What Is Ear Psoriasis?
Ear psoriasis is a chronic – meaning ongoing – skin condition that happens when your immune system reacts too strongly to protect against germs and other invaders. This causes dead skin cells to build up in and around your ears and form thick, scaly patches.
Most of the time, symptoms appear on the outside of the ear as well as in the crease behind it. They can happen inside the ear canal, too. The condition doesn’t reach deeper to affect more delicate parts like the eardrum, though.
Whether your condition is mild or severe, you have several treatment options to ease symptoms on and in your ears.
Ear Psoriasis Symptoms
You may have:
- Red, dry patches of skin on your ear for lighter skin tones. On darker skin tones, patches can look purple or gray.
- Silvery or crusty scales called plaques
- Scales that build up inside your ear canal
- Itching, burning, or tenderness inside and outside the ear
- A clogged feeling inside your ear
- Trouble hearing
If you scratch and pick at the affected areas or try to clear out the buildup inside your ear, that could lead to bleeding and more irritation and inflammation. It may even cause the psoriasis to spread to nearby areas.
Ear Psoriasis Causes
No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis or what makes it appear on a certain part of your body. But scientists do know that the condition begins when the immune system attacks your skin cells. That action causes your skin to grow new cells more often, which build up on the surface and create the plaques and other symptoms you can see.
Ear psoriasis risk factors
Ear psoriasis can run in families, but things other than genetics also may play a role. Psoriasis can appear in response to a trigger, such as:
- Stress
- A cut, bad sunburn, or other injury to the skin
- An infection
- Smoking
- Drinking a lot of alcohol
- A lack of vitamin D
- Some medications, including beta-blockers for high blood pressure, drugs for malaria, or lithium for bipolar disorder
You’re more likely to have ear psoriasis if you have a general diagnosis of psoriasis, too.
How common is it?
It’s not common to have psoriasis symptoms in your ears. You’re more likely to have psoriasis on your extremities like your arms and legs. It’s possible for symptoms to show up on any skin on your body, though.
Types of Ear Psoriasis
These are the most common types of ear psoriasis:
- Plaque psoriasis is triggered by your immune system overreacting to a perceived invader or foreign substance. Dead skin cells build up in or around your ears and form plaques.
- Inverse psoriasis happens when the plaques form in the folds of your ear.
- Sebopsoriasis is a combination of seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. Greasy, yellowish plaques – thicker than other types – appear, usually behind your ears.
Where Ear Psoriasis Can Show Up
You can get ear psoriasis on the skin of any part of your ear, including in your ear canal.
Behind ear psoriasis
Some experts include psoriasis symptoms on the skin behind your ears as a type of scalp psoriasis. It features scaly plaques and is caused by immune system overreaction. Along with the risk factors for ear psoriasis, other reasons you might have psoriasis behind the ear include:
- Depression
- Obesity
- Having other autoimmune diseases
- Not taking prescribed meds frequently enough
Inner ear canal psoriasis
If you have psoriasis in your inner ear, or ear canal, it’s key to get it treated right away. While the symptoms are similar to psoriasis in other parts of your ear, plaque buildup can cause blockage. This can lead to temporary hearing problems.
Ear Psoriasis Diagnosis
You’ll get an ear psoriasis diagnosis from your health care provider or a dermatologist. They’ll carefully examine the affected area and go over your medical history. They might also ask about your family’s history in case genetics play a part.
If there’s any doubt about the diagnosis or your symptoms closely mirror another condition, your provider might want to do a skin biopsy and order tests to ID it correctly.
If your hearing is affected because of inner ear blockage, you might be referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
Ear psoriasis vs. eczema in your ears
Psoriasis and eczema – also known as atopic dermatitis – both can affect your ears. They look different, though, which will help your practitioner zero in on a diagnosis. Both can feel itchy, but eczema causes small bumps and dryness compared with the scaly flakes of ear psoriasis.
Eczema is more common and often triggered by allergies. To make sure, your doctor may want to conduct a skin allergy test, do a skin biopsy to pinpoint the type of dermatitis, or order blood tests in case your symptoms are from another condition.
You can have both eczema and ear psoriasis at the same time.
Ear Psoriasis Treatment
Since the skin of your ears is thinner and more delicate than in other places, treating psoriasis here takes extra care. Your doctor will likely prescribe a low- to a medium-strength steroid that you can put into your ear canal in drops or rub on the outside of your ear and behind it. Be careful when you use these medicines – they can affect your eardrum. Ask your doctor exactly how to apply them.
