home Endocrinology Foreign body in the ear: signs and symptoms, help with removal. What to do if something gets into the ear? How to remove a foreign body from the ear? Foreign body in the ear

Foreign body in the ear: signs and symptoms, help with removal. What to do if something gets into the ear? How to remove a foreign body from the ear? Foreign body in the ear

A foreign body in the ear is any object foreign to the body that enters the external auditory canal, middle ear cavity and labyrinth. Such bodies can be a variety of objects, and in most cases the problem occurs in young children or in adults as a result of trauma to the head and ear. Symptoms of pathology are hard to miss, because in most cases they are very unpleasant and poorly tolerated by the victims. Foreign bodies of the ear must be removed as early as possible, and only with the help of special tools and in the doctor's office.

Causes and symptoms of a foreign body

In childhood, foreign bodies in the ear are a very common occurrence. Nevertheless, such troubles are not excluded in adults, because they can be associated with industrial and domestic injuries, with insects (bugs, cockroaches, flies) crawling into the ear canal, etc. Toddlers often push peas, beads, small toys, pencil fragments, sticks and matches, food, leaves, and many other items into their ears.

An adult can also get a foreign body in the ear if he cleans the ear canal with objects that are not intended for this - matches, knitting needles, twisted pieces of paper. Sometimes the doctor has to remove pieces of gauze, cotton wool, products from the ear, with which adherents of traditional medicine are trying to cure the ear.

Insects penetrate the ears, mainly in the summer, as well as when living in an area where mosquitoes, earwigs, bugs, and ants are found. As a rule, in children, foreign bodies enter the ear during the game, when the child himself inserts this object into the ear canal, and in adults the problem occurs by accident. Sometimes foreign bodies appear after an injury - injury, explosion, industrial emergency. Occasionally, in older people, parts of a hearing aid are found in the ear, including batteries that are very hazardous to health.

There is another type of foreign bodies in the ear, which are of internal origin. These are wax plugs - compacted pieces of earwax, which often stick to the walls of the ear canal or to the eardrum. Wax plugs, like other foreign objects in the ear, are free-standing and fixed.

Symptoms of the presence of an inanimate foreign body, if it is small and does not have sharp corners, may go unnoticed by a person. Large or sharp bodies most often give the following clinical signs:

impaired hearing function due to interference with the passage of a sound wave;
feeling of congestion in one ear;
the appearance of wounds, micro cuts in the ear canal;
pain inside the ear, discomfort;
spotting is usually scanty;
with a rupture of the eardrum - acute pain, the development of otitis media, including purulent.

Living foreign bodies give, as a rule, even more painful symptoms. If an insect that has entered the ear begins to move there, a squeak, pain, itching, noise in the ear, tickling appear. Since there are vagus nerve receptors inside the ear, when they are irritated, the victim may experience dizziness in the form of seizures, vomiting, nausea, and convulsions in babies. If the insect is poisonous or capable of releasing various acids and other substances, this leads to inflammation or necrosis of the tissues inside the ear canal.

Ear hazard

The greatest risk is the ingress of sharp objects into the ear, which can cause serious injury and damage the eardrum. Small round foreign bodies of non-living origin are dangerous, mainly with prolonged presence in the ear. They inevitably entail a reflex increase in the production of earwax and moisture, which further clog the auditory opening.

Also, plant seeds and some other bodies can swell and grow in size, not only disrupting the human hearing function, but also compressing the surrounding tissues and leading to their necrosis. Especially dangerous is such a process that has arisen in a child who cannot tell his parents about his problem in the absence of obvious pain symptoms. In the elderly, parts of the hearing aid in the ear can cause necrosis of the skin of the ear canal.

How to remove a living foreign body

The diagnosis of a foreign body in the ear is usually easily confirmed by routine otoscopy. If the insect in the ear is alive, it should be allowed to crawl out on its own. To do this, you need to turn your head so that the problem ear is at the top, and then direct the flashlight beam inward. Sometimes the insect crawls out into bright light.

