Baby’s Ears Smell Like Cheese

You may detect a distinct odor if you rub your finger behind your ear and sniff it. It may smell like cheese, sweat, or just plain body odor.

If your child’s ears are particularly bothersome, you can clean them with a wet towel in between baths.

If at all feasible, look for goods that are natural or organic and free of chemicals.

You should insert nothing into your child’s ears. Read more to find out about baby’s ears that smell like cheese. 

Baby’s Ears Smell Like Cheese

As a new parent, you’ll get more information on new sights, scents, body fluids, and health-related inquiries you never expected to have.

Your child’s ears are one place that you may worry about a lot more than you expected.

Baby ear odors may appear benign, but when do they signal anything more serious?

The causes of the baby’s scented ears maybe yeast infections, bacterial infections, swimmer’s ear, milk spills, cradle cap, and other medical conditions.

It could also be a buildup of wax inside the ear.

To evaluate if you should contact your pediatrician or simply wash her ears more carefully, pay attention to the precise nature and source of the odor.

You might notice no specific smell after a few days and if you do, consult the doctor before taking action.

Learn more about distinct baby ear odors, recognizing a possible infection, and cleaning and caring for your baby’s ears by reading on.

1. Why Do Newborn Ears Have a Stench?

As a concerned parent, you’re likely to become concerned when something seems amiss about your child, and weird scents are certainly one of them.

Even if our minds go to the worst-case scenario, there is typically a reasonable explanation for unusual odors in your baby’s ears.

You can take care of these concerns fast and easily, but they may necessitate a visit to the pediatrician.

Depending on the small, an unpleasant or unexpected odor coming from your baby’s ear could signal an infection or wax buildup, but it could also indicate something more is wrong.

Take note of any odors you detect: fish, vomit, wax, cheese, sour milk, sweet, or poop? The smell of cheese most frequently indicates an ear infection in the ears.

Look behind your child’s ears and around the creases of the neck to ensure the smell isn’t a result of dirt or oil build-up on their skin.

2. The Best Way to Tell Whether Your Child Has an Ear Infection

Aside from their characteristic scents, ear infections frequently have other symptoms, so keep an eye out for these warning signs:

• Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher
• The ear’s crust or discharge
• Ear discomfort or increased redness
• Behavior that is grumpy or fussy
• Crying for no apparent reason
• An excessive amount of yanking on the ear
• Sleeping problems
• Having difficulty hearing
• A loss of equilibrium
• Loss of appetite or desire to eat or drink

It’s always a good idea to call your child’s pediatrician if you’re unsure. Do not take action by reading any article or home remedies.

Let the doctors do their job.

3. Is There Any Smell of An Ear Infection?

Bacteria and yeast have distinct unpleasant scents of their own. A sour, fishy, or musty odor is frequently associated with an ear infection.

You know your child best, so if any weird odors come out of nowhere, a visit to the pediatrician is always a good option.

You may require antibiotics to treat an ear infection in your child.

Antibiotics can have side effects and are commonly overused, so only your doctor can determine whether they are necessary in your child’s case.

Warm compresses, more fluids, and maybe over-the-counter fever-reducing medicines commonly treat ear infections at home. 

It’s crucial to remember that most young children will have had at least one ear infection by five.

Children who acquire repeated infections or have hearing loss due to their infections may be candidates for ear tubes.

These little tubes aid in the prevention of future infections by enabling better ear drainage.

4. What Is the Source of The Odor Behind My Baby’s Ears?

Is the stench in your child’s ears coming from behind them rather than inside?

A tiny yeast overgrowth behind their ears is most likely to blame. It could also just be a matter of dirt and filth building up.

You should be able to rapidly eliminate the odor with proper care and looking after basic hygiene.

Cradle cap (seborrheic dermatitis) is a common baby skin condition characterized by excessive oil production and a specific type of yeast.

In some infants, the cradle cap can expand beyond the scalp, affecting the area behind their ears, the back of their neck, and other skin creases.

There can be many causes that you may not even know.

Summary

Now, you have the answer to why a baby’s ears smell like cheese.

Although your first instinct may be to grab a cotton swab and start cleaning your child’s ears, most experts advise against doing so.

Using a cotton swab to remove crud and ear wax may push it deeper into the ear canal, putting you at risk of infection.

Do not try to dig wax or dirt out of your child’s ear with your finger. Any foreign object forced into the ear canal or eardrum could cause catastrophic damage.

You must not forget that babies are sensitive, and you might cause more harm than good.

So, seek a professional’s help to avoid damaging the baby’s ears.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most effective method for cleaning my baby’s dirty ears?

A washcloth or cotton ball, as well as some warm water, are all you’ll need.

Stop doing so if you are using cotton swabs or sticking anything inside your baby’s ear.

You don’t have to remove earwax if you notice it inside your ear. Because it protects, lubricates, and has antibacterial properties, earwax is beneficial to your baby.

Is it usual for earwax to have a cheese-like odor?

Anaerobic bacteria, which do not require oxygen, emit a foul odor, making earwax smell awful.

A foul odor could indicate that an infection is causing damage to the middle ear.

The best way to handle this situation is by seeking a medical professional’s help. 

What is the source of the stench behind my baby’s ears?

Sweat glands are in various locations across the body, including behind the ears. When germs and oxygen come into touch with their sweat, it begins to smell. Sebaceous glands can be in any area where there is skin.

They release sebum (oil), a waxy mixture of lipids with a foul odor. So, most of the time, the smell might be a temporary problem that you can handle by maintaining basic hygiene. 

Mo Mulla

Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music, He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He also loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time!