This is the moment medics find a live spider crawling through a woman’s ear canal after the pensioner went to hospital complaining of itching and a “stinging pain”.
The animal is believed to have been living in its warm and moist new ‘den’ for at least a week until its host sought medical attention at Mianyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan Province in south-western China.
Ear, nose and throat specialist Liu Jun said the elderly female patient visited the hospital’s outpatient clinic with her daughter on 22nd April.
Credit: AsiaWire
The pensioner from Yanting County complained of ringing in her ears and occasional itching, followed by a “stinging pain”.
Doctor Liu spotted a ball of silk in the woman’s ear canal and recommended she be given an otoscopy, which revealed that a live spider had been living inside.
Footage of the procedure shows the spider appearing to be startled by the medic’s light, emerging from behind its web and scrambling to protect itself from the medical equipment.
Doctor Liu paralysed the spider with a chemical ear drops and removed it with tweezers a minute later.
The patient’s ear, which had fortunately not been damaged by the spider, was cleaned with a saline solution, the medic said.
The pensioner said the spider likely crawled into her ear while she was working on a vineyard one week ago.
Doctor Liu said: “It was fortunately that the spider was small and didn’t rupture her eardrum, otherwise she might have suffered hearing loss.
“It’s not common for small insects or animals to be found inside the ear, but this wasn’t an isolated case either.
“I once treated a patient whose ear had been invaded by an insect which later laid eggs.
“Personal hygiene is the key to preventing this. But should an insect enter your ear, do not try to remove it by yourself. Always seek medical attention.”
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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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