If this does not happen, you should consult a doctor, or, with painful symptoms, kill the insect yourself. In the ear you need to drop a little vegetable oil, alcohol or vodka, boric alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vaseline oil, glycerin. In a polyclinic, specialists often use chloroform water for this purpose. Then the doctor takes a hook to remove the insect, pulls out the foreign body, or flushes it with plenty of water.

As a rule, because of discomfort, patients with a foreign body quickly go to the doctor, and the incident does without consequences.

Removing Items

As soon as a person has the first suspicions of the presence of a foreign body, or a relative who has examined the ear, a close one, has discovered it, you should immediately consult a doctor. During otoscopy, the specialist will determine the shape, size and identify possible difficulties in extracting objects. There are several ways in which a foreign body is removed:

Washing out with an ear syringe (Janet syringe) under forehead reflector illumination. Warm water, a 2% solution of boric acid, a solution of potassium permanganate, a solution of Furacilin are used for washing. A jet of liquid is directed along the back wall of the ear canal while tilting the head down and pulling the ear back, as a result of which the object comes out. This method is contraindicated in cases of suspected tympanic membrane perforation. Read more about the use of boric acid for the ear
Dehydration of items prone to swelling. It may be necessary to remove peas, beans, various seeds from the ear if necessary. To produce dehydration, alcohol or boric alcohol 3% is dripped into the ear. After dehydration, the foreign body is removed with a blunt hook from the Hartmann set, or with ear tweezers. This manipulation with perforated bodies in the ear can be very painful.
Surgical removal. It is used if the previous methods have not brought the desired result, and also after a foreign body has invaded the cavity of the middle and inner ear during an injury. The operation is performed after an x-ray of the skull in order to differentiate a foreign body with tumors, perforation of the membrane, hematoma. Behind the ear operations to remove foreign bodies are performed under general anesthesia.

Learn how to deal with a foreign body in the ear

In toddlers, removing objects from the ear often requires local or systemic anesthesia, or wrapping them in a sheet and holding them by a physician assistant. The same method of immobilizing a person may be required in unbalanced, restless patients. After removing the foreign body, the ear canal and eardrum must be carefully examined to exclude injuries and injuries.

In the presence of discharge from the ear, in addition to otoscopy, microotoscopy, a smear for bacterial culture from the ear and other tests may be necessary, since most often with such symptoms, the victim has already developed an inflammatory process. If necessary, after the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed local antibiotics and antiseptic ear treatments.

What Not to Do

Unskilled attempts to remove objects from the ear yourself are very dangerous. If you reach round bodies with tweezers, they can penetrate even deeper into the auditory canal and can even penetrate into the middle ear. The following actions are strictly prohibited with a foreign body in the ear:

washing the ear if batteries, flat bodies got into it;
removing objects with matches, sticks, which can easily cause damage to the eardrum;
delay in contacting a doctor due to the danger of tissue suppuration;
the use of conventional methods for removing foreign bodies with severe swelling and inflammation of the skin of the ear canal and eardrum.

It is advisable to remove from sight all small objects that the child can potentially use in the game. Those toys that the baby has should be suitable for his age, not break, not crumble with the formation of sharp corners. Ear hygiene should be carried out regularly and correctly, both in children and adults, and the use of sticks, matches and other items for this purpose is strictly prohibited.

Everyone who has children has at least once encountered the fact that his offspring tried to stuff something in his ear. But a foreign object can be in the ear not only by our will. Sometimes by accident, something can get into our ear, and age does not matter here. What to do if a foreign object gets into the ear?

Most often, children apply with a request to get a foreign body from the ear. Toddlers put pieces of paper, small parts of toys, pebbles, etc. into their ears. If a foreign object lies in the ear for a long time, it can cause inflammation.

What can get into our ear:

living creatures: cockroaches, midges, flies, bedbugs;
various small items: pieces of cotton wool, beads, bones from berries, etc.

