Suggest treatment for ear paresthesia in a diabetic

Posted on Thu, 12 May 2016

Question: I have had ear paresthesia in my left ear off and on for 2-3 years now. It's always the same spot ... on the outer edge of my ear canal. Ear relief drops help but only for a few minutes. I am type 2 diabetic and have previously been diagnosed with Miniers Disease. But this is a constant issue ... unrelated to vertigo episodes or blood sugar levels. I have hearing loss and wear hearing aids and this often causes itchy ears ... but this is different and is driving me crazy. I had my ears examined but they saw no problems. Should I see an ENT or a Neurologist.

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Hitselberger Sign needs to be ruled out.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query.

1. The most likely cause for this paresthesia in your case will a be local cause, either diabetic neuropathy or from the pressure of the hearing aid mould.

2. A rare sign known as Hitselberger's Sign needs to be ruled out. This can be due to pressure on the nerves in the brain. (Arnold's Nerve/ Alderman's nerve/ Auricular branch of the Vagus Nerve).

3. The third possibility is a referred sensation due to gastritis or throat reflux/ irritation.

4. Hence you should see an ENT Specialist and a Neurologist to get all these areas checked.

5. Kindly let me know the outcome of these investigations.

I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Deepak