Ear mite in humans: causes, symptoms and treatment (with photo)

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Otodectosis is a very unpleasant disease caused by the appearance of an ear mite in an animal. It happens quite often in pets, mainly in cats and dogs. Other animals also get sick with it - for example, foxes and other fur-bearing animals. The question of whether an ear mite in cats is dangerous for humans worries many owners who are faced with an ailment in their pet.

What is the parasite, how the infection of the animal occurs, what symptoms are characteristic, whether the disease is transmitted to a person, it is important to know for everyone who has dogs or cats in the house.

Lifestyle features

The ear mite affects the outer ear, parasitizes in the auditory canal, feeding on human waste products. Like its other relatives, the parasite, getting on human skin, grabs it, adapting to the "host" and no longer leaves it voluntarily. Infection is expressed by ear redness, acne, inflammation and a feeling of parasites under the skin.

In addition to the fact that the ear mite leads a parasitic lifestyle, it is a carrier of bacteria harmful to the human body and provokes infectious infections. The type of ear mite determines the type of infection with it. There are several types of common parasites that actively attack human skin.

Ixodid tick

The body shape of arachnids of this species is oblong with slight narrowing in the head area. Compared to other individuals of this subclass, the size of these insects is large enough, so they can be seen with the naked eye.

Ixodid ticks are the cause of otoacariasis. Their presence in the ear canal is indicated by itching, pain, and the feeling of the presence of a foreign body. Once in the human or animal body, parasites are able to multiply.

Infection with ixodid ticks in our country is a very rare phenomenon. Usually tourists bring them with them after a vacation in Thailand, India or Chile. The fight against parasites of this species is not particularly difficult. Usually, the affected areas are treated with hydrogen peroxide or saline solution. However, treatment must be carried out under medical supervision.

Symptoms

Depending on the activity of the tick and the reactivity of the organism, the clinical picture may appear both immediately and after several weeks.

When the ixodic parasite is affected, the following symptoms occur:

1. Sensation of movement of an insect in the ear.
2. Painful sensation, burning sensation.
3. Itching.
4. Sensation of a foreign body.
5. Inflammation.

If a person becomes infected with an argas mite, the clinic is characterized by the following:

• Swelling of the ear.
• Painful sensations.
• Itching and burning sensation.
• Redness.

If a person is struck by a demodex tick, then for a long time he may not show himself in any way. However, sooner or later, the following symptoms appear:

1. Pain syndrome.
2. Feeling of little movement.
3. Itching and redness.
4. Inflammatory elements in the form of acne, small acne.

Argas mite

The ingress of an argas mite into the human hearing organ provokes the onset of the development of ear otoacariasis. In the early stages of this disease, there are no signs of infection with this parasite. The size of this type of mite is microscopic - about 1 mm.Its body has a somewhat oblong shape and is painted black. The size of the parasite increases markedly after sucking blood from its victim.

Argas mites usually live in dark rooms, which are empty houses, abandoned buildings, attics and closets. In addition, they are frequent inhabitants of agricultural buildings where they keep poultry or livestock. Another frequent habitat of argas mites is bird nests. The bites of these parasites are painless, therefore, a person's disease can only be concluded after the symptoms of otoacariasis begin to appear.

First of all, edema appears in the auditory canal and auricle, accompanied by significant redness of the skin. At the same time, constant itching forces a person to comb the bite with his fingers or cotton swabs. Like ixodid ticks, Argasidae are also carriers of various diseases.

Parasite classification

As a rule, human skin, regardless of race, is equally actively attacked by several types of parasites. The most common are two of them:

Ixodids

Ticks are "foreigners", which are often brought by tourists, our compatriots working on a contract from India, Korea, South Africa, Chile, Nepal, Thailand. These arthropods are rather large in size. They can be seen without magnifying optics. They live at the expense of a person, affecting the ear canal. As a result, a person becomes ill with otoacariasis. Transferred the causative agent of Lyme disease. The good news is that ectoparasites exist in the auricle for a short time and do not multiply.

A tick inflicts incredible suffering on a person

Argasovye

The size of microscopic arachnids is somewhat smaller than that of ixodid ticks. The disease of the ears when they are affected is called otoacariasis.

17 species of argas blood-sucking insects are diagnosed, literally attacking a person who has fallen into the room (in the attic, in a cave, in a cattle farm) where they live. Parasites stick to any part of the skin. The fact that an infection has occurred, a person begins to feel not immediately, but only with the appearance of swelling of the skin, combed parts of the body, and a change in their color. The double danger of infection is also in the fact that argas parasites carry on themselves, infecting a person, such especially dangerous diseases as recurrent encephalitis, borreliosis, endemic relapsing fever.

Attention! With an insufficiently serious attitude to the problem of infection with ear mites, it must be remembered that parasites, once on the human body, will never leave it of their own accord. On the contrary, the arthropod adapts in every possible way in order to start actively developing in new conditions for itself.

Is Demodex Dangerous?

Demodex, also called acne, is a microscopic arthropod that leads a parasitic lifestyle in the skin of most people. Most often it settles on the head, shoulders or back. It is also often called a subcutaneous mite.

The parasite is localized in the sebaceous glands and eats sebum. In most cases, Demodex is the main cause of acne. Moreover, he manifests himself only during the period of stressful conditions of the body. This usually happens in adolescence, with exhaustion, vitamin deficiency, persistent depression, during the course of various diseases.

Any weakening of immunity leads to their activation. Often in such situations, bacterial infection joins, which is the reason for the purulent nature of the inflammation.

In addition, a person may have an allergic reaction caused by the waste products of Demodex. Symptoms of this type of ear mite in humans are swelling, redness, itching, and sometimes minor pain.If the body temperature rises, you must definitely contact the clinic for medical help.

