A curious case involving a 64-year-old woman was recently shared in a scientific article. The elderly woman, who lives in Taiwan, could no longer stand the noise that only she heard. There was incessant clicking and hissing and this was already becoming a problem in her life.
That’s when he decided to see a doctor, where specialists decided to perform an imaging test on the patient’s ear canal, using a small camera. To everyone’s surprise, they found a small spider living in the woman’s ear, whose identity was not revealed. The video of the exam went viral on the Internet.
The spider changed the exoskeleton in the woman’s ear
{VIDEO]
The spider seemed to feel very comfortable in the patient’s ear. This is so true that the animal decided to take advantage of its stay to change its exoskeleton, or its external support structure.
As they grow, these animals must change their exoskeleton to adapt to their new dimensional reality. During this exchange period, animals become more vulnerable to predators and seek safe places to hide. In this search, the spider decided that the human ear was a good place to take refuge.
The image captured by the medical team shows both the live spider and its old exoskeleton.
The spider was sucked in by the ear
A woman with hypertension presented to the clinic with a 4-day history of abnormal ringing in the ear. During the examination, a small spider was seen moving within the external auditory canal of the left ear. The spider’s molten exoskeleton was also present. https://t.co/dye2sbbiL9 pic.twitter.com/SfeNBBGQS8
—NEJM (@NEJM) October 25, 2023
The medical team quickly removed the spider from the patient’s ear canal. The small arachnid measured about 3 mm, so it did not cause earaches to the woman, but only bothered her with her movements, as they generated noises that only she was able to hear.
Dr. Liyin Weng’s team decided to publish the article reporting the situation and the medical procedures used in the treatment, since this type of spider accident is not so common in his clinic, although the doctor acknowledges that the presence of other insects, such as moths and even cockroaches, may be more common in human ears.
Despite this, the presence of insects inside the ear canals had already been documented in the medical literature. A report from NBC shows that 14% of foreign body accidents inside the ears are caused by animals, such as insects or spiders.
However, the presence of objects, such as cotton, pieces of earrings or beads, is considered more common in the ears than live insects.
What to do in these cases?
The presence of foreign objects inside the ears can cause tickling, shivering, or tactile discomfort. It rarely causes pain. As in the case described in this article, some people hear sounds.
In all these cases, the patient must seek medical help. Never attempt to remove the object or animal yourself. You could cause irreversible damage to your hearing.
Even if someone can see the object or animal, do not allow that person to attempt to remove it. In the case of Taiwan, doctors used a hospital-grade suction device, all to avoid internal damage to the patient’s ear, who reported no consequences from the experience.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
