Many people have blattophobia — fear of cockroaches. It is related to the fact that these insects are often carriers of infectious diseases. Also, cockroaches run fast and scare people with their appearance, causing anxiety and disgust in people. Anyone can suddenly become a blattophobe, especially after reading the news about how insects crawled into someone's ear. Recently, in the Moscow region city of Vidnoye, two bugs were pulled out of the ears of two women. Some people do not believe such news: how can cockroaches get into a small ear hole? Maybe this news is fake? Let's figure it out.
News about cockroaches getting into a person's ear is scary, but maybe it's fake?
Contents
- 1 Cockroaches found in ears of Moscow region women
- 2 What does a cockroach do in an ear
- 3 Can a cockroach crawl into an ear
- 4 What to do if a cockroach gets into an ear
- 5 What happens if a cockroach gets into a mouth
Cockroaches found in ears of Moscow region women
Scary stories that could cause a new phobia happened quite recently.
In early September 2024, two residents of the Moscow region city of Vidnoye went to the hospital complaining of strange noise and movement in their ears. As it turned out, in both cases, cockroaches got into the women's ears while they were sleeping. This was reported by Moskovsky Komsomolets.
Red cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. Photo source: YouTube
The first patient, a 32-year-old woman, came to the doctor when she began to feel discomfort in her left ear. It turned out that a red cockroach, which is also popularly known as a Prusak, had crawled in there. Doctors removed the insect with special tweezers without damaging the eardrum.
The second victim, a 63-year-old woman, had a slightly more complicated situation. Trying to get rid of the annoying “guest”, she used hydrogen peroxide. The effervescent substance killed the cockroach, but she couldn't remove it on her own, as the insect had stuck to the woman's eardrum. Doctors had to remove it in parts and, fortunately, everything turned out well.
What does a cockroach do in the ear
Cases when cockroaches crawl into a person's ears are not uncommon. The situation that one US resident faced in 2018 is further proof of this.
Katie Holley, a resident of the American state of Florida, once woke up with a strange sensation in her ear. It seemed to her that someone had put a piece of ice there. In an attempt to figure out what was going on, she took a cotton swab and noticed something stuck to it. She realized with horror that these were the legs of some insect. The culprit of the unpleasant sensations turned out to be a marzipan cockroach (Eurycotis floridana) – a typical inhabitant of the southeastern United States.
Marzipan cockroach. Photo source: a-z-animals.com
Attempts to remove the insect at home were unsuccessful, and the girl went to the doctor, where three fragments of the cockroach were pulled out of her ear. But the story did not end there. Nine days later, the woman had to seek help again, because six fragments of the insect remained in her ear, which were not noticed the first time.
Read also: How do cockroaches survive meteorite falls and nuclear explosions?
Can a cockroach crawl into an ear
It may sound scary, but yes, cockroaches can actually crawl into a person’s ear. The diameter of the ear canal in an adult is about 9–10 millimeters, which is enough for an insect to get in. Being nocturnal creatures, cockroaches go out to look for food in the dark when people are sleeping, and the ear seems like an ideal place for them. It’s warm, moist, and the smell of earwax reminds them of bread or beer.
The human ear is a safe place for any cockroach. Photo source: yaplakal.com
According to entomologist Coby Schal, cockroaches usually get stuck in the ear because they cannot get out on their own. Often, a person, feeling discomfort, tries to remove the insect themselves (like the woman mentioned above with hydrogen peroxide), which can lead to a ruptured eardrum or infection. That is why experts strongly advise not to take risks in such situations, but to immediately seek help from a doctor.
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What to do if a cockroach gets into your ear
According to ENT doctor Alexander Balakin, if a cockroach has crawled into your ear, the main thing is not to panic and not to try to remove it with sharp objects like knitting needles, matches, and cotton swabs. The insect, being mobile, can injure the ear canal and eardrum, and any rough movements will only make the situation worse. It is best to immediately consult a doctor who will safely remove the cockroach with special tools.
If an insect gets into your ear, the main thing is not to panic. Photo source: foxnews.com
If a visit to the doctor is not possible immediately, you can try to alleviate the situation at home. The doctor advises to drip refined vegetable oil into the ear, in which the cockroach will suffocate and die, which will make it much easier to remove. If the insect is not deep, you can try to get it out with tweezers. However, most often its parts can remain deeper, so the help of a specialist is necessary for complete cleaning of the ear.
Related article:How to know if parasitic worms have settled in the body?
What happens if a cockroach gets into your mouth
As scary as the thought of a cockroach in your ear sounds, the most important thing is to stay calm and trust the solution to the problem to specialists. Such cases are not uncommon, so doctors know how to cope with the situation without consequences for health.
In the situations described above, you should definitely see a doctor. Image source: dzen.ru
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Now that you know what to do if you encounter a cockroach in your ear, you may be interested to know what happens if this insect ends up… inside you. Accidentally swallowing a cockroach is also not that uncommon. What happens in this case? Find out more in our article “What happens if you accidentally swallow a cockroach.”