A 2-year-old girl in Son La was recently found by doctors at the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital to have fleas parasitizing on her eardrum during examination.
According to information from the National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, the child was brought to the examination by his family because he often had itchy ears and often used his hands to wipe his ears. Through endoscopy examination, doctors recorded that the child's outer ear canal was clear, and the eardrum was still intact. However, on the surface of the eardrum, many small black foreign objects appeared moving.
The test results showed that these foreign objects were parasitic fleas. Exploiting epidemiological factors, doctors determined that the patient's family raised many dogs, cats and children regularly came into contact with pets in daily life.
BSCKII Le Hong Anh, Department of Ear and Neurology, Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital said that although this case was detected when there was no damage to the ear, if not treated promptly, fleas may continue to parasitize and reproduce in the ear canal.
Fleeting eggs can develop into larvae and hatch right in the ear canal environment, increasing the risk of infection, damaging ear structures, affecting the health and hearing ability of patients" - Dr. Anh warned.
After examination, the patient was prescribed on-site treatment with ear drops and monitored according to the doctor's instructions.
Experts recommend that parents pay special attention to personal hygiene for children as well as taking care of pets in the family to limit the risk of parasitic infection.
Children need to be bathed and washed their hair regularly to eliminate the risk of fleas still clinging to the body or hair. For dogs and cats, it is necessary to clean, bathe and wash periodically and apply flea prevention and control measures according to veterinary doctor's instructions.
In addition, blankets, clothes and household items in the family need to be washed thoroughly, especially in areas where pets are frequently exposed. When children show signs such as prolonged ear itching, frequent whining or discomfort in the ear, parents should take children to specialized medical facilities for examination and timely treatment, avoiding arbitrary intervention at home.
