A family of cockroaches was found crawling inside a man's right ear after he complained of a "sharp pain". The man, identified as Mr Lv, sought help at Sanhe Hospital in China's Guangdong province last month after his family members found a large cockroach inside his ear, reports said. The family saw the insect when they shone a torch into the 24-year-old's ear canal. Ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist Zhong Yijin said he also found more than 10 cockroach babies inside the man's ear. "He said his ear hurt a lot, like something was scratching or crawling inside. It caused a lot of discomfort," Dr Zhong was quoted as saying by Mirror Online. The doctor removed the baby insects, including their larger mother, from Mr Lv's ear using a pair of tweezers. The newly-hatched insects were of the German cockroach species Blattella germanica, reports said. Following the procedure, Mr Lv sustained minor injuries to his right ear canal. He was discharged on the same day and prescribed with ointment for his ear. The doctor said the man's habit of leaving unfinished food packets near his bed could have attracted the insects. The hospital's head of ENT, Dr Li Jinyuan, said that household hygiene, such as disinfecting drains and sewers, can help prevent the spread of cockroaches. Mosquito nets and screens on windows can also stop insects from flying or crawling into people's noses and ears.