Blood in the ear, even if it seems bad at first, is absolutely harmless in most cases. Often the bleeding is caused by small injuries caused by incorrect or improper ear cleaning. More rarely, a more serious disease is the cause of bleeding in the ear.
What is blood in the ear?
In most cases, the cause of blood in the ear is very harmless. Often, it is a minor injury in the ear caused by improper ear cleaning or scratching the ear. If the affected person discovers blood in the ear, the first shock is often very great. These are almost always only minor injuries caused by mechanical action, which occurred during ear cleaning or to stop itching in the ear, and can bleed to a greater or lesser extent. Blood is often discovered on the cotton swab inserted into the ear canal for ear cleaning. Often, no fresh blood is discovered at all, but only the crusting of a bleeding that has already ended. However, the bleeding in the ear can also be associated with pain or be very severe, in which case a doctor should be consulted in any case, who can clarify the cause. In the case of extreme phenomena, the visit to the doctor should be immediate, if not otherwise possible to visit an emergency room.
Causes
In most cases, the cause of blood in the ear is very harmless. Often, it is a minor injury in the ear caused by improper ear cleaning or scratching. Such injuries usually cause little pain and are completely harmless, so they do not require further treatment. However, more serious causes may be present. Blood may be present in the ear after accidents or when the head has suffered other violent impacts. This should be taken as an alarm sign; in addition to a skull base fracture, brain hemorrhage may also be the cause. Loud noises can also be responsible for blood in the ear, this is called a bang trauma. If the eardrum has been injured in the process, bleeding in the ear can occur. Another cause can be infections in the ear, such as a severe middle ear infection. In this case, the blood may also be mixed with pus. Very rarely, blood is present in the ear because a tumor has formed in the ear canal.
Diseases with this symptom
- Bang trauma
- Cerebral hemorrhage
- Tumor
- Ear infection
- Inner ear infection
- Middle ear infection
- Ear canal inflammation
- Base of skull fracture
- Tympanic membrane injuries
Diagnosis and course
In the first place of the diagnosis should be a detailed conversation between doctor and patient. The doctor will ask all relevant things that are important for a diagnosis. Here, it is especially important to know when the bleeding occurred and whether a specific event preceded it. The doctor will then perform a visual examination of the auditory canal and try to locate the injured area using an ear funnel, the otoscope. During this process, the entire inner ear will be thoroughly examined to possibly find other injuries. If the bleeding in the ear was probably caused by an external impact such as an accident or blows to the head and/or if there are accompanying symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and pain, the doctor will order an examination in a computer tomograph to be able to determine bleeding and its causes on the detailed image of the inside of the head.
Complications
Blood in the ear can be harmless, but it can also be very dangerous. The greatest risk is that any serious complications, such as a brain hemorrhage, may not be recognized as such in time when blood in the ear occurs. Less life-threatening, but still very unpleasant, would be if blood in the ear clots unfavorably. If it does not drain out completely, but clots in the area of the fine ossicles or eardrum, it can quickly interfere with their healthy function and lead to impaired hearing. Until the clotted blood is broken down by the body, it stays that way. Even if it is not permanent hearing loss, it is very uncomfortable for the person affected. It also takes much longer for clotted blood to break down in the ear than in other places, which is sometimes due to the anatomy of the middle ear.Therefore, inconveniently clotted blood in the ear may need to be medically removed, resulting in further treatment. Such interventions in such a sensitive area entail risks on their part. If the blood in the ear is the result of an injury, it may become infected, leading to complications. This can happen even if the injury is to the outer ear or ear canal and the blood in the ear itself was initially harmless.
When should you go to the doctor?
Affected people usually react to blood in the ear in a frightened manner. Yet the cause is almost always harmless. Nevertheless, it is advisable to see a doctor if there is blood in the ear, just to be on the safe side. This is especially true if pain occurs or the bleeding is more severe. The most common reason for blood in the ear is minor injuries. Especially often they are caused by clumsy or improper cleaning of the ears. Itching also often results in awkward manipulation of the ear with subsequent blood leakage. Blood in the ear is not exclusively fresh blood, but also already dried bread of an older injury. Typical further occasions for blood in the ear are a middle ear infection as well as a bang trauma, which was triggered by loud noises, whereby it came to the damage of the eardrum. An absolute alarm sign is blood leaking from the ear after a violent impact on the head, whether from an accident or a physical attack. In this case, there is an urgent suspicion of a skull fracture or cerebral hemorrhage. The emergency physician must be called immediately! For the other possible reasons for blood in the ear, specialists such as the ear, nose and throat doctor or the internist come into question in addition to the family doctor.
Treatment and therapy
The treatment of blood in the ear is completely dependent on the diagnosis and may involve a completely different effort. If the bleeding was caused by minor injuries, no further treatment is usually necessary. The wound will heal within a few days and there will be no more discomfort. If the eardrum is injured, it depends entirely on the severity of this injury. Minor injuries to the eardrum usually heal completely within a few days and cause no further problems. On the other hand, major injuries to the eardrum may require surgery to close the eardrum again. If there is a hole in the eardrum, the doctor often prescribes an antibiotic to prevent bacterial infection. This is also used if the bleeding in the ear is due to inflammation or infection. If the cause of the blood in the ear is a tumorous change within the ear, a biopsy must be performed to determine whether this tumor consists of malignant or benign cells. A benign tumor is usually easy to remove. If the tumor is malignant, further measures are required such as chemotherapy.
Outlook and prognosis
To establish a prognosis, the cause of the bleeding must first be determined. If the bleeding in the ear is due to a foreign body, then a doctor should definitely be consulted. If the bleeding is coming out and the injury is visible, then this wound will heal normally. Unless the inner ear is affected, there is no risk of serious injury to the ear. Nevertheless, the same applies here: Keep the wound clean and pure, because otherwise there is a risk of inflammation. However, if blood leaks from the inner ear, a doctor must find the cause. If the bleeding is accompanied by headache and fever, this may be a sign of infection or inflammation. If bleeding from the ear occurs after an accident, there may be a severe concussion with internal bleeding. If such a condition is not treated appropriately, severe sequelae may remain. As a general rule, if bleeding occurs from the inner ear, a doctor should be consulted. In such a case, the cause of the bleeding must be definitely clarified. Only in this way can complete recovery be ensured.
Prevention
The most common cause of blood in the ear can be prevented: mechanical action. This often occurs when the ears are not cleaned properly, and some people even counteract itching in the ear with sharp objects. This should be avoided at all costs! Ear cleaning should always be done very carefully and cautiously. Tumor growth in the ear, on the other hand, cannot be prevented.
You can do it yourself
Blood in the ear does not always have to be due to a serious illness. By a vigorous insertion of a cotton swab can already once an injury. Likewise, uncontrolled scratching can lead to bleeding due to an itch. In such cases, it is advisable to first carefully clean the surrounding ear or face area with lukewarm water and a little soap. After drying, the injury should be checked with the aid of a mirror or, even better, with a second assistant. If the bleeding is only superficial, it will clot and dry on its own. The incrustation will fall off again later as if by itself. If such a bleeding happens on the way, a rolled up paper handkerchief can also help. This is carefully inserted into the ear and absorbs the bleeding. At the same time, the sensitive area is protected. Some also use a little absorbent cotton, although this can only be loosened with water if the bleeding dries. In rare cases, an insect can also cause bleeding. To dab small injuries, a clean handkerchief can be helpful. If these small helps are not enough, or if the injury is more serious after all, a visit to the doctor is advised.
