What causes rugby players to get ‘cauliflower ears’?
In: Biology
It’s usually caused by trauma to the ear, so happens a lot with rugby players because of all the tackling and scrums.
When the ear is damaged, it bleeds between the layers of tissue. The bleed stops the cartilage in the ear from getting nutrients like sugar and oxygen it needs to survive. The cartilage then dies, and thicker tissue is created on top of it. This is what you see as the cauliflower ear.
Cauliflower Ear is a condition where the blood that collects inside the outer ear don’t drain properly or get infected. This causes a hard puffiness in the ear that tends to look like cauliflower.
It’s actually more common in fighting sports, like boxing, but can occur with any sort of injury to the ear, like if you trip and fall into the ground.
Latest Answers