Why Are My Child’s Ears Itchy, Dry or Flaky? A Parent’s Guide Children frequently touch or rub their ears. Sometimes they are tired. Sometimes wax builds up near the entrance. But if your child repeatedly scratches inside or around the ear and you notice dry, flaky or scaly skin , there may be irritation of the ear canal skin itself. Parents often ask: “Is this earwax, eczema or an ear infection?” The answer can be surprisingly difficult to tell at home. The ear canal is lined by very delicate skin. Conditions that affect skin elsewhere on the body—including eczema—can affect this area too. Moisture, scratching, cotton buds, soap or shampoo can then further damage that skin and sometimes trigger otitis externa , which means inflammation or infection of the outer ear canal. Current NHS guidance lists itching, irritation and scaly skin amongst possible ear-infection symptoms, while Guy’s and St Thomas’ describes itching and dry flaky skin as characteristic features of otiti...
Treating All Adult and Children ENT conditions