Cauliflower ear, also known as an auricle hematoma, is a type of injury that causes internal bleeding and inflammation in the ear area. Generally, the condition is caused by a direct blow to the ear, repeated excessive friction, and/or minor trauma. That is why it is common for wrestlers, mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes, rugby athletes, boxers, and water polo players to experience it. Since the main symptom of cauliflower ear is swelling in the upper ear area, focus on relieving the swelling by draining the blood that has accumulated in it. To prevent permanent physical disability, these measures must be performed within 48 hours of the injury. If you feel the need to use a syringe, always leave the task to a medical health professional, unless the situation is absolutely impossible.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Perform Immediate Treatment
Step 1. Apply a cold compress
Immediately after an injury that makes the upper ear area swell, stop all activities you are doing and immediately apply an ice cube (or other cold object) to the ear to reduce pain and inflammation that appears. In particular, ice cubes are effective at stopping blood flow to the gap between the skin and cartilage in the upper ear, so it needs to be applied for 10 minutes every hour, for about three to four hours post-injury.
- Wrap an ice cube, ice flake, or cold pack with a piece of cheesecloth before applying it to the ear to prevent tissue damage from exposure to too cold temperatures.
- Instead, you can also compress the ear with a bag of frozen vegetables or fruits to relieve swelling.
Step 2. Use a bandage on the head to apply pressure to the injured ear
In addition to applying a cold compress, try wrapping a bandage around your head to compress the ear area. In fact, a combination of cold compress and compression therapy is the most effective method to relieve swelling due to muscolosceletal disorders (disorders of joint, ligament, muscle, nerve, and tendon function). Because pressure on the ear can stop internal bleeding more quickly, the intensity of ear defects will decrease.
- If you prefer, you can also use a long piece of gauze or an elastic resistance band to apply ice to your ear.
- Try attaching gauze to the front and back of the ear first before wrapping it with an elastic resistance band to increase the intensity of the pressure.
- Don't wrap the gauze too tightly so you don't get a headache or dizziness due to blocked blood circulation, especially since smooth blood flow is an important factor in removing excess fluid production. Also, don't put a bandage on until the quality of your vision or hearing is reduced.
- Remove the bandage every hour to rest your ear.
Step 3. Take anti-inflammatory drugs
Another way to reduce swelling and pain caused by it is to take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin, or naproxen (Aleve). To maximize the results, take these medications immediately after the injury, and try to combine them with the use of cold compresses and compression bandages.
- Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) have been shown to be effective against pain, but they are not able to reduce the swelling that appears.
- Aspirin and ibuprofen can make internal bleeding worse. Therefore, do not forget to consult the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to the doctor!
- Do not take anti-inflammatory drugs for more than two weeks to minimize possible side effects such as stomach upset and kidney problems. To restore cauliflower ears, generally the drug only needs to be consumed for a few days.
Method 2 of 3: Drying Cauliflower Ears at Home
Step 1. Understand the risks
While it's possible to drain cauliflower ears without a doctor's help, especially if you've had relevant medical training, doing so can increase your risk of infection and further complications. That is why cauliflower ears should only be self-dried if it is absolutely impossible for you to see a doctor or other medical health professional within the next two to three days.
- In addition, the drying process without the help of a doctor should only be carried out if the intensity of the trauma and swelling is relatively light, and there is no tearing of the skin due to it.
- If you have a cell phone, don't hesitate to contact the nearest emergency health service for the advice and support you need.
Step 2. Clean hands properly and/or wear gloves
Before drying the cauliflower ears, don't forget to clean your hands with warm, soapy water for 30 seconds, then dry them with a paper towel. If you have surgical gloves, try wearing them after washing your hands, although this is optional. Clean and/or protected hands can reduce the risk of spreading bacteria to the injured area and prevent infection.
- If you don't have soap and water, just clean your hands with a special cleaning liquid that contains alcohol.
- Alcohol or baby wipes can also be used to clean hands in various emergency situations.
Step 3. Clean and prepare the ear area to be dried
Before drying the ears, do not forget to clean them properly. The trick, dip a cotton swab in alcohol or tea tree oil, then apply it to the half of the ear that is experiencing the most swelling. In particular, clean the area of the upper ear that you will later puncture!
- Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial cleansing agent. Be careful not to get the oil in your eyes as the sensation is very painful!
- Apply enough alcohol or tea tree oil to coat the inside and outside of the injured ear area.
- Alcohol, in both liquid and cream form, also acts as a disinfectant that can be applied to the ear with a clean fingertip.
- Apply a cold compress to the area to be pricked for 10-15 minutes to numb the nerve. Remember, ice or cold compresses are natural anesthetics!
Step 4. Puncture the swollen ear area with a syringe
If you don't have one, try purchasing a 0.5mm diameter syringe that comes with a 2.5cm long syringe. Generally, the syringe has a capacity of about 3 ml. Then, stick the needle into the swollen and bloody area of your ear. The 0.5mm diameter syringe is not the smallest size, but it is the best option for sucking the clotted and thickened blood inside the ear.
- The 3 ml capacity allows the syringe to suck up all the fluid that builds up, while the 2.5 cm long needle won't go too far into the ear and damage the cartilage.
- Make sure you only puncture the swollen area until the tip of the needle works its way through. Don't stick the needle too deep to avoid further injury!
