'Chunky' spider pulled alive from woman's ear after she complained of a pain in her head

A woman complaining of a pain in her head was left horrified when doctors pulled a live spider from her ear. Victoria Price, 42, from Porthcawl, south Wales, had been in agony for more than a day with a suspected infection or perforated eardrum.



But after going to the emergency unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital, staff pulled the "chunky" spider out of her ear. The mother-of-one said everyone there was "really grossed out". Mrs Price, who is a member of Newton Lifeguard Club and swims in the sea several times a week, had changed in the beach hut as usual and then headed home for a shower.

"I got out of the shower and the pain in my ear was just incredible. I was like Irish dancing around the bathroom. I didn't know what to do with myself," she said. "I assumed I had trapped water or I'd perforated an eardrum or something." She only realised there was something "alive in there" after her husband looked inside her ear the following day and could "see it looking up out of the top".


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The spider was removed by emergency nurse practitioner Sarah Gaze. She said: "It was alive and very wriggly. It was quite big too. Victoria was very brave - braver than me. I didn't find it a pleasant experience at all but it was my job so I had to overcome my fear." Mrs Price added: "There was no further damage - or any eggs laid, as everyone keeps asking me."