Finnish Elme from the city of Espoo had a very unpleasant experience last week.
– I was going to the car from a market, then I noticed that something went very quickly into my ear. At first I thought there might be some water in my ear because it felt tight. But then it started to move and I tried to remove it with my finger, and then there was blood. Then I completely panicked, says Elme to Dagbladet.
She says she was not sure what had happened, and that she has never experienced anything like it.
– I was not even sure what it was, because I have never heard of something like this before.
– Really scary
– How did you experience it?
– It was really scary because I hate all kinds of insects, and the thought that something was in my ear was so disgusting. It was also very painful. The mill moved around in there, and it was quite large. It hit my eardrum all the time.
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As soon as the 25-year-old discovered that something was alive in her ear, she went to the doctor. After wanting a flashlight, the nurses saw something crawling around inside.
They got the mill out with tweezers, to Elme’s great relief. It was 2.5 centimeters long.
– The pressure in my ear was indescribable. I’m fine now, thank God. It was a bit sensitive and painful for a few days, but it’s fine now, she says.
The Finnish newspaper Evening paper has previously mentioned the case.
BLOOD FROM THE EAR: This is what Elme’s ear looked like after the doctors had had the mill removed. Photo: Private
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Expert: – Serious problem
Petter Bøckman works as a zoologist at the Natural History Museum, and tells Dagbladet that a moth in the ear can lead to several serious injuries.
– A 2.5 centimeter moth is quite large. Had it come through the eardrum, this woman could have had a serious problem. We have three tiny ear bones in the middle ear, which transmit and amplify the sound from the eardrum to the inner ear. You really do not feel like a panicky moth kicking around in there, says Bøckman to Dagbladet.
EXPERT: Zoologist and biologist Petter Bøckman is aware that insects far into the ear canals can be a danger. Photo: Morten Holm / NTB
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Bøckman says that he has experienced situations where a person has got an insect in the ear, and says that it seems very unpleasant and frightening.
– Our sensory organs are sensitive. Even though the eardrum is tough, it hurts to have things crawling around in there. Also, the sound is pretty scary.
Lost the whole family: – I’m a wreck
– Fortunately, the eardrum held, and it sounds like she let go of the fear. It is not dangerous as long as the mill does not enter through the eardrum, but I understand that it is a really unpleasant experience, Bøckman concludes.
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