How to know if you have a foreign body in your ear

If the object is small and does not have sharp edges, then the only complication for a long time may be hearing loss. This is due to the fact that the outflow of earwax is disturbed. Small objects can wobble when you turn your head, walk or run. Their vibrations are extremely unpleasant for our ear. Sharp-edged objects cause pain all the time. Insects can cause real torment when they crawl up the eardrum.

Doctors recommend not to try to get the item yourself. Often when using sharp objects, people injure their ear even more. Or instead of getting a foreign body, it is pushed deeper. But it is not always possible to quickly get to the otolaryngologist.

What should I do if I have to postpone my visit to the doctor? First you need to examine the ear. In children and adults, the ear is examined differently. For adults, the auricle is pulled back and up, and for children, back and down. If there is a foreign object in the ear, you will see it. Unfortunately, sometimes the eardrum is confused with an otherworldly object. Remember, the eardrum has a gray-pearl color.

If you have an insect crawling in your ear, you need to kill him. To do this, a few drops of a warm solution of glycerin or vaseline oil are poured into the ear. The temperature of the oil should be no higher than 37-39 ° C, otherwise you will burn your ear. In 3-5 minutes after the infusion of oil, the insect dies. The patient should tilt his head towards the affected ear, put a napkin on the ear and wait until the oil flows out. In most cases, the insect comes out of the ear along with the oil. If the object is deep or wedged into the tissue of the ear, then you need to see a doctor. Otolaryngologists have a whole set of tools for extracting various foreign objects from the ears of patients.

Do not use tweezers to extract round bodies. The tips of the tweezers may slip off the foreign object and it will push deeper into the ear. If you are sure that you can get a round foreign body, then do it with a thin object that is not sharpened at the end.

Many items are removed using Janet's syringe. Janet's syringe is a special type of flush syringe. Warm water is poured into it and a foreign object is washed out. But when washing out, you should check if the eardrum is damaged. After all, water, falling behind it, can cause otitis media.

Flat objects are removed with ear tweezers. If it was in the ear an object that can absorb moisture and swell, then it is dehydrated before removal. The most reliable way to help is the help of a doctor. It will not only do the job more reliably, but also faster.

A foreign body of the ear is a foreign object that has entered the external auditory canal or in the cavity formations of the ear (middle and / or inner).

The problem is not critical until the foreign body provokes irritation or violation of the integrity of the structures of the middle or inner ear. The otorhinolaryngologist should remove any object from the ear- multiple cases are described when, when trying to independently remove an object from the ear, it moved even deeper and provoked serious violations from the organ of hearing.

endogenous - due to diseases or pathological conditions of the body, they are formed directly in the ear;
exogenous - enter the ear from the external environment.

Most often, exogenous foreign bodies are detected.

The most common conditions under which a foreign body can end up in the ear due to active actions are:

Traumatization of the tissues of the head is one of the most common causes of foreign objects entering the middle or inner ear. Most often this happens when wounds are applied:

chipped;
cut;
chopped;
firearms.

Normally, the structures of the middle and inner ear are protected by the soft and bony tissues of the head; in case of trauma, access to them is formed. As a result of injuries in the ear are found:

note

In some cases of trauma, a foreign body may not be detected during a superficial examination, since it is able to bypass the external auditory canal and enter directly into the tympanic cavity or inner ear.

In case of inaccurate hygiene measures, fragments of ear sticks and other hygiene products may remain in the ear.

The ingress of foreign objects into the cavity (and not only) of the ear can be observed due to manipulations:

diagnostic - often when using damaged medical devices, small parts of which can unscrew or break off;
medical - both outpatient and performed in an operating room. Most often this is due to the inattention of the medical specialist who performs the manipulation / operation.

Incorrect or inaccurate use of hearing aids leads to foreign bodies in the ear, often in older people - batteries and small parts of the hearing aid can be found in them.

