Which Ear is Bugging You?

The cheerful, petite nurse practitioner (NP) enters the exam room and asks, “Which ear is bugging you?” Immediately, she realizes the humor in that question, and the three of us burst into laughter. Even the patient, my husband Mitch, whose ear is literally bugging him, laughs.

Two Hours Before

We were driving to our house in the mountains. We got a text from our friend Jim asking if we could help. Coincidentally, we were moments from his home, and WHOOSH! we arrived within a minute, just like emergency professionals. “How can we help you, Sir?”

It appeared that some large trees had fallen and crossed the long, gravel driveway to Jim’s home. Mitch was thrilled at the chance to use his chainsaw and the towing capabilities of his Gator side-by-side to assist. Maybe Jim was actually doing Mitch a favor by giving him an opportunity to use his equipment.

BUZZ!

Mitch and Jim are hauling a large tree chunk when Mitch feels (and hears) a bug enter his ear. SWOOSH-SWISH-PING-PING. Mitch does not abandon lifting the tree trunk, as I would have, but waits until they have completed moving it. His ear feels like something is swishing or maybe walking in the canal. EWWW!

1- Hour Later

We are back home and Mitch is experiencing pain in his ear. He’s looking for Q-tips, which we thankfully don’t have – because who knows how far the foreign object would have traveled.

Next, he asks me to grab the tweezers. Every instinct is screaming “NO,” but Mitch is insisting, so I hand the tool over – and look away from the ear zone. After a few unsuccessful trials, Mitch gives up. PHEW!

I suggest/insist that we go to urgent care, which is a quick (sarcasm intended) thirty-minute drive down the back roads to Olean, NY.

Urgent Care

We arrive, and Mitch tells the front desk the whole story. They take us back very quickly. The first nurse assistant immediately enters the room. She is casual and nonchalant. She grabs the otoscope to look into Mitch’s ear, and her face freezes into a look that is hard for me to describe. Aghast may conjure up her look. Oh, I wish I had a photo!

She confirms still looking slightly alarmed, “Yes, you have a bug in your ear”. Mitch reacts loudly to this news: “GET IT OUT!”

WHICH EAR IS BUGGING YOU

The assistant cannot remove bugs without the nurse practitioner’s consent. The NP enters the room moments- that felt like months- later, and that’s when she innocently asks, “Which ear is bugging you?” She looks into Mitch’s infested ear and gives her approval for removal.

In walks the first nurse assistant, with a calmer face, and armed with her equipment. ( A fly swatter was not included in her tools)

Mitch asks her if the bug is alive, and that’s when we see the reason for her astonished, aghast look. This nurse is all facial expressions- you can read her face like a book. Now her expression says, “Should I tell him the truth? I am also a bit freaked out!” She confesses that she indeed saw a leg moving! EWWW!

I’ve Seen it All – But This? Hmmm

The nurse explains that she has seen all kinds of objects, including dead bugs, in an ear canal, but seeing a live fly was a new sight for her.

FYI -Having a live bug trapped in your ear is rare in overall medical presentations, but it does happen. Insects account for about 10% to 18% of foreign objects found in adult ear canals, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinics or emergency rooms see these cases a few times a year per facility

Ear Canal Tsunami

She flushes his ear, the same way you remove earwax. It is painful because something (I will refrain from making assumptions) in the canal is hitting a nerve.

Finally, the bug emerges – he does not survive the ear canal tsunami – thankful for that – sorry, bug advocates – and Mitch is released!

If you ever need a good urgent care to remove a live insect from your ear, WellNow in Olean, NY is the place to go!

Photos by request only 😉

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