Cauliflower ears

[Mr Punch]

What causes them?

Why do some people get them and some people don't? Who is prone?

What about cabbage breath...?!:D :rolleyes:

Nobbut seriously...

[Ford Prefect]

It's a contusion to the external ear caused by a strike or a tear. Because of the ear's structure, blood and serum fluid accumulates between the cartilage of the ear and the skin. When left on its own, this serum and blood will harden so that the cauliflower ear is permenant. Otherwise, once the injury occurs you can have you ear drained with a syringe in order to avoid any deformity.

Wrstlers/grapplers recieve a lot of ear trauma throughout their sessions which is why it is so common to see them sporting the cauliflower ear. In the wrestling community, cauliflower ear is seen as a sort of badge of honor showing that you put your mat time in. I grappled extensively for quite a while and never experienced this, but some people would get it in their first two weeks in the gym. Suckers! ;)

I don't know what makes people more prone to getting it. I assume it would be individual ear structure. I have relatively small ears and detached earlobes. Maybe you are more prone with attached ear lobes... Dunno.

[Shaolin-Do]

I think you may be right on the detached lobe thing.... Im hella agressive on the mats, wont give up, and when I actually finally get put in a headlock, Ill squeeze myself right the hell back out, and Ive bruised my ears doing so a few times, but never had any problems with them. :)

[Cheese Dog]

I've had bruised ears several times too, both from grappling and from boxing, but they just get sore. No cauliflower yet!

It probably is dependent on individual ear structure.

[Shaolin-Do]

Sore ears suck, but cauliflowered ears suck worse.
****.... Im quick approaching the 1000 post line.
:)

[Mr Punch]

Ta.