Today in Weird patienta unique case of a rare disease that affects the ears, caused by orange juice!
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In 2014, a young 22-year-old student presented herself twice in the space of five days to Platt Bridge Health Center, a clinic located in the suburbs of Manchester. These symptoms are confusing: both ears are red and the slightest touch, the slightest change in temperature, the slightest movementmovement cause unbearable pain comparable to burns.
She can no longer move her head or brush her hair without it triggering severe pain which lasts for an hour. In addition, she has hypersensitivity to sounds accompanied by migraines which exhaust her. The patient is in great distress, she has been ill for three months and has had a series of unsuccessful medical visits before being taken care of by ear and hearing specialist doctors at the hospital. Platt BridgeBridge Heath Center.
A rare disease that affects the ears
The examinations show nothing abnormal: no infection, no inflammation or problem with the hearing system, the neurological examinations reveal nothing either and his blood tests are normal. As the examinations do not make it possible to guide the diagnosis, the doctors conclude that the young woman is suffering from red hearing syndrome or red ear syndrome.
This rare condition has no precise etiology. Only around a hundred cases have been recorded, with slightly more women than men affected and of all ages. The key symptoms are a very red appearance in one or both ears and pain, moderate to severe, short or lasting several hours, which appears at the slightest stimulus.
Orange juice culprit?
The pathophysiology of red ear syndrome is still under discussion. Some scientists think of a deregulation of the autonomic nervous systemautonomic nervous system sympathetic, responsible for stimulating biological processes such as pressurepressure blood or heart rate without conscious effort. Ear and temple pain may be due to a sympathetic system reaction.
Many factors are known to trigger the disease, but this patient’s case is unique: stress, and her consumption… of orange juice. Indeed, doctors think it is ethyl butanoate, a flavoring used in fruity or alcoholic drinks for its flavor reminiscent ofpineapplepineapple, which would be the cause of his condition. Better management of stressstress and changes in her diet allowed the patient to recover without medication. Since then, she has not made relapserelapse.