A woman in Bohol complained of ear pain, which prompted her colleagues to investigate and find a live cockroach inside her ear.
According to a report by Katrina Son on GTV State of the Nation on Tuesday, Janine Kaye Uy, a student, was assisted by her friends in removing the insect from her ear. They put baby oil in Uy’s ear and used tweezers to remove the cockroach. At first, they were only able to get hold of the cockroach’s legs. But eventually, they successfully removed the live insect and killed it.
Uy said the pain disappeared after the cockroach got removed in her ear.
“It would have been more painful if they had removed it in the morning,” Uy said.
According to an ears, nose, and throat surgeon, incidents like these often occur when people sit or sleep on the floor.
The doctor advised that in cases like this, it’s better to check first whether the insect is alive or dead before attempting to remove it.
“Pagbuhay gumagalaw minsan maririnig mo parang may lumilipad sa loob ng tainga or may sound, bago natin extract or tanggalin kailangan patayin muna natin. So how do we kill? Usually ang advise namin maglagay ng baby oil,” said ENT-plastic surgeon Dr. Ruthlyn Pecolera-Salvosa.
[“If it’s alive, you may hear it moving inside the ear or hear a sound. Before we extract or remove it, we need to kill it first. So how do we kill it? Usually, our advice is to put baby oil,” said ENT-plastic surgeon Dr. Ruthlyn Pecolera-Salvosa.]
The doctor also warned against using water in such situations as it could make the insect move erratically.
Alcohol is also not recommended to be put inside the ear as it could be painful, especially if there are already wounds inside the ear.
The doctor advised that even after removing the insect, it’s still better to consult a doctor to make sure nothing was left inside the ear.
“Kasi mamaya tinry alisin sa loob ng bahay mabutas yung tainga or ear drum na tinatawag. Pinakamaganda masilip ng espesyalista para matanggal,” said Pecolera-Salvosa.
[“Because if it was attempted to be removed at home, it might cause a hole in the ear or eardrum. It’s best to have it checked by a specialist to remove it,” said Pecolera-Salvosa.]
The doctor also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the sleeping area is clean to prevent similar incidents.
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