of baby oil there with Q-tips nightly. My one- year-old will get a rash there if I don't apply either Baby oil or Eucerin there at least every other day or two. Good luck. My mom tried to tell me to put the baby oil behind the ears when I had my first baby, but I skipped it for a while once thinking it would probably not really matter and that it was an honored tradition only that she was trying to pass down. He then developed a little crack back there, despite me washing behind the ears, and that yellow gunk you speak of.
From: Anne Rogers on 12 Mar 2007 01:52
> Pityrosporum Ovale, a yeast organism, is associated with seborrheic > dermatitis. Corticosteroids can sometimes worsen this condition, and > damage the skin. > It never really goes away. You can keep it under control, somewhat, but it > tends to flare up again and again, throughout ones lifetime. either way, I'd start by just being vigilent in washing, using something non drying, like dove, rather than plain soap, if that doesn't help then add a smidgen of something softening after washing, like vaseline, or olive oil, then next wash be a little more vigorous to get rid of some of the flakes, then repeat. Thorough washing mostly keeps it away, though it can be a problem in glasses wearers because there is constantly something there and even the slightest bit of sweat can block things up and keep it happening. Anne |