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Suggest Remedy For Bleeding From Ear
Question: I was cleaning my daughters ears with a children's Q-tip and she said it hurt when I pulled it out there was blood on it. She does have allergies and has been complaining of muffled hearing prior to me cleaning . Should I be concerned that I have damage to her eardrum? She is not complaining of pain or any other symptoms and is sleeping well. Please help!
Brief Answer:
Highly unlikely that there is any major damage, but get it checked later.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. It is unlikely that you have damaged the ear drum but the blood on the q-tip signifies some minor damage to the external ear canal. This occurs due to multiple reasons. The external ear canal is curved in three dimensions and is lined by very delicate skin. The q-tip is invariable large as compared to a the size of the external ear canal. especially in a child.
2. The muffled hearing may be due to ear wax or the allergy. At this age the most common reason for eustachian tube dysfunction is adenoid hypertrophy which is also normally at its peak at this age.
3. It will be better to get her ear examined and settle the diagnosis. Hearing tests, impedance audiometry and a lateral skull X-ray for the adenoids will help.
4. Always hold the q-tip a centimetre from the tip and then gently clean the outer ear canal only.
5. If her ear starts paining later, you must get the ear examined. No medication is necessary at present. If the injury is minor, it will heal by itself with no long term damage.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Highly unlikely that there is any major damage, but get it checked later.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. It is unlikely that you have damaged the ear drum but the blood on the q-tip signifies some minor damage to the external ear canal. This occurs due to multiple reasons. The external ear canal is curved in three dimensions and is lined by very delicate skin. The q-tip is invariable large as compared to a the size of the external ear canal. especially in a child.
2. The muffled hearing may be due to ear wax or the allergy. At this age the most common reason for eustachian tube dysfunction is adenoid hypertrophy which is also normally at its peak at this age.
3. It will be better to get her ear examined and settle the diagnosis. Hearing tests, impedance audiometry and a lateral skull X-ray for the adenoids will help.
4. Always hold the q-tip a centimetre from the tip and then gently clean the outer ear canal only.
5. If her ear starts paining later, you must get the ear examined. No medication is necessary at present. If the injury is minor, it will heal by itself with no long term damage.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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