Ear emergencies - Overview

Definition of Ear emergencies:

Ear emergencies include objects in the ear canal and ruptured eardrums.

See also: Acoustic trauma

Considerations:

Children often stick objects into their ears. These objects can be difficult to remove because the ear canal is a tube of solid bone that is lined with thin, sensitive skin. Any object pressing against the skin can be very painful. In many cases, a doctor will need to use special instruments to examine the ear and safely remove the object.

Causes:

Pain, hearing loss, dizziness, ringing in the ear, and ruptured eardrums can be caused by:

• Inserting cotton swabs, toothpicks, pins, pens, or other objects into the ear.
• Sudden changes in pressure, as from an explosion, blow to the head, flying, scuba diving, falling while water skiing, or being slapped on the head or ear.
• Loud percussions, such as a gun going off.