Spider Crawls in Woman's Ear, Lives There for 5 Days

Pictures of Ms. Lee's ear canal, with a spider inside. CREDIT: Screenshot Xiaoxiang Morning News View full size image

That old urban legend about spiders crawling into your orifices while you sleep has come true. A woman who checked into China's Changsha Central Hospital Wednesday (Aug. 8) with an itchy ear learned she had a small spider dwelling in her ear canal, according to news reports. It had crawled inside five days earlier while she slept.

At the hospital, heebie-jeebie-inducing pictures of the patient's ear canal revealed a stocky, hairy, four-eyed arachnid peering out at the camera, much to doctors' and the patient's surprise.

Amid concerns that disturbing the spider would cause it to "instinctively drill its barbs deeper, scratching the ear canal," local news sources reported that doctors succeeded in removing the creature by pouring saline solution into the ear canal and flushing it out.

As the spider's outstretched foot emerged from her ear, the patient, identified only as "Ms. Lee," reportedly "almost started crying."

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