Spider lives in Chinese woman's ear for five days before doctors flush it out

An image from Changsha Central Hospital from August 8 shows a spider in a woman's ear canal.

/ Rednet.cn

(CBS News) A woman reportedly checked into a Chinese hospital because of an itchy ear that had bothered her for almost a week, only to find out a spider had taken up residence in her ear canal.

The woman, "Mrs. Lee," went to the Changsha Central Hospital of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery for the procedure, according to Chinese media site Rednet.cn.

LiveScience reports that the spider likely crawled into the woman's ear five days before her August 8 hospital visit.

A scope of the ear revealed hairy spider with four eyes posing for the camera (pictured above). The Huffington Post reports that the spider may have found its new home while Mrs. Lee slept in her home during renovations.

According to LiveScience, the woman's doctors were concerned if they were to simply go in and try to remove the spider, it would "instinctively drill its barbs deeper, scratching the ear canal." Doctors eventually got it out by pouring saline solution into the ear canal and flushing out the unwelcomed guest.

According to the National Institutes of Health, people who think they have an insect in their ear should not reach in, since it may cause the insect to sting or bite. It recommends turning the person's head with the affected side up to see if the insect crawls out. If that doesn't work, have someone pour mineral, olive or baby oil into the ear while gently pulling the earlobe backward and upward (downward for a child); that should suffocate the insect which hopefully will float out with the oil.

Even if the insect comes out, the NIH says people should seek medical attention because small insect parts can irritate the skin of the ear canal.

[JulieMcCoy]

Did the spider live?

[EmpireGeorge______--]

by erasmus111 August 10, 2012 5:55 PM EDT

Did I ask you for your opinion? NO.
____________

I apologize, I thought for a moment this was an forum of ideas and opinions.......I didn't know I had to ask your permission before clicking "reply to this comment"

and, the incident happened in China, not America, not Canada, not your back yard....in the rural country in China, where people live a very different lifestyle.....and Yes, I do open doors and windows, but we have this invention called screens, and spiders don't typically walk into your home while you open a door.....so you ARE getting apoplectic about nothing......you can rest easy, and sleep in tents again, because SPIDERS ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE-UP RESIDENCE IN YOUR EARS....it's a very rare occurence, and mostly in 3rd world countries.

[erasmus111]

".......I didn't know I had to ask your permission before clicking 'reply to this comment'"


Don't get your undies in a knot. I was joking.


I have screens on all my windows and doors, but sometimes, if it's hot, and if there is a breeze, and it's during the day, I will leave the patio one open. The air comes through better with it open.

See, because we have so little crime, I can leave my doors open, WITHOUT FEAR. : )

Also, I don't need to sleep in a tent anymore. I have a motorhome with nice windows and screens in them. But even at that, when the screen door opens, bugs can still get in.

[Ceres6]

The Chinese have no patience. The poor spider was evicted just after five days for not paying room and board.

[Verascity]

Aaaagh!!!!!

[littlebuddyd]

Tried to take a photo of a huge spider in my bathroom, but when I put a coin next to it for scale IT TOOK THE COIN AND PUT IT IN ITS WALLET.

[foo8259]

I once awoke with a scorpion licking my tongue (it gets very dry in the house with the AC running so, just like wasps they seek anything wet or damp) luckily it didn't sting when I knocked it off. Rumor has it we swallow 4 - 5 spiders in our sleep every year totally unawares. Pass the mouth tape? The brown recluse habitat is often in peoples homes, especially in hot dry Summers like this one. I had one fall on me the other night from the ceiling fan, but I was lucky again -- it woke me up, but no bite. Hard to get back to sleep. But the ones that worry me most are the "Mexican Bedbugs" or "Kissing Bugs" that carry a fatal disease.

[erasmus111]

by foo8259 August 10, 2012 6:30 PM EDT
I once awoke with a scorpion licking my tongue...


That's just great. I'm sure glad I don't live where you live.

[voxpopulus]

You sleep with your tongue out?

[erasmus111]

I really do not understand how a spider would be able to live in an ear for any more than a few days? They have to eat. So what are they eating? Ear wax?

I watched something where a guy's forehead had a huge bump on it and when they cut it open, it had spiders come out. How could they possibly live in there?

[SneakingViper]

Actually I have a feeling that this is not a true story either.

1) This should then be the first time in history that happened.
and 2) considering that we at times do get critters in our ears (bees, earwigs etc) they normally die from the ears defenses (earwax).

So I dont know, this story sounds fishy.

[erasmus111]

One other time I did hear about a spider being found in a boy's ear.

[Valhalla0907]

It is only unusual because it is a spider. The most common insect removed from the human ear canal is the cockroach. Ask any project kid, or emergency room doctor!

[foo8259]

That's one good thing about my cinder-block house in TX -- never seen a cockroach anywhere, even in the kitchen where there is usually water and food crumbs. Why? the Scorpions and spiders get em all so, I just don't bother with pest control. Let nature take its course.

[Valhalla0907]

We never disturb a garden spider. Front line defense!

[dresia]

Number one, I hate those dam critters and living in the ear? This sh*t gave me the creeps. That's exactly why I keeps my ears covered with a head rag at night. I'm not saying I have spiders, but the bastards to find a way in homes, apts, business, and you never know, where thos suckers will crawl too. I hope I don't have night mares from seeing those pictures, YUKKKKKKKK

[KodeBloo]

"I'm not saying I have spiders,". Trust me, dresia. I'm no fan of spiders by any stretch of the imagination, but here's something to ponder that I read.
Everyone has spiders. Matter of fact, you're never more than 3 feet from a spider. Under the floor, inside the wall, under the dashboard in your car.

[Ulgnud]

What an unpleasant thing to find in your ear.