Abu Dhabi: A pleasant day at the beach quickly turned sour when a man had a baby crab enter his ear.
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Identified merely by his initials L.E, 38 years old, had to undergo an endoscope assisted procedure to remove the crab from his right ear.
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The Abu Dhabi expat was enjoying a day at the beach last month on November 18, 2019 when a crab went inside his right ear accidentally.
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“I was on the beach when I suddenly realized that something went inside my ear. I couldn’t figure out what it was. All I could feel was that it was annoying. But never had I thought that it would be a crab,” said the patient.
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The incident happened around 10 am in the morning. After several failed attempts to figure out what was causing the nuisance, L.E’s rushed him to the closest hospital over the next hour due to the unbearable pain.
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“Upon medical examination, it was found that it was a live baby crab that had entered into the right ear canal,” said Dr Prabir Paul, specialist otolaryngology at Burjeel MHPC, Marina Mall.
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By the time the patient arrived at hospital, the ear canal “had swelled up and the crab was tightly impacted inside the ear canal,” said Dr Paul.
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“It was imperative that the foreign body be urgently removed to avoid any further damage to his ear’s tympanic membrane and other ear structures. The sea creature was extracted out alive through an endoscope assisted procedure.”
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L.E, who was later sent home after observation, says he was relieved after the ordeal.
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In a statement issued by the hospital, L.E. said: “I was very worried when the doctor told me that a baby crab had gone inside my ear. I was afraid that my organ would be damaged. But I am grateful to the doctor for his swift action. His confidence and kindness really helped to calm me down.”
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Dr Paul said the patient was lucky that there was no damage to his tympanic membrane and other inner ear structures.
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“There is always a chance of foreign objects entering into our body through ears, nose or mouth while bathing in the sea or even while relaxing on the beach .One should not try to remove these objects by themselves, instead should report urgently to the nearest medical facility. Any attempts to remove these foreign objects may cause various complications like bleeding and damage to the organs,” he added.
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