Draining Cauliflower Ear

I read a great article about a month back about Cauliflower Ear. It said the ideal way to handle it when an impact makes your ear swell is to have the area drained before you fight on it again. It's repeated impacts on already swollen ears that make the condition stick.

I usually don't get bruised or swollen ears, but the inside of my left one is currently blown up from an accidental knee. Does anybody know how bad of an idea it would be to drain it myself? I know how to keep something like that sterile while I lance it, but I'm still worried I will catch an area full of capillaries or get an infection. Should I just wear headgear for a week or go to a doc? Or can I handle the issue myself?

see a doctor before you do anything yourself.

I have a buddy that did it himself ( not saying you should) then again I think he is like half doctor or something like that. He's in mma class right now but when he see's this topic he'll tell you what to do im sure

I know a guy who does it himself, but his wife is a nurse, so she must help him. Personally I wouldn't try to drain it myself. Try having a doctor do it then ask him if it comes back again, whether or not its safe for you to do it alone. But definitely you need to take 2 weeks off or wear headgear after draining.

I've drained mine like 20 times. If your gonna keep training its gonna be a pain in the ass to get a doc apt everytime. Go to a med supply store and get a bunch of syringes then youtube it. Its not dangerous or hard. Just use common sense.

Thanks guys, good advice. I like the idea of going to the doc once, watching what he does, and asking if I can repeat - sounds like a safe bet. I probably need to buy headgear either way - toughing it out, or draining, otherwise I'll have at least 2 weeks taken out. I'll let you all know what I find out when I do.

For any girls on here, I have a related question. How unattractive do you find cauliflower ear? Also, since you are biased as fighters, how unattractive do you think your non-fighter friends find it? Honestly, I don't really give a damn if guys peg me as a fighter early. I just don't want to be the monster at the bar trying to talk to a cute girl...

It's all about maintaining a sterile field. If you can't or don't know how to establish a sterile field then have someone trained do it. Any time you puncture skin it's considered a surgical procedure. Walking around with an ugly ear for a day while waiting for a doctor is better then having to go to the doctor with an infection. The infection also hurts more and takes longer to heal.

Repeating what you see the doctor do is like watching a black belt roll and then trying to do what he did. Most of the time it's not gonna workout the same. Practice in medicine makes the difference. It's not something for amateurs. No matter how small the procedure.

Your not transplanting a heart, your draining a pocket of fluid.

I would wager I am better than most docs at draining cauli based on experience alone. I can figure the best entry point for maximum drainage, what gauge depending on time frame and clotting, how to move the needle and squeeze the ear simultaneously to get that last stubborn bit. Jus sayin.

Go to an ear nose and throat guy and ask to make sure he's done it before. Not all doctors even in that field actually have experience with the procedure. I'm sure you could do it yourself but something about infections that close to my brain just turns me off to the idea.

Even though an ENT would be an intuitive response I doubt one would have much experience with draining cauliflower ears. General surgeons drain way more 'pockets' than any other doctor. I think you might want to contact your athletic commission and get some names of some ring side physicians they use. Call these guys up. They might be family practice docs or internists but they would probably be able to do as good a job or better than any 'specialist' or at least be able to point you in the right direction. Moreover, they are proven fight fans and will want to help you. These docs will also be more willing to teach you, give you some free stuff and work you in earlier.

So, I asked in my gym and heard 2 interesting responses. I want to hear what you guys think about them. The first person told me something similar to some of those above, basically saying that: a) can't go to the doc over and over b) keep it sterile and c) get a needle at walgreens, drain it, and move on. He said that a teammate went to the doc the first time he got it, and the doc lanced it wide open, filled it with gauze, and stitched it shut. He was out like 3 weeks.

The second guy said this, which is weirder. His acupuncturist once pushed really hard and massaged it through the ear. He said he could feel the liquids drain and disperse internally, to no ill effect. Since then, he just pushes it down really hard until it goes away. I tried, but I am scared to push that hard. It seems like this would be bad for you. Yet he has trained for years, never gotten infected, and has zero cauliflower ear.

I am first aid certified, and was basically EMT certified a while back, so I can keep it sterile. Think I am going to drain it today and see what happens...

Thanks to everyone for the great advise. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Do not do the second technique. Enter from the bottom of the pocket and squeeze it, while drawing on the syringe and guiding the needle around the pocket. Use alcohol and a new syringe every time and you'll be fine. Its actually kinda fun.

After you drain it remember to keep pressure on it. I used a clothes pin to clamp it shut. If you don't keep pressure on it for a long ass time then it just blows right back up.

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Originally Posted by Harry Evans

So, I asked in my gym and heard 2 interesting responses. I want to hear what you guys think about them. The first person told me something similar to some of those above, basically saying that: a) can't go to the doc over and over b) keep it sterile and c) get a needle at walgreens, drain it, and move on. He said that a teammate went to the doc the first time he got it, and the doc lanced it wide open, filled it with gauze, and stitched it shut. He was out like 3 weeks.

The second guy said this, which is weirder. His acupuncturist once pushed really hard and massaged it through the ear. He said he could feel the liquids drain and disperse internally, to no ill effect. Since then, he just pushes it down really hard until it goes away. I tried, but I am scared to push that hard. It seems like this would be bad for you. Yet he has trained for years, never gotten infected, and has zero cauliflower ear.

I am first aid certified, and was basically EMT certified a while back, so I can keep it sterile. Think I am going to drain it today and see what happens...

Thanks to everyone for the great advise. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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I have had cauilflower ear since I was 15. I have had it drained a bunch of times over the years. The doc that cut open your buddies ear jumped the gun alittle. Sucking out the fluid with a needle is the first step, keep draining it for a couple weeks. If it keeps up then have it lanced. I wouldn't drain it myself, if you do it wrong, you can inject an air pocket into your blood stream. Which is really bad. I have always had either my Coach or my cousin (she is a nurse) drain it for me.

As far as the girl thing goes, it wont matter to much. My soon to be wife didnt care when we first started dating. Even when I was single it didnt matter. Think of it like a tat, just with a better story.

The pocket is separate from the circulatory system so the whole air pocket thing is a non issue.

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Originally Posted by bobby rivers

The pocket is separate from the circulatory system so the whole air pocket thing is a non issue.

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Correct. And injecting air is only adverse if its intraarterial, not intravenous.

I had to lance my own cauli a couple times. Not fun, unless you're into needles in yourself. My Brute Quad III ear-guards are my ace in the hole against future cauli, unless someone feels like ripping my headgear off my head one day.