HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Something in an ear
People, especially children, often put things in their ears, and it can often be difficult to get them out. It's very important not to do anything that could push the object further into their ear.
How do I know if someone has something in their ear?
If someone has an object or insect in their ear you may be able to see something when you look. As well, they may:
- feel pain
- not be able to hear well (hearing loss)
- say they can feel something in their ear.
Important
Don't put anything in the person's ear to try to get the object out, unless you can clearly see it and it easily comes out when pulled. DO NOT reach inside the ear canal with tweezers.
How can I help someone who has something in their ear?
If they have an object in their ear:
- reassure the person
- tilt their head towards the affected side – the object might fall out
- with their head titled to the side and the affected ear facing downwards, ask the person to gently shake their head to see if it dislodges the object
- if it doesn't come out, see a doctor.
If they have an insect in their ear:
- turn the person's head so their affected ear is facing upwards, then wait to see if the insect flies or crawls out
- if the insect doesn't come out by itself, put baby oil or olive oil into their ear. For adults gently pull their earlobe backwards and upwards, for children gently pull their ear backwards and downwards. This should suffocate the insect which will float out.
When to seek medial help
See a doctor if none of the steps mentioned above are successful, and the object or insect remains in the ear. You should also see a doctor if:
- fluid or blood is draining from the ear
- pain or hearing loss continues once the object is out of the ear.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created December 2016.
SourceReview key: HIFAD-141030