Coccidia

The symptoms of infection are similar to those of other similar diseases:

• Lack of appetite.
• Diarrhea.
• Change in the appearance of the coat - it will become dull and brittle.

With coccidia, radical treatment is not required. It will be necessary to introduce any product containing toltrazuril into the diet with feed additives.

Prevention:

1. Ensuring the cleanliness of the place where the pet lives.
2. Elimination of raw meat from their diet. You can only use meat that has been frozen for a long time.

Can I get ear mites from cats?

Pet lovers are often interested in the question: is a cat's ear mite dangerous for humans? It should be noted that otodectosis is a rather dangerous disease for cats, since without proper treatment it can cause their deafness.

Moreover, with infection of the meninges, the death of a pet is inevitable. An ear mite found in one cat can spread to other pets. Therefore, when detecting parasites, an infected animal should be fenced off from contact with healthy ones.

If we talk about humans, then the species of ticks living on cats is theoretically not dangerous for them. Official data from scientists confirm the fact that the transmission of Otodectes cynotis from animal to person is impossible. Although there have been isolated cases of human otodectosis infection, it was not possible to pinpoint the source of the infection.

It is believed that ear mites are transmitted to humans only when immunity is weakened or after contact with an infected animal. After an accidental infection, the victim may develop otitis externa. Therefore, if there is a suspicion that the cat has ear mites, you cannot ignore the problem - you need to immediately seek help from a veterinarian.

Preventive measures

In order to reduce the likelihood of infection with an ear mite, some recommendations should be followed:

• The right choice of clothing for forest walks;
• Treatment of skin and clothing with special agents aimed at repelling ticks;
• Compliance with hygiene measures;
• Careful selection of cosmetic products;
• Physical activity;
• Avoiding stressful situations;
• Reducing the impact of bad habits;
• Maintaining the immune system.

If symptomatic manifestations characteristic of the presence of an ear mite are identified, it is necessary to visit a medical institution. An experienced specialist, clarifying the diagnosis and prescribing a suitable treatment, will avoid the development of infectious pathologies. You should not engage in self-treatment, as this often leads to undesirable consequences for the body.

How is ear mite treated?

Before starting treatment, you need to determine which type of parasite is the source of the disease. To this end, you need to contact an otolaryngologist who will conduct an examination and, if necessary, take ear discharge for analysis.

In the treatment of diseases of the hearing organs caused by parasites, the following methods are used:

1. Ear canal rinsing procedures. For this, physiological solution, an aqueous solution of ethanol or hydrogen peroxide is usually used. This method is most often used to kill Argasid and Ixodid ticks.
2. The use of physiotherapy, with the help of which inflammation is removed, skin lesions are treated and the reproduction of parasites is blocked. This is done using laser coagulation, electrophoresis, liquid nitrogen and ozone therapy.
3. Mechanical suction of mites from the auricle and auditory canal.
4. Treatment with Ornidazole and Trichopolum, which contribute to the destruction of parasites.
5. The use of ointments for the manufacture of which tar, zinc or sulfur are used.They have a detrimental effect on parasites, reduce ear pain and reduce inflammation.
6. Taking antihistamines. To block an allergic reaction that has become a consequence of the vital activity of ticks, Zodak, Suprastin or Cytirizin are used.

In addition, the doctor may recommend multivitamin preparations, with the help of which the lack of vitamins and nutrients in the body is replenished.

Diagnostics

There are no specific methods for diagnosing this disease. First of all, the doctor relies on carefully collected anamnesis, during which he finds out the recent location of a person in possible endemic places, complaints and how long ago they appeared. After all this, the doctor proceeds to an objective examination of the ear using special instruments.

On examination, attention is drawn to the inflammatory changes in the ear, which were described above. If a person is infected with an ixodid tick, then he will be visible with the naked eye.

It is also possible direct microscopy methodhowever, it does not always give positive results. The effectiveness of microscopy depends on the number of pathogens, the type and correctness of the smear taken from a technical point of view.

Treatment with folk methods

To combat otodectosis, folk remedies are very often used. The use of oily formulations is considered effective, since they block the access of oxygen to the insect's body. To get rid of ear mites, treatment with alternative methods offers other recipes.

For example, you can get rid of parasites by treating the affected areas twice a day with a mixture of one medium-sized crushed lemon and salt (0.5 tsp). The duration of the action of this tool is 10 minutes, after which the auricle must be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in warm water.

Another effective remedy is a mixture of tar and sulfur (1: 1), which must be mixed and heated over a fire until boiling. The resulting ointment should be applied to the affected skin areas daily for two months. A mixture of clay, a small amount of iodine and water is also considered an effective remedy.

With this composition, the consistency of which should resemble the thickness of sour cream, you need to carefully lubricate the auricle. The procedure is performed daily until the symptoms disappear completely.

Otodectosis can also be treated with tar or laundry soap, which should be grated and mixed with warm water until a soapy and foamy solution is obtained. Then it is necessary to add iodine (3-4 drops) or hydrogen peroxide (1 tsp) to it. The resulting product is applied daily to the area affected by ear mites until complete recovery occurs.

Prophylaxis

When pets suffer from these parasites, not only animals but also their owners experience stress, it is better to avoid such situations and prevent the onset of the disease. To do this, you need to take preventive measures:

• keep the house clean;
• limit contacts of a domestic cat with any other animals;
• treat the cat with protective equipment against ticks and other parasites;
• regularly examine your cat's ears for signs of a parasite;
• observe the hygiene of the animal, treat the ears of the pet with a special lotion;
• do not use household items of other cats.