You could also get a prescription for a scale removal medicine, such as calcipotriene (Dovonex) or tazarotene (Tazorac), mixed with corticosteroid cream, lotion, or ointment. And you can try over-the-counter moisturizers to help keep the skin on the outside of your ears comfortable and less irritated.
Your doctor can also prescribe nonsteroidal topical creams like roflumilast (Zoryve) or tapinarof (Vtama). The two topicals are FDA-approved to treat plaque psoriasis in adults. You’ll need to apply it to the affected areas on or around your ears once a day.
You can use both creams on most body parts affected by psoriasis, including sensitive skin folds (inverse psoriasis) and your face where you’re more likely to have thinner skin. If you notice skin irritation, burning, itching, or stinging that doesn’t go away or is too bothersome, tell your doctor.
If scale buildup blocks your ear canal, you shouldn’t try to remove it yourself – you could damage your inner ear or eardrum. Your best bet is to ask your doctor to remove the debris from your ears for you.
Some people may need medicines that work throughout the body to treat their psoriasis, especially if it’s moderate or severe. Options include medications you take by mouth, steroid shots, or biologic drugs that alter your immune system. Light therapy – when you expose your skin to ultraviolet rays with your doctor’s guidance – is another way to treat psoriasis, especially in sensitive areas like around the face. Your doctor will help you find a treatment that’s best for your skin.
Ear Psoriasis Complications
The main complication of ear psoriasis is that the buildup of scales and plaques can block your ear canal enough that you have temporary hearing problems. The problem should go away when your doctor removes the blockage.
Even if the condition doesn’t affect the skin in and around your ears, psoriasis itself may make you more likely to get a mild form of hearing loss called sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). One study found that people with psoriasis were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with SSNHL. The link isn’t clear, but researchers think it may happen when the immune system attacks a part of the inner ear called the cochlea. If you have hearing loss that comes on over a few days, let your doctor know ASAP.
Living With Ear Psoriasis
Other than sticking to your treatment plan, you can care for your skin and help stave off flare-ups with these hygiene habits:
- Don’t clean your ears with cotton swabs. They can push dead skin and naturally cleansing wax further into your ear canal.
- Gently wash the skin of the outer part of your ears every day.
- Use a mild moisturizer to keep your outer ear skin from drying out. (Don’t use soap or moisturizer in your inner ear, though.)
- Try to ID and sidestep triggers that make symptoms worse, such as stressful situations or getting too much sun.
Takeaways
Ear psoriasis shows up as thick, scaly patches called plaques. They can happen anywhere on your ear, including behind or inside it. What triggers the condition is your immune system overreacting to the threat of germs and other invaders. This causes dead skin cells to build up. Buildup in your ear canal can cause temporary hearing loss.
A type of ear psoriasis called inverse psoriasis happens when the plaques form in the folds of your ear.
Getting a diagnosis usually is straightforward, as your health care provider can spot the appearance. If your symptoms happen to be similar to another condition, further testing can be done.
Treatment may include a prescription steroid or topical creams or lotions you put on your skin. Light therapy or biologic drugs might be prescribed, too.
Ear Psoriasis FAQs
What causes ear psoriasis?
Your immune system perceives an attack by a germ or other invader and creates a buildup of dead skin cells called plaques.
Is it the same as eczema?
No. You might have itchiness with both conditions, but whereas ear psoriasis shows up as plaques and scales, eczema usually causes a bumpy appearance. Eczema is often triggered by allergies, unlike ear psoriasis. Eczema is far more common.
Does ear psoriasis run in families?
It can. When your doctor reviews your medical history during diagnosis, they might ask questions about your family’s medical history, too.
What are some ear psoriasis triggers?
Stress, too much alcohol, sun exposure, smoking, and some meds are several triggers for ear psoriasis.
How is ear psoriasis treated?
A health care practitioner needs to diagnose it first. They might prescribe a steroid, biologic drugs that help regulate your immune system, light therapy, or ointments or creams you apply to the affected areas of your ear.
Can ear psoriasis cause hearing loss?
If plaque or scales build up and block your ear canal, you might have temporary hearing loss. Your doctor will need to remove the blockage and clear your inner ear.
What can I do to manage ear psoriasis on my own?
Keep the skin on your ears clean, and use a light moisturizer. Don’t put soap or moisturizer in your ear canal. Also, avoid using cotton swabs as they can push debris farther into your inner ear.
