Broken Cartilage

Is it possible to break the cartilage in your ear? :s-smilie:

I ask because my ear has been sore for the past few days and is slightly swollen and red. When I feel it, it feels a lot different to the other ear, almost as if the cartilage is broken. However, I haven't done anything recently that could have damaged my ear :s-smilie:

And whilst it's painful, the skin has gone really dry and I've scratched at it so much, it's red raw :redface:

It's even too painful to sleep on and is painful to simply stroke it, nevermind actually touch it properly!

Just wondered if anybody had any ideas. Thank you. :smile:

Reply 1

SoundDevastation

13

random.. try some moisturiser, vitamin E is great for skin.

yes its possible to break cartilage but trust me its not easy!! ive got 5 piercings in my ear cartilage (3 of which i did myself) and a circle of cartilage removed.. and you need ALOT of force to get through that stuff. it doesnt just snap. unless maybe you have some kind of deficiency..

is it pusy at all? could be an infection under the skin.. though god knows how it would get there. If it doesnt clear up.. go to the docs.

Reply 2

Renal

17

I would have thought that the cartilage in the ear would be very difficult to 'break' because it's so flexible.

Reply 3

starry skies

gotta wonder why you're anon! more likely to be infection. take some painkillers & see a doc if it doesn't clear up in a couple of days.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

OP

No, it's not pusy lol It's the bit on this image which is called the conch; http://z.about.com/d/tattoo/1/0/w/K/piercingpics8.jpg When I move it, it feels so loose compared to my other ear :s-smilie:

Reply 5

FireDeuce

14

Actually.. it sounds like Otitus Externia.
Did it start off incredibly itchy before it started hurting lots?

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

FireDeuce

Actually.. it sounds like Otitus Externia.
Did it start off incredibly itchy before it started hurting lots?

Nope not really, although I had earache a few times last week before it became swollen, nothing too painful though.

Reply 7

Renal

17

Otitis externa is an infection in the external ear canal, not the external ear.

Reply 8

Thud

17

Maybe you just slept on it weird? I do that a lot and my ears really hurt the next morning.

Reply 9

Anonymous #1

OP

Thud

Maybe you just slept on it weird? I do that a lot and my ears really hurt the next morning.

I thought it may be that but it's been like this, swollen and red, for three days now :confused:

It's annoying as I can't sleep on that side and the piercings in my left helix make it irritating to sleep on that side!

Reply 10

SoundDevastation

13

it would be difficult to sleep on conch weird.. :s-smilie:

Reply 11

FireDeuce

14

Renal

Otitis externa is an infection in the external ear canal, not the external ear.

But alas, if left for long enough makes the whole ear, and indeed side of your face, untouchable.

Reply 12

Jenny_x

I think It's possible you to have torn the cartilage in your ear - it is possible so do. Unfortunately I'm not sure there's much they can do about it. See how it goes for a while longer.

Reply 13

dh00001

16

if its pierced is it an infection from that?

Reply 14

Renal

17

FireDeuce

But alas, if left for long enough makes the whole ear, and indeed side of your face, untouchable.

Yes, but then it's not really otitis anymore, but that's a bit of semantics. Either way, it's unlikely to cause an earache and very localised pinna pain.

Reply 15

James C

the ear is made of elastic connctive tissue so I doubt it is actually possible to break :smile:

, unless u rip it off of course :P

Reply 16

Anonymous #1

OP

dh00001

if its pierced is it an infection from that?

My right ear, the ear that's swollen, is only peirced on the lobe and have been for about 18 years. I wondered if they had anything to do with it and I didn't wear them for a few days but it's not gone out. I think I'm going to leave it a week or so and see if it's still sore.

Thanks for the replies guys :smile:

Reply 17

Lindylane30

1

I hope you are now feeling better! I woke up over a week ago now, with my hurting so bad on the right side upper ear (cartilage) and I don’t sleep on my right side I sleep on my left side or my back, so then a few days later it started swelling more, and now I have this line that looks like a bruise but it’s real scaley like. It is very painful, and I’ve been told before it was broken when I went to Er about a year ago after a fall, and it didn’t even stay sore this long, like more than sore now have a knot and it’s swollen and don’t look or feel like it did when they said it was broke, same ear. Oh also it is red where the swelling and knot is, very painful even if my hair lands on it, I also can’t use my ear buds either in the right ear bcus it hurts so bad. I just got off of amoxicillin-Clav 875mg for a sinus infection, now I’m wondering if I somehow maybe got bit by something and it’s infected now?? I’m not sure bcus it was hurting before the redness, swelling, or funny scaley bruise looking mark that is on my ear it’s so hard to explain how it is but it is front of ear to back all the way around it, and there’s a knot redness, severe pain, pain meds and Motrin do not even help at all. I’m going to call and make a dr appointment tomorrow morning because it’s been almost 2 weeks now actually and I’ve been clammy and sweating with chills and fever, so who knows! I will update you though!

Reply 18

Anonymous #2

I hope you are now feeling better! I woke up over a week ago now, with my hurting so bad on the right side upper ear (cartilage) and I don’t sleep on my right side I sleep on my left side or my back, so then a few days later it started swelling more, and now I have this line that looks like a bruise but it’s real scaley like. It is very painful, and I’ve been told before it was broken when I went to Er about a year ago after a fall, and it didn’t even stay sore this long, like more than sore now have a knot and it’s swollen and don’t look or feel like it did when they said it was broke, same ear. Oh also it is red where the swelling and knot is, very painful even if my hair lands on it, I also can’t use my ear buds either in the right ear bcus it hurts so bad. I just got off of amoxicillin-Clav 875mg for a sinus infection, now I’m wondering if I somehow maybe got bit by something and it’s infected now?? I’m not sure bcus it was hurting before the redness, swelling, or funny scaley bruise looking mark that is on my ear it’s so hard to explain how it is but it is front of ear to back all the way around it, and there’s a knot redness, severe pain, pain meds and Motrin do not even help at all. I’m going to call and make a dr appointment tomorrow morning because it’s been almost 2 weeks now actually and I’ve been clammy and sweating with chills and fever, so who knows! I will update you though!

Reply 19

mdiasrtt

1

Bi need help I fell very hard on my ear it started bleeding my ears are hard lol I guess I have a lot of artalige in the this happened a month ago my ear now has veins popping out it's in so much painthere was bleeding it was cut on the top I have not got it looked at I thought oh it's not so bad lol well now when I feel my ear there is a big chunk of the cartilage message like my ear is deformed what do I do lol

Broken Cartilage

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