There was a sudden swelling behind the ear

We all know that human ears are particularly important auditory organs. They transmit information to the brain through nerves through the eardrum. Only after hearing the sound can the brain make a quick judgment. Therefore, ear problems are also crucial. You should not dig earwax frequently, as this will cause ear inflammation. Some people will find that there is a sudden swelling behind their ears. What causes this?

The ear is one of the human organs, located behind the eyes. It has the function of distinguishing vibrations, converting the sound produced by vibrations into nerve signals, and then transmitting them to the brain. In the brain, these signals are translated into words, music, and other sounds that we can understand. There have been many wonderful things related to ears in this world, such as the story of Xu Zhenglu.

The ear is located behind the eye. It has the function of distinguishing vibrations and converting the sound produced by the vibrations into nerve signals, which are then transmitted to the brain. In the brain, these signals are translated into words, music, and other sounds that we can understand.

In anatomy, the ear consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.

The outer ear includes:

Auricle: The auricle has the function of gathering and reflecting waves. External auditory canal: It is about 2.5-3.5CM long and consists of cartilaginous part and bony part. The cartilaginous part occupies about the outer 1/3 of it. There are two narrow places in the external auditory canal, one is the junction of the bony and cartilaginous parts, and the other is the bony part about 0.5CM away from the tympanic membrane. The latter is called the external auditory canal isthmus. The external auditory canal is S-shaped. There is very little subcutaneous tissue in the external auditory canal, and the skin is almost in contact with the perichondrium and periosteum. Therefore, when infected and swollen, it is easy for nerve endings to be compressed and cause severe pain. The skin in the cartilaginous part contains cerumen glands with a structure similar to sweat glands that can secrete cerumen, and is rich in hair follicles and sebaceous glands.

Nerves and blood vessels of the external auditory canal: One is the auricular branch of the mandibular nerve, which is distributed in the front half of the external auditory canal, so pain from dental disease can be transmitted to the external auditory canal; the other is the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which is distributed in the back half of the external auditory canal, so when the skin of the external auditory canal is stimulated, it can cause reflex coughing. There are also branches from the greater auricular nerve and lesser occipital nerve from the cervical plexus, as well as from the facial nerve and glossopharyngeal nerve.

The middle ear includes:

Tympanic cavity: The tympanic cavity is an air-filled cavity located between the eardrum and the outer wall of the inner ear. The tympanic cavity contains auditory ossicles, muscles, ligaments, etc., and the cavity is covered with mucous membrane. The outer wall of the tympanic cavity is the eardrum.

Eustachian tube: It is a tube that connects the tympanic cavity and the nasopharynx, with a total length of about 35MM in adults. The outer 1/3 is the bony part and the inner 2/3 is the cartilaginous part. The pharyngeal opening at the medial end is located on the side wall of the nasopharynx, just posterior and inferior to the posterior end of the inferior turbinate. The tympanic opening of the Eustachian tube in adults is about 2-2.5CM higher than the pharyngeal opening, while that in children is close to horizontal, and the tube cavity is shorter and the inner diameter is wider. Therefore, pharyngeal infections in children are more easily transmitted to the tympanic cavity through this tube.

The inner ear includes:

Vestibule; semicircular canals; cochlea; internal auditory canal; middle cranial fossa

petrous part of temporal bone

If a lump suddenly appears behind the ear, the common cause is swollen lymph nodes. It may also be a tumor behind the ear, such as a small sebaceous gland cyst, cyst, etc. Go to the ENT department of the hospital for diagnosis. If it is a lymph node, generally no treatment is required. If it is caused by other reasons, surgery can be considered.