Otomycosis is a fungal infection in the ear. It manifests itself through a swollen, red and painful ear canal. The fungus feels most comfortable in high humidity and high temperatures, as reported by gentside. Frequent wearing of AirPods and other in-ear headphones can create the perfect environment in the ear for fungi to thrive.
Ear, nose and throat specialist and plastic surgeon Dr. Sina Joorabchi one renowned ENT clinic in South Florida drew attention to this phenomenon with videos on his TikTok account attentive.
Danger from headphones in the ear? TikTok video goes viral
The clips are not particularly nice to look at, but they still went viral – and are intended to encourage young people in particular to use proper and regular ear hygiene by deterring them. Because nobody wants a fungal infection like this in their ear. To get rid of them, the fungus must be removed by a doctor and the ear then treated with ear drops.
How does a fungal infection in the ears develop? The portal Gesundheit.de reportedthat any foreign bodies in the ear can lead to a disease of the ear canal. Apart from headphones, this also includes hearing aids or cotton swabs. They push the earwax back into the ear canal and the ear can no longer perform its self-cleaning function. This could also result in limited hearing.
But what can I do to prevent this from happening to me in the first place? Joorabchi advises making a liquid and pouring it into your ears after wearing headphones for a long time. This makes the environment in the ear unpleasant for fungi. The solution, according to the doctor, should be one-third water, one-third rubbing alcohol, and one-third hydrogen peroxide. Supposedly this protects against an unpleasant otomycosis.