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In addition to skin infection, nothing can affect you more than a cauliflower ear. Although not everyone will get it and even if some of them do, the period of formation will be different.
Before we tell you how long it takes to get a cauliflower ear from BJJ, you must know the causes behind it. This will help you understand the process better.
And if the below worries you, maybe it’s time to also start wearing ear guards during training, especially the rolls. We also have a review on the best ear guards for BJJ.
In BJJ, the ear is one of the most common places that endures rough contacts and strikes. Your opponent will grab you, pull on you, and consequently will smash your ears up here and there.
So, when the ear is struck, it suffers a trauma. And this causes a separation of ear perichondrium that covers the auricular cartilage. After the split-up, the new space gets filled with blood prompting it to harden and eventually causing the thickened pattern to form.
Basically, blood in the ears has no escape, unlike normal bruises where clotted fluid can leak out. As a result, such clots swell, harden, and lead to deformity.
Since the deformation looks like the head of cauliflower, we call the condition cauliflower ear. Besides, it has a medical term that we call auricular hematoma.
Any kind of grappling can result in ear trauma. The most common ones include BJJ, Judo, and Sambo. All of these involve the use of locks, pins, and holds that cause trauma to the ear. Besides common moves like shoulder pressure, triangles, guillotines, headlocks, and cross faces can also be the cause of trauma.
Different people have experienced the condition within a different span of time. Some have got it within a few weeks while some got it within 3 to 6 months of frequent ear strikes in BJJ. So, it mostly depends on your body genetics and frequency & force level of strikes.
On average, it may take around 7 to 10 days after blood develops in the separated area to make the ear get hardened. If you remove the fluid before the time or while in a liquid condition, then you can easily prevent cauliflower formation. One of the common treatments is draining which certainly should be done by a physician.
But once it’s hard, the removal becomes tougher, so it will require you to go through surgical treatment for the job.
Hardened Cauliflower Ear can lead to other severe conditions. Deformation and pain are the most common ones. The ache will be there while you roll and even while you don’t. Such pain can result in staying awake all night.
Besides, the cauliflower ear can also cause loss of hearing. You won’t be able to use headphones because of both pain and listening inability.
We know that the formation story of the cauliflower ear is not very appealing. But before the matter becomes serious, you should know both the cause and duration of its occurrence. This will help you take the necessary precautions on time so that you don’t suffer other severe damages.
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I'm Timmy and I'm the chief-editor and co-founder of Jiu-Jitsu Street. You'll usually find me on the mats and also cross-training Muay Thai. Besides martial arts I'm also into functional fitness and all things health. Jiu-Jitsu Street was created to provide useful information for BJJ beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to help you on your journey and love for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Oss!
Jiu-Jitsu Street is a community of fun loving and hard rolling BJJ enthusiasts. Born out of our passion for the gentle art, we have decided to create this blog and help you on your journey. Let’s grow and learn together on this never-ending journey. Oss!
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