Step 5. Remove blood and other fluid from inside the ear
Once the tip of the needle has pierced the swollen area, firmly and slowly, pull on the piston to remove blood, pus, and other inflammatory fluids. Continue this process until the piston is no longer retractable or until the injured area is deflated and appears completely dry.
- You may need to apply pressure to the injured area to help drain the fluid and blood inside. When doing this, try not to move the needle so as not to cause minor injuries.
- If there is pus, the blood will be seen mixed with a milky white liquid. However, if the wound is fresh or only a few hours old, the discharge will most likely be bright red,
- Slowly remove the needle in a steady motion so that the wound does not increase in size. Again, be careful because moving the needle too much can tear your skin.
Step 6. Clean the area again
After the remaining fluid is successfully removed from the ear, clean the needle puncture site again with alcohol, tea tree oil, or an alcoholic hand sanitizer with the help of a cotton swab, cotton swab, or soft tissue. Remember, wounds that are left open can easily become infected. That's why, you have to clean it thoroughly to reduce the risk.
- Even if the skin still looks wrinkled afterwards, don't worry too much as the condition will generally improve over time, as long as the ears have been properly and thoroughly dried.
- If necessary, allow any remaining fluid (including blood) to continue to drain for a few minutes afterward.
Step 7. Apply pressure to the ear to stop the bleeding
Although it really depends on the intensity of the injury and the condition of the ear after drying, the blood may stop dripping after a few strokes. However, if the blood continues to flow, try pressing the area with clean gauze for a few minutes to stop the bleeding and allow the blood to clot.
- After applying pressure for a few minutes, apply a small bandage to the area to close the wound and prevent infection.
- Change the bandage daily or whenever it gets wet.
Method 3 of 3: Doing Medical Treatment
Step 1. Perform the drying and compression procedure
Although most doctors still carry out the needle-assisted drying procedure, in fact this method is no longer recommended by many because it is not able to prevent cauliflower ears from happening again in the future. However, your doctor may still use a similar procedure, then apply a special compression bandage to prevent more blood from building up in the injured area.
- In addition to being safer and more professional, the ear that is dried by a doctor will also be anesthetized first so that the sensation that appears is not too painful.
- Applying pressure with the help of a compression bandage is also able to reattach the loose skin to the cartilage behind it.
- Most likely, the doctor will apply gauze to the front and back of the ear before wrapping it with a sterile bandage.
Step 2. Discuss ear drying and splinting procedures
Although similar to the compression and ear drying method using a syringe, in this procedure, the doctor will insert a special splint into the ear to apply more constant pressure to the wound and allow it to dry completely.
- The splint used may be made of surgical thread that is inserted into the ear to hold the gauze in place.
- Alternatively, the splint can also be made of pediplast or silicone and molded to the shape of your ear.
- If the ear is drained with a splint, the doctor may need to re-examine the condition after one week. Meanwhile, surgical threads can stay in place for up to two weeks, unless the ear starts to feel sore or reddened, while a silicone splint that molds to the shape of the ear can last longer.
Step 3. Make a small incision to dry the ear
In fact, the most recommended way by doctors to drain fluid in the ear is to make a small incision using a scalpel. Through the incision, blood will flow out and the risk of further blood buildup will be reduced, which may not happen if the ear is drained with the help of a syringe. In addition, the incision method will also make it easier for the doctor to remove the blood that has already clotted in the ear.
- The procedure is generally performed by a surgeon who specializes in ear, nose and throat (ENT).
- After the procedure, the doctor will suture the incision area to close the wound. The sutures may melt into the skin or be removed by a doctor a few weeks later.
- These sutures serve to keep the skin detached from the cartilage in place. Thus, the skin has time to reattach to the cartilage naturally.
Tips
- In addition to swelling, cauliflower ear symptoms that are also common are the appearance of pain, reddened ears, and bruising and changes in the shape of the ear grooves.
- Keep the ears dry. Remember, the affected ear must always be dry, for at least one day after the drying procedure is performed.
- Do not bathe or swim for at least 24 hours after drying the ears.
- Do not remove the compression bandage for at least 24 hours to speed up your healing process.
- After the ear is drained, apply an antibiotic ointment to the incision site to prevent infection.
- Wait at least a few days before returning to activities. Make sure you also wear a proper, sized headgear to prevent cauliflower ears from forming again.
- Your doctor may prescribe oral and topical antibiotics to prevent infection, especially after surgery, or if the skin in your ear is torn when the injury occurs.
Warning
- Tell your doctor immediately if you suspect an infection. Severe infections should be treated by a surgeon, especially since the doctor must dissect the area and administer intravenous antibiotics. Some of the symptoms that indicate an infection are headache, fever, ear redness, pain when the ear is touched, discharge of pus from the infected area, swelling, increased pain intensity, and changes in hearing quality.
- Get treatment within 24 to 48 hours of the injury. In the early stages of trauma, the ear will feel softer because it is still filled with watery fluid. That is why, the drying process must be carried out at that stage, before the liquid in it begins to harden. If the fluid has already hardened, you will need to have an operative procedure to correct the deformity.
- It's best to ask your doctor for help to drain the buildup of blood in your ear instead of trying to do it yourself! Remember, doctors can do this in a much safer and more thorough way.
- The trauma that accompanies cauliflower ear may also injure the eardrum or other ear structures that support your ability to hear. Therefore, do not forget to ask the doctor to check the condition of the eardrum as well as check your hearing ability.
