An ear or aural hematoma is when you have a build-up of blood just beneath the skin’s surface in your ear. Aural hematomas typically occur on the outside of the ear in the pinna (curve of ear) and cause swelling that’s excessive enough to see and slightly resembles cauliflower. For that reason, ear hematomas are often referred to as cauliflower ear.
Aural hematomas often stem from blunt force trauma that causes a blood vessel in your ear to rupture. Unlike other forms of internal bleeding, ear hematomas often aren’t serious as long as you don’t leave them untreated. Left unchecked, however, ear hematomas can cause permanent hearing damage or lead to a dangerous infection.
Most hematomas and forms of internal bleeding are tough to spot because there are very few physical symptoms. With an ear hematoma, however, the physical symptoms are pretty obvious. Here are some of the things to watch out for.
Additionally, most cases of cauliflower ear happen as a direct result of trauma, specifically a blow to the side of the head that strikes the ear. For that reason, you can know to watch out for an aural hematoma immediately following trauma. Additionally, the pain will come and go with an ear hematoma but is often mild. That is, of course, unless it gets infected, in which case the pain will be severe.
Aural hematomas are almost exclusively caused by trauma to the ear and side of the head. This blow leads to a burst blood vessel and simultaneous clot resulting in a build-up of blood in a specific part of the ear. While the causes of ear hematomas are always the same, here are a few things that can increase your chances of sustaining one.
Cauliflower ear, aka ear hematomas, are more common in people who participate in contact sports. It’s specifically prevalent with boxers, MMA fighters, wrestlers, and people who play rugby or football. You can also get an ear hematoma while playing soccer if the ball strikes you forcefully in the ear.
In addition to sports, other forms of blunt force trauma can cause an ear hematoma. This includes being in a car accident, being in a fight, or falling and hitting the side of your head.
While these are the most at-risk people for ear hematomas, anyone can sustain one if they suffer trauma to the ear.
Regardless of what caused your ear hematoma, it will get diagnosed the same way. Typically, your doctor can diagnose an aural hematoma simply by looking at your ear and seeing the swelling. However, if they see that you have a hematoma, they may perform follow-up exams to ensure the blow to the head didn’t cause other damage. This could include a CT scan, cranial nerve examination, and neurological examination.
Treatment for an aural hematoma will include several things. First, if you start noticing swelling in your ear, you should immediately apply ice and go to the doctor. Once you get there, they will diagnose and treat your hematoma accordingly. Typically, this will include surgically draining the ear to decrease swelling. If you don’t have a severe hematoma, this will be enough to solve your issue.
However, if the damage is too severe, you may require cosmetic surgery to repair your ear physically. You may also require hearing therapy and additional treatments to ensure you do not suffer hearing loss.