If you’ve ever had a cat that has gotten ear mites, you know how uncomfortable and gross they are. Perhaps your cat has just come down with a nasty case of ear mites, and you’re now worried about transmission. Can humans catch ear mites from cats?
Ear mites typically pass from animal to animal and not so much to humans. But there are still a few things that you should be aware of.
Here, we discuss everything ear mites, how you can tell if your cat has them and how to treat them. We also look at what happens if a human does get ear mites.
耳螨的症状是什么?
Ear mites(Otodectes cynotis) are a specific kind of mite that takes up residence in an animal’s ear canal. They feed on skin oils and ear wax found in the ear, but they can actually be found almost anywhere on the animal’s body. They simply prefer the ears for the ear wax.
- 耳朵痒, head, and neck
- 耳朵和头部有明显的抓伤
- 过度摇头
- What looks like coffee grounds or dirt in the ears
- Over-sensitive ears
- Ears are red and inflamed
- Cuts and scrapes around the ears (from the scratching)
- 耳朵周围的红棕色或黑色硬壳状物
If you’ve noticed some or all these symptoms and you haven’t already brought yourcat to the vet,make an appointment. You can discuss the best way to treat your cat’s ear mites at that time.
How Are Ear Mites Treated?
Once your cat has been diagnosed with ear mites, your vet will tell you that you’ll need to treat all other animals in your household in addition to your cat. Everything in your home will also need to be cleaned, particularly your宠物被褥以及其他他们花费大量时间的地方。
Before you begin the mite treatment, you’ll need to clean your cat’s ears with anear cleaner designed specifically for pets.这将有助于在治疗前清除大部分耳螨。
There aremedications that help treat various parasites，如跳蚤和耳螨，以及其他的that just treat ear mites. The latter ear mite medication can be purchased without a prescription, but others will need a prescription from your vet.
治疗包括将滴剂滴入猫的耳朵并按摩它们，应该持续大约一周到一周半。
你也可以尝试自然疗法，如苹果醋、芦荟和有机蜂蜜，但要先和你的兽医讨论这些。
你最好的办法是也给你的猫治疗跳蚤，因为耳螨和跳蚤往往同时发生。如果不治疗，耳螨会让你的猫非常不舒服，并可能导致部分或全部听力损失。
人们什么时候会感染耳螨？
对于一个人来说，耳螨是一种罕见的情况，但它也可能发生。Ear mites in humans有时会发生在螨虫寻找宿主时，因为没有宿主它无法存活很长时间。
如果你的猫有耳螨，而你和你的猫共用一张床或其他家具，这会增加你被感染的几率。
- 耳朵痒
- 棕色或黑色耳垢
- 耳朵红肿
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- 耳部压力增加的感觉
- 耳朵不舒服
If you have more than one of these symptoms, see your doctor immediately. Just like with cats, untreated ear mites in humans can lead to some form of hearing loss. Ear mites do not go away without treatment.
How Are Ear Mites Treated in People?
你的医生可能会建议你去看耳鼻喉科医生（也称为耳鼻喉专家）。医生会用拭子擦洗你的耳朵，然后用耳镜检查，耳镜可以目测到耳螨。
医生会先用生理盐水冲洗你的耳朵，以清除多余的耳垢，并会开滴耳液来帮助缓解你耳朵的炎症和瘙痒。他们还将为你提供抗寄生虫滴耳液，以杀死螨虫和它们的卵。
你的医生可能会另外开一种抗生素，以帮助预防任何可能因耳螨而发生的继发感染。
How Can You Stop Ear Mites From Coming Back?
如果你的猫似乎有耳螨反复出现的问题，你应该与你的兽医一起制定有效的治疗和预防计划。这可能包括每月服用抗寄生虫药物。
At the first sign of an ear mite infestation, take your cat immediately to the vet so you can get it treated as soon as possible. Become familiar with the symptoms of ear mites so you can react and deal with the situation sooner rather than later.
如果你有不her pets, you’ll probably need to have all of them treated so they don’t keep passing the ear mites back and forth to each other. Additionally, any pet that has confirmed ear mites should be quarantined away from the other pets.
确保对猫接触过的任何床上用品或物品进行消毒和清洁。用热水清洗所有东西。对于你自己来说，在耳朵螨虫被完全清除之前，避免与猫同床共枕或坐在任何家具上。
结论
If you’re concerned about your cat getting ear mites, other than making yourself familiar with the typical symptoms, you should also routinely check your cat’s ears.
如果你的猫确实有耳螨，请注意自己可能出现的症状。耳朵受压、耳鸣、耳朵瘙痒和发炎都是症状，应该立即检查。
The chances of you getting ear mites from your cat are slim, but it’s still a good idea to not get all up and personal with your cat while they have ear mites.
-Related read:Can Humans Get Worms From Cats? What You Need To Know!
Featured Image Credit: YULIYA Shustik, Shutterstock
