Introduction
Especially in children and infants, foreign bodies are more common in the ear. Parents often notice this casually and are then often very worried. For those affected, the stuck parts can cause specific symptoms such as hearing loss. An inflammation can occur if the foreign body remains in the ear canal for a long time.
Symptoms
The leading symptom is the foreign body sensation in the area of the auditory canal. Due to the fact that the corresponding foreign body is located in the part of the ear responsible for sound conduction, hearing loss on the corresponding side may also occur. Depending on the size and location of the foreign body, this symptom may be absent or may even extend to a feeling of almost complete deafness in the ear.
If a foreign body remains unnoticed in the auditory canal, this can lead to an inflammation of the auditory canal. Symptoms of this inflammation are pain, swelling and redness in the area of the auditory canal and the auricle and discharge from the ear. The swelling in the ear can also cause hearing loss.
What should you do if you have a foreign body in your ear?
As already mentioned, it is very important to remain calm in the acute situation in order not to act rashly in panic. As a rule, small foreign bodies that do not penetrate the ear with force remain in the S-shaped course of the auditory canal. The risk of complications in the form of injuries to the eardrum, middle or inner ear is therefore low.
In order to avoid injury to the eardrum due to improper attempts to remove the foreign body, the layperson should urgently refrain from handling forceps or other instruments. Similarly, such attempts may wedge the foreign body rather than loosen it. If possible, a family doctor should then be consulted, who can remove the foreign body from the ear himself or refer the patient to an ear, nose and throat specialist.
A doctor should also be consulted if elongated objects such as branches or cotton swabs have penetrated with force and deep into the ear canal, even if they have not remained there. The force and shape of these objects may have damaged the eardrum or structures of the middle ear. Parents can often remove larger objects with their own fingers, and in the case of ears, this does not require any follow-up by a doctor. If the object is too deep in the ear canal, a doctor should be consulted directly, otherwise inflammation is possible. Attempts to remove the foreign body with tweezers or similar tools should be avoided, since injury to the sensitive eardrum causes more damage than waiting a little longer to remove the foreign body.