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Suggest Treatment To Remove The Cotton Bud Stuck In Ear
i suspect i have a cotton bud stuck in my ear, as after i remove the stick the bud was gone, i try digging but nothing (only got lots of ear dirt), i ask someone to peep though using magiflying lens nad touchlight, they also cannot see the bud. I dont feel anything inside my ears, My hearing is still the same. even when i poke the ear digger in, i did not feel anything soft. The thing is if a bud is stuck in your ear and if u insert something into it u can feel something soft. how can i tell without going to the doctor if the bud is still in my ear? Ps I ask someone to peep though, they did not find anything white (cotton bud is white), dont wish to spend $ to see doctor for sake of false alarm.
posted on
Thu, 13 Mar 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 22 Feb 2022
Answered on
Sat, 26 Feb 2022
Last reviewed on
Hello,
You suspect a cotton bud stuck in your ear while while digging the ear. Now you cannot feel or see anything. You are suggested not to fiddle with your ears. Get clinically examined by an ENT, if there is a cotton bud stuck. The treating doctor will try to view it through an otoscope, he will remove it using tweezers or forceps. He may also apply gentle suction to remove the cotton from the ear, or he may insert warm water into the ear via a catheter in an attempt to flush out the cotton.
Do not try these methods at home because improper execution can cause damage to the eardrum or ear canal. Some clinical procedures may be done under local anesthesia or sedation. In case, it cannot be viewed, you will be advised to get a CT done to confirm that the swab has not invaded the middle ear and reached the Eustachian tube. Left unassessed, it may lead to serious infection of the ear or brain. You will be treated accordingly. Never probe the ear with any type of tool, cotton swab or matchstick. You risk pushing the object farther in and damaging the ear. Get treated at the earliest.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Nupur K., General & Family Physician
You suspect a cotton bud stuck in your ear while while digging the ear. Now you cannot feel or see anything. You are suggested not to fiddle with your ears. Get clinically examined by an ENT, if there is a cotton bud stuck. The treating doctor will try to view it through an otoscope, he will remove it using tweezers or forceps. He may also apply gentle suction to remove the cotton from the ear, or he may insert warm water into the ear via a catheter in an attempt to flush out the cotton.
Do not try these methods at home because improper execution can cause damage to the eardrum or ear canal. Some clinical procedures may be done under local anesthesia or sedation. In case, it cannot be viewed, you will be advised to get a CT done to confirm that the swab has not invaded the middle ear and reached the Eustachian tube. Left unassessed, it may lead to serious infection of the ear or brain. You will be treated accordingly. Never probe the ear with any type of tool, cotton swab or matchstick. You risk pushing the object farther in and damaging the ear. Get treated at the earliest.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Nupur K., General & Family Physician
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