Ear pressure sore

I’ve had a quick flick about on google for donut/ring pillows but most seem to be for relieving sore at the other end of the body and would be rather too big for laying on.

I thought about a neck pillow, but these may be too hard to lay upon.

Some sites seem to advocate a cervical … Hold on there … might have found something ….. http://www.creatingcomforts.co.uk/-Pillows/Cervical-Neck-Support-Pillow-/p-156-340/

£26 but if this is going to become a recurring problem for your ear, might be a wise investment and once you have it you may find other times it is of use.

Just back from the Hospital Dermo for this very problem. I can only mainly sleep on my left side due to scoliosis causing the skin on my left ear to break down. My problem started a few years back as a very small acne spot on my ear but the continual pressure due to my sleep position has caused the cartilage in the ear to be inflamed and sore. The Hosp Doc gave a big fancy name for it but he said it was basically contact dermitis on top of inflamed ear cartilage. The most sever treatment He has mentioned so far is plastic surgery to remove the damaged cartilage and a skin graft. but I have opted to continue with the cryo freeze (mega cold liquid stuff that should encourage healing) and a new cream.

I found the cold weather had a real bad effect on it as does really hot sunny weather. Always have to put lots of sun cream on my ears.

DIY first aid:- at the minute I am constantly applying E45 to see if it will heal better if the skin is more supple.

Cushions:- I find my firmer memory foam pillow makes it worse so have been trying to alternate between different pillows. I try t use soft pillow cases like flannelette as cotton can be too rough.

Bandage up:- Have tried all sorts of dressings. have even tried cutting a hole on a flat ish baby sponge and bandaging it over my ear Pudsey bear style. Works not too bad but really need a helper to get it comfortable.

Hope you find a solution

Going with the whole smallish sponge with a hole in it idea…how about if a head strap could be attached to it so it wouldn’t slip during the night…much like the bipap head straps? Just a thought…if there’s nobody you know personally who can make something for you or adapt a technique you already use many somebody on this board knows somebody kind enough to lend a helping hand at some DIY ?? Anybody…

cream called Bactroban

think thats the cream Im waiting on the chemist getting me. This weekend Ive adopted a new strategy of putting a big blob of e45 on a tissue and slapping it on my ear. the cream helps the tissue stick to my ear rather that my ear continually sticking to my pillow case and opening the scab every time I move.

Think my next step is going to involve a pair of sissors and an attack on my memory foam pillow to create a hole for my ear to sit in over night.

OWW and a separate tip from a friend who has bad Exzema. Ive been wearing my hair down alot to hide the horrible ear. but apparently the natural hair oils and gunk from hair products can irratate spots, exzema and dermititus and can make these condition flair up.

hi peeps.

hows the ears doing :?:

mine seems to be on the mend (touch wood) between the E45, bactroban and trimivate creams and the hole that I chopped in my tempor memory foam pillow.

Post by catherine » 22 May 2011, 21:51
mine seems a little better, kinda flits between almost better and red and painful. think it’s just something else i’m going to have to learn to live with :)! glad yours is improving too. what is trimivate?

its a anti imflammitory steriod cream for skin things. it reduces the swelling and the redness, heat and itchness. as well as a few other symptoms. this is as good as I have managed to get my ear. was looking at old photos the other day and this has been a problem for about 3 yrs now. Ive got it down to pink and only painfull if I lie on it too long. I too have scoliosis and cant lie too long on my back or other side so the the chopping a hole in my pillow has really helped.

take care
cat

Ear ear… (can you see what i did there ) I am going to have to look into these. I think I would benefit too.

I’m sorry I missed this post until now. My father was bed bound and he also developed a pressure sore on his ear. We didn’t even know this was a thing, but it turned out to be really tricky to treat. His GP prescribed steroid creams and I’m sure you’ve also received, but we found that unless the pressure was removed from the ear, it wouldn’t go away. We cut our own but in the end we found a company online that does them. They turned out to really help and the pressure sore went away after a couple of months. Really pleased with it. Here’s the info if anyone is interested: pillow with a hole