Ear Pit: Preauricular Ear Pit- I have always noticed this very small hole at the front of my left ear that was present since my birth. I asked my mom about it a long time ago, and she said that she had asked the doctor when I was born & he said that it was probably just a genetic thing, and it was nothing to worry about.
What does a Preauricular Ear Pit Look Like?
It is very small, and hardly noticeable. It actually looks as if I had my ear pierced, but I assure you I did not. I have even been asked that a couple of times in the past by people who noticed it.
Preauricular Ear Pit Drainage?
The strange thing is, sometimes whenever I press my finger below the hole, a small amount of fluid (about the quantity & consistency of pus from a pimple) comes out. I know, sounds gross. It usually never hurts or anything like that. I just press my finger, and a little bit of fluid comes out every once in a while.
So I usually clean it out every so often with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to keep it clean. I recently poured some alcohol in it, and it burned like crazy for like 5 minutes.
Recently, I was thinking, “What the heck is this small hole in front of my ear anyway?” So I hopped on Google & found out that is is actually called a “Preauricular Ear Pit.”
What is a Preauricular Ear Pit?
Apparently, it is a fairly common defect that occurs during fetal development. Lucky for me, it is a very minor & insignificant deformity (both cosmetically & health-wise). The skin actually didn’t close right there like it was supposed to at some point in fetal development.
Most ear pits also connect to the sinuses inside of the face. According to some medical articles, most ear pits tend to be only about 1 inch in depth. They are lined with skin cells, and are at risk for becoming infected if bacteria build up over time. I suppose since my ear pit does leak fluid, it may have a small infection. Although, it has done this for years, and has never been swollen or hurt, so I don’t know if it is technically “infected.”
Not only that, but to my surprise you can actually have ear pits surgically removed/excised (I know, weird). They actually cut out the entire thing & then suture up the skin. Hopefully, I will never have to do that, but it is recommended if you have multiple severe infections in them. A picture of what my ear pit looks like is below. It is a little red due to my just picking at it:
Picture of a Preauricular Ear Pit (Hole in Front of Ear):
Picture of Ear Pit Hole
What Is the Big Deal About Having Ear Pits, Ear Tags, Ear Cysts, etc?
Another thing that really shocked me is the fact that apparently people who have ear pits & other strange ear conditions are at a much higher risk for other anatomical congenital disorders.
The reason is the gene that malfunctioned is also responsible for the development of other things. So if you have an ear pit (or two), there is a possibility of another anatomical abnormality being present. This isn’t always the case and some people are perfectly healthy, but it is possible.
For example, one article showed a high correlation between renal abnormalities (kidneys), and ear pits. Some people who have ear pits are actually born without kidneys, just one kidney, or other renal abnormalities. Can you believe that stuff! Crazy.
Anyways, it kinda freaks me out now, but I don’t think there is anything else that is abnormal about me (at least I hope not). Hives & holes are about enough already!
Are Ear Pits Linked to Cholinergic Urticaria in Any Way?
I am always looking for a scapegoat for my hives condition. It is always possible that the ear pit could in some way be connected to the hives (such as a genetic disorder, or if I am missing some parts lol).
But I don’t think at this point it is causing the hives in any way. Unless, of course, any of you also have one of these, then I might suspect that there could be a connection.
There does seem to be a connection with Keratosis Pilaris & Cholinergic Urticaria. So if any of you happen to have an ear pit, an ear tag, an ear cyst, etc., by all means please let me/us know in the comments below or on the forum.
Updates on Hives, Probiotics, Vinegar, Neighbors, & More
As I said in the last post, I am ditching the vinegar treatment. It is over, and it didn’t help do anything but make me smell like a pickle. So enough of that stinky mess!
The probiotics are doing well with my stomach, although it did get a little upset the other day (I think it was from eating some sweet tarts). But I will continue to take them until they are gone. They appear to be doing nothing for the hives.
The hives have been normal lately, and I have only had very minor attacks that just start to prickle & itch. One thing I always hate about cholinergic urticaria is that even when I don’t have an attack, my skin always feels “Icky.” It just always feels uncomfortable, and sometimes I get chills from uncomfortable fabrics, and in general it is very uncomfortable. I hate that feeling.
It was nice and sunny with temperatures in the mid 80′s there for a while, but for the past few days it has been cloudy & rainy. As I mentioned in my last post, it looks like it will be nearly impossible to get regular sun exposure at my apartment, and instead I will have to get it when I can.
I have new neighbors on one side now, and they apparently have some video game with drums attached to it (like guitar hero but with drums or congas). I have heard it all day long, and I am about to go crazy. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap….bang, bang, bang, bang… It sounds like they are in the same room with me.
I joke with my wife about my fantasies to get a rocket launcher or bazooka & one day and just blow away both sides of the apartment when I lose control. Relax, I am just kidding about it. I am a peace lover. But it is funny to imagine it for a second.
It always gives my wife a good laugh as I put up my arms as if holding a big bazooka, and then make sound effects that match it…pshhhew kapow, boom (hehe). Could you imagine what it would be like to suddenly have a huge missile burst through your walls with debris going everywhere. Then I would poke my head through the hole and kindly ask, “Could you please be quieter?” LOL.
I especially do this when they have some kid over that cries non-stop all day. It reminds me of that movie “Dumb & Dumber” with Jim Carrey & Jeff Daniels. They are in a van driving, and Jim Carrey goes, “want to hear the most annoying sound in the world? Whaaaa, Whaaaa, Whaaaa.” That sound should be played constantly to young teens who think it is fun to have unprotected sex. If that sound isn’t the best message for abstinence & birth control, I don’t know what is!
I swear–between the hives, hearing my neighbors sneeze, laugh, and beat drums all day, and everything else it is a miracle I still have my sanity, but I am still sane. How do I know I am still sane? Well because I think I am crazy. My wife said as long as I think I am crazy, I am in fact not crazy. Truly crazy people don’t know they are crazy, and since I suspect I am crazy, I am in fact sane. Does that make sense? That is your twisted dose of logic for today, hehe. So if any of you suspect you are sane, watch out! You might just be crazy after all.
Updates to the Blog/Website
I also just wanted to briefly mention a few changes I made to the blog. First of all, I changed the feed link, so for anyone who actually uses those feeds, you may want to update it to the new little link on the top of the right sidebar to make sure you get updates. I changed it to feedburner to get some stats of how many people use it, etc. I am not sure if the old feed will be updated or not from here on.
I also added a sitemap, and this breaks down all posts I have made & sorts them under the categories. It will be helpful to anyone wanting to browse through all of the posts I have made over the past year on the blog, and also to sort through future posts if necessary.
Well, that’s it for now! Stay cool & don’t scratch too hard.
