Noticed Pain And Blood Coming From Ear After Using Q-tip. Should I Consult A Doctor?

Posted on Sat, 10 Nov 2012

Question: My daughter was cleaning her ear and bumped the Q-tip in too far.She was in pain for a few minutes, and then the pain subsided. We did notice a little blood, however she was able to hear just fine. Last night while she was sleeping, more bleeding occured. I wasnt too worried. Now she is complaining of a "watery feeling" in her ear that is making her ear "plugged" and sounds are muffled. I am worried it is still bleeding. Should I take her in to the doctor? She is not experiencing any pain.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty (6 hours later)

Hi

Thanks for the query

After going through the history, I do presume there could me a possibility of either trauma to the external auditory canal or tympanic membrane.

Trauma to the external canal is more likely because, there was no immediate loss of hearing or ringing in the ear. The later development of muffled hearing could be due to the collection of blood and clots in the external auditory canal.

Either may be the case, still you should consult your doctor for a complete evaluation and appropriate management.

My advice to you is:
1. To avoid water getting into the ear.
2. Not to use any sort of drops or cleaning materials to clean the ear.
3. Administer oral antibiotics to prevent impending infection.

Hope I have answered your query; I will be available for the follow-up queries.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

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