What are the consequences of having an insect in my ear?

[Velvetee]

I sometimes awake in the morning with a pain in my ear and feel that maybe an insect has crawled down it as I sleep.

If this did happen, what would be the outcome? Would the insect travel to the inner ear and cause any damage, or would it be quickly destroyed by the antibodies in the ear wax?

[tracey ann..]

i get that too sometimes lasts a while maybee it is a bug or just slept funny ergggggggg spiders you get eight in your lifetime

[tracey ann..]

meant to say you eat eight in your sleep in a lifetime tired lol

[~max~]

Eeeewww! Don't stay like that, go to the doc! It happened to my dad when I was little, and I can stil remember it. Blurgh....

[Velvetee]

But what would really happen, if say an Earwig crawled into the ear canal. Would it eventually find it's way down the throat? Could it actually reside happily in the ear and possibly breed and raise a family of 4 little Wiglets? Does anyone have any scientific feed back as to the reality of it?

[Rtaxron]

There is an insect that can crawl in your ear and go to the brain.
I remember seeing a Documentary about it, but its not in the UK, it was in Africa or some other hot Country.

PS, sleep tight and wear the ear muffs.

[PaulSabin]

I saw the same documentary and it said towards the end that the insect now lived in UK due to it being brought in, and the mild temperature has ensured it's survival.

It lives in the trees in some of the London parks.

[Velvetee]

Does anyone know the name of this ear dwelling insect? Should I start stuffing my lugs with cotton wool?

[Octavius]

It is likely that a creepy crawlie can crawl down your auditory canal, but would have to be quite determined to nibble through your tympanic membrane (eardrum) and trot off down the eustachian tube - especially when there are some nice warm hidey holes to curl up and sleep in on the way (tympanum cavity). Plus the eustachain tube is lined with mucous, so it would probably get stuck and die anyway.

Either the sensation you are feeling is a creepy crawlie, or earwax residue having liquified in the heat of the night. Alternatively it could have been a spider which has laid some eggs and they are beginning to hatch......

[squarebear]

How can anyone possibly know that you eat 8 spiders while you are asleep in a lifetime? Have they filmed a group of people from cradle to grave and counted?

[DrFilth]

well after reading this i am going to wear my crash helmet in bed

[DrFilth]

come to thnk of it i had a pain in my right leg this morning i thought it was because i had slept on my teddy. it may be one of those little creepy crawly things and it has gone all the way down to near my right foot and is now kicking my shin.

[muppeteer]

if it ate through your ear drum im sure you would know as it would be agonising. ive read if you have an insect on your ear you are supposed to pour water in & lie on your side so it floats to the top & out.
i would see the doctor rather than have a wet bed.