Abu Dhabi doctors remove live crab from man's ear

'I couldn’t figure out what it was,' says the 38-year-old beachgoer

Doctors said the critter was live when it came out of the ear canel. Courtesy: Burjeel 

A beachgoer had a live crab extracted from his ear after the creature crawled inside as he lay on the sand.

The expat underwent the procedure after visiting the hospital with an "annoying" pain in his right ear.

"I was on the beach when I suddenly realised that something went inside my ear. I couldn’t figure out what it was," said the 38-year-old - who did not want to be named.

"All I could feel was that it was annoying. But never had I thought that it would be a crab."

Doctors at Burjeel medical centre at Marina Mall said the man's ear began to swell significantly.

Dr Prabir Paul, specialist otolaryngologist, said the creature was "tightly impacted inside the ear canal".

The sea creature had to be quickly removed to avoid damage to the tympanic membrane and other ear structures. It was extracted alive through an endoscope assisted procedure.

“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," Dr Paul said.

"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."