Itching or dampness in the ear could be due to many factors. It can be frustrating to experience the feeling of water trickling in your ear. Fortunately, your doctor can help with most of the causes of this condition. Carry on reading our blog if you’re wondering, ‘Why do my ears feel wet inside?’
Why Does It Feel Like My Ear is Wet from Inside?
There are multiple reasons why your ear might be feeling wet from the inside. Build-up within the tissues and tubes can cause fluid accumulation in your ears. Luckily, you can get treatment to address the ear issue. Now, as to what causes the fluid collection, these factors might be why:
1. Infections
When your ear gets inflammation or infection, it can feel wet from the inside.
A bacterial infection can occur due to the organisms residing on our skin, which can easily infect the ear. Consequently, fluids enter the tissues of our ears. This can result in inflammation, swelling, and more.
Viral infections are also possible reasons why there’s a feeling of water trickling in your ear. Nasal passages can get swollen and congested due to viral illnesses like the flu or the cold. Furthermore, your throat and Eustachian tubes can also become affected by viral infections, resulting in inflamed and swollen ear tissues
2. Blockage
The likelihood of bacterial and fungal growth increases when there’s excess moisture inside the ear canal. The ear might feel wet from the inside if you have narrow canals, which leads to a blockage. This blockage will trap water, giving way to bacterial growth and infection.
Using headphones and hearing aids can also trap excess water by causing a blockage. As a result, you experience the feeling of water trickling into the ear.
Other than this, environmental factors are also responsible for making your ears feel wet from the inside. By giving direct moisture access to your ears, factors like swimming and heavy perspiration could cause bacterial growth and infections. Moreover, earwax can also accumulate and cause these symptoms.
3. Swimmer’s Ear
Also known as ostitis externa, Swimmer’s ear is when the canal running from the eardrum to the ear’s opening is infected. Any condition that allows bacteria, fungi, and viruses into the canal can cause this condition.
The water that remains in your ears after swimming is believed to be the common culprit. In addition, cleaning with cotton swabs or earpieces that irritate is a possible reason.
4. Middle Ear Infection
When the air-filled space behind the eardrum falls prey to a bacterial or viral infection, it is known as acute otitis media or middle ear infection. As younger children have weaker immune systems, they’re usually more vulnerable to this infection. Additionally, the small shape and size of the Eustachian tubes also increase their possibility of getting infected.
See your primary care doctor instantly. This is because long-lasting and frequent ear infections can cause hearing loss. Not to forget, they can affect learning and speaking ability as well.
5. TMJ Disorder
The inside of your ear might feel wet due to dysfunction of your Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ), which joins your upper and lower jawbones. It can occur for various reasons, and you must visit your dentist right away if you suspect this condition.
What Should I Do?
If you’re wondering, ‘Why do my ears feel wet inside?’, a lot of factors can be the reason. Your primary healthcare provider can help identify and treat the cause. Our Aqeeq Internal Medicine team is just a few digits away at 832-786-8195.