STEELE SPORTS

As wrestling season kicks off and the local teams prepare for battle on the mats, I think it’s fitting to talk about a physical phenomenon that is commonplace in the sport: cauliflower ear.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), perichondrial hematoma or “cauliflower ear” is a swelling of the ear caused by a blood clot.
The trapped blood has no way of circulating throughout the ear, keeping it from circulating to healthy cartilage.
The result of the process is hardened cartilage that can lead to infections, if left untreated or unmonitored.
People who notice the signs of cauliflower ear can help stop the process by acting quickly
According to NCBI, medical assistance can stop the pooling of blood by draining the ear before the cartilage becomes severely damaged or dies typically within a six-hour window of the time of injury.
If a patient happens to seek medical assistance outside of the six-hour window, it is most common for medical professionals to make an incision to remove blood that has begun to harden.
However, in many instances, cauliflower ear is not treated immediately because it is easy to reaggravate the injury.
In fact, I am personally dealing with this issue right now and have not chosen to seek medical assistance on it.
This past week, I noticed signs of cauliflower ear in my right ear from wrestling and boxing.
While my hematoma does not affect my ear or hearing in any way now, I know that there is the possibility that it could worsen.
At this point, I don’t feel particularly inclined to fix the issue because I know that I plan on continuing to wrestle and box, which will only result in the cauliflower ear coming right back.
Instead, I have decided that if my ear does worsen, I will go with the traditional temporary-fix method of draining my ear periodically.
This is probably a good time to remind anyone dealing with cauliflower ear to consult a medical professional before making any sort of decision about the treatment of cauliflower ear.
As with any other sport, it’s best to prevent the injury before it happens. And in the case of cauliflower ear, that’s pretty simple: headgear.
Youth, high school and even collegiate athletes are required to wear headgear for this exact reason.
While headgear is not an absolute certainty to prevent the injury, it at least gives athletes proven protection to avoid the injury.
So, parents - if you want to keep your kids’ ears the way they are - make sure they don’t forget their headgear!