A HORRIFIED mum was left hospitalised after a “spider” crawled into her ear and spun a “nest”.
Lucy Wild thought a cracking sensation in her right ear was just a bit of earwax.
SWNSLucy Wild said she was horrified to find the spider in her ears[/caption]
The spider could be seen glaring at LucySWNS
But when she stuck in a microscopic camera to investigate, her worst nightmare was staring back at her.
The mum-of-three said: “I could just see its big bent legs and the glare in its eyes.
“It looks like a very scary spider. On the camera it looked massive.
“It was about the size of my pinkie finger nail. I was screaming.”
All hell broke loose as the mum from Sale, Greater Manchester, rang NHS 111 while slapping her head trying to get the critter out.
She used some hot oil to draw the eight-legger out with the help of partner Michael and then didn’t think anything more of it.
But a few days later she went for a doctor’s appointment as her ear kept bleeding.
He gave her antibiotics but once home she stuck in a cotton bud and it came out black.
The 30-year-old early years teacher added: “I put the Smartbud camera in and I was absolutely terrified, I had no idea what it was.”
She went to the doctor’s who got her an urgent Ear, Nose and Throat referral, she was told: “‘Oh my God that’s a spiders nest, I’ve only seen that in training for foreign countries’.
“It was embedded in my ear canal, it was the most excruciating pain ever.
“He was using a suction thing, I vomited it hurt that much. My twins were there screaming.
“After he got it out, he left my ear open, whatever infection was in the nest caused me to get a really bad ear infection.
“I spent my 30th birthday in hospital. All this from a little spider. I would rather give birth again.”
Bug advice
How to tell if you have a bug in your ear
If the insect is still alive while it is in your ear, it can often be loud and painful.
According to Healthline, possible signs and symptoms include:
Itchiness or tickling sensations in the ear
Scratching or buzzing noises
Muffled sound in the affected ear
A feeling that something is stuffed in your ear
Ear discomfort or pain
How to remove a bug from your ear
Firstly, make sure to remain calm.
Before calling your GP, try to remove the bug from the ear canal while at home.
Do this by pouring vegetable oil or baby oil into the ear canal and shaking your head, Healthline says.
Never use a cotton swab or other probing object as this can push the bug further in and potentially damage the middle ear or eardrum.
If you or your child has a history of ear problems, it’s important to go to the doctor or call 111 right away.
You should also contact your GP if you can’t get the bug out using oil at home.
Doctors will typically use an anaesthetic called lidocaine to successfully kill the bug before flushing it out.
You might also be prescribed antibiotics if there’s severe damage done to the ear canal.
Lucy is still on ear drops and admits she still doesn’t feel like herself a month on from the ordeal.
But her family are able to see the light side of her plight.
Her three-year-old is now singing “incy wincy spider” to tease her and partner Michael has joshed the alleged arachnid laid “eggs” in her ear.
Lucy added: “God knows what it left in my ear. Obviously a nest.
“I’m scared to look inside my ear now. I’m actually terrified.”
SWNSThe spider’s leg could be seen in her ear[/caption]