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Symptoms » Ear itching » Diagnosis Checklist
 
Dr. Huntley's

DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Ear itching

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Ear itching. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.

Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

  1. How long have you had the ear itching?

    Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

  2. Have you been swimming recently and where?

    Why: may suggest otitis externa or an allergic reaction to chlorine.

  3. Has there been any trauma to ear canal?

    Why: may suggest otitis externa.

  4. Do you clean your ears out with ear buds or by any other mechanism?

    Why: this will result in a disruption of the natural protective mechanisms of the ear canal and predispose to otitis externa.

  5. Have you used any new cosmetic products recently?

    Why: e.g. hair spray may cause a reaction inside of ears.

  6. Past history of skin conditions?

    Why: e.g. eczema, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis may occur in the ear canal and cause itch. Each of these skin conditions may then be complicated by an outer ear infection which will cause ear pain, discharge and sometimes hearing loss.

  7. Past medical history?

    Why: e.g. presence of allergic type conditions such as asthma and hay fever may suggest the possible presence of eczema in the ear canal which may cause ear itch.

Questions your doctor may ask about related symptoms:

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:

  1. Ear pain?

    Why: may suggest otitis externa.

  2. Symptoms of otitis externa?

    Why: e.g. itching at first, ear pain, fullness feeling in the ear canal, mild discharge, hearing loss.

  3. Ear discharge?

    Why: may suggest otitis media.


 » Next page: News about Ear itching

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