I Used A Cotton Swab 2 Days Ago To Clean

Posted on Sun, 16 Aug 2020

Question: I used a cotton swab 2 days ago to clean the inside of my ear and ended up scraping something pretty good to cause bleeding in my ear. Yesterday I woke up and had what seemed like water in the ear. i used a swab at the opening and it was blood on the swab. This morning I woke up to what I can describe as a "full ear". Ear feels clogged and hearing is substantially diminished like something is covering the ear drum. No dizziness, no nuasea, or ear pain. Is there something like an ear wax cleaner that I can use to clear this up, or will it go away on it's own?

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Details as discussed below:

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query.

1. There are three possibilities here.

2. Any damage to the delicate skin if the external ear canal will heal. If there is a blood clot mixed sometimes with ear wax, it may require cleaning.

3. The other two possibilities are bacterial and fungal infection.

4. Ideally a quick look into the ear canal with an otoscope will reveal the situation.

5. Ciprofloxacin and fluconazole ear drops used alternately will clear any infection. If a large plug of wax has been pushed in, wax dissolving drops will be required followed by cleaning of the ear.

6. The bleeding due to the ear bud is not an issue. It will heal quickly provided there is no infection or wax.

7. Hence if it is not uncomfortable, you can use either of these ear drops for 2-3 days. If there is no relief it is best to get the ear examined by an ENT Specialist.

I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any further 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. Raju A.T