Phone Receiver Spreads Infections

Ear dermatitis can be averted if people observe hygiene regulations
A woman tells that she spoke on the street phone and felt itching in the ear in a day. When she visited her doctor, the latter diagnosed ear dermatitis. The woman was surprised that the infection got into the ear through the street phone.

Russian doctor, candidate of medical sciences Boris Elkun comments upon this particular instance. 

"It is highly likely that the infection got into the ear through the street phone receiver. If there are grazes or irritations inside of an ear, the auricle becomes particularly vulnerable to infections. Ear infections may also appear when people suffer from weak immunity, anemia, gout and particularly diabetes.

Ear dermatitis is a disease typical of people who use earphones and telephones regularly because of profession - telephone operators and secretaries, for example. Even doctors are subject to the infection because they use phonendoscope every day; people wearing hearing aid or listening to a cassette player may suffer from the disease as well.

Ear dermatitis reveals the following symptoms: secretions from the ear and pain while pressing the auricle. When the auricle itches, causes pain but suppurative inflammation has not started yet, the acoustic duct must be anointed with special medicine to dry up the skin and reduce the itching. It is important to apply the medicine correctly without rubbing it in; incorrect application of the medicine may provoke even worse itching and the pain will become more severe. People should be particularly careful while making attempts to cure ear dermatitis and not to damage the ear-drum.

Drops of one per cent menthol oil also suit for treatment of ear dermatitis (4-5 drops two or three times a day in the ear). Bend the head so that the drops could not drip out.

The disease can be also cured with boric alcohol. Put a tampon with boric alcohol into the ear and keep it there for a day or two. The tampon will spread about the acoustic duct itself. After a couple of days, replace the tampon with a new one. The first two or three procedures on the ear should be done under medical supervision. The boric alcohol treatment is aimed at liquidation of the withered skin layer, the diseased cells.

Allergic people may use hormone liniments for ear dermatitis treatment. The liniment is to be applied with cotton wool; the medicine spreads about the acoustic duct under the influence of heat. When especially grave, the disease can be cured with antibiotics.

People suffering from ear dermatitis also need to take polyvitamins and B group vitamins. Diabetic patients suffering from ear dermatitis must undergo endocrinologist examinations and keep up to a severe diet. Ear dermatitis can be averted if people observe hygiene regulations. Never remove cerumen with pins or wash the ears with dirty water! Doctors only in sterile conditions should do this procedure.

Those who use telephones, earphones and phonendoscopes must obligatorily have their individual devices. If you allowed somebody else to talk over your telephone set wipe it with alcohol or cologne. If you have to talk over the street phone you should better disinfect the receiver with special wipes." 

Tatyana Reshetnikova