Deliberate self-mutilation followed by the ingress of foreign objects into the ear cavity is often observed in the following cases:

with a demonstrative type of behavior - in particular, an attempt to draw attention to oneself with an inadequate act during conflict situations. Most often observed in adolescents or people with an unbalanced psyche;
with a deliberate attempt at self-harm - to avoid fulfilling social obligations (service in the army), as well as avoiding administrative or criminal liability. In such cases, hospitalization to the clinic is a very common move.

Self-mutilation with the introduction of a foreign object in the ear of one's own or someone else's can be done by people with mental illness.

Live exogenous foreign bodies are isolated separately:

In a child, a foreign body can end up in the ear without all of the above prerequisites. He is able to push any object into his ear just like that, and the reasons for striving to do this are still not clear.

And if older children immediately voice the problem to their parents, then small children do not attach any importance to this, a foreign body in their ear is detected by chance - often already at the stage of changes on the side of soft tissues.

The "collection" of objects that otorhinolaryngologists have ever found in children's ears is very extensive. This:

small household items or their fragments;
pebbles, the diameter of which is commensurate with the diameter of the external auditory canal;
sand;
plaster fragments;
seeds of various plants;
fruit pits

and many others.

Of the small household items or their fragments in children's ears, the following are most often found:

buttons;
paperclips;
pins;
small cloves;
beads;
small batteries;
small toys;
details of constructors, various "kinder surprises" (chocolate eggs with a small constructor toy inside) or puzzle games;
pieces of paper;
fragments of foam;
scraps of matter;
lumps of cotton

and many others.

Development of pathology

Foreign bodies of the ear are:

fixed;
freely located in the ear.

Once in the ear, a foreign body irritates the skin of the external auditory canal, due to which an inflammatory process develops in it - in particular, due to the addition of an infectious agent.

Due to irritation of the soft tissues of the external auditory canal by a foreign body, the activity of the glands increases - they begin to produce sulfur and sweat in larger quantities than usual. Therefore, foreign bodies with hygroscopic properties (grains of corn, beans, peas and other legumes) swell and increase in volume after a while, blocking the lumen of the external auditory canal - this leads to the development of unpleasant subjective sensations, which will be discussed below.

If, having swollen, a foreign body reaches a significant size, it begins to put pressure on soft tissues, including small blood vessels. Because of this, the blood flow in the tissues of the ear worsens, their necrosis develops. Such an enlarged foreign body is wedged into the external auditory meatus, which makes it difficult to extract it.

note

Especially dangerous are small batteries that are not removed from the ear in a timely manner. In a humid environment, they conduct an electric current, provoking changes in tissues, therefore, even with a short stay in the ear, they can provoke the development of necrosis (necrosis) of the skin of the external auditory canal.

Insects that can release substances with aggressive properties can get into the ear. Such chemical compounds have an increased irritating effect on the skin of the external auditory canal and the eardrum and can provoke their necrosis.

Sulfur plug can form due to:

increased production of earwax;
its poor discharge due to the anatomical features of the external auditory canal - curvature or narrowness;
improper hygiene procedures - as a result of their sulfur is not removed from the ear, but is pushed, accumulates and forms a sulfur plug.

Symptoms of a foreign body in the ear

An inanimate foreign body may not cause any discomfort in patients. Basically, this applies to small objects with a smooth, streamlined shape.

If there are large foreign objects in the ear, the following symptoms occur:

If the integrity of tissues (not only the skin) is violated, an infectious agent joins, inflammation develops. At the same time, its symptoms develop:

local;
are common.

Local symptoms include:

increased pain syndrome;
a feeling of pulsation in the ear (indicates the formation of an abscess);
the discharge is first mucous, then mucopurulent in nature, often an admixture of blood is determined in the pus.

General signs of an inflammatory process in the ear, provoked by a foreign body, develop with its progression. This:

hyperthermia (increased body temperature). Can reach 38-38.5 degrees Celsius and above;
with further progression - fever (simultaneously observed fever and chills);
general disorders - decreased performance, general weakness, malaise, and so on.

If a living object gets into the ear as a foreign object, it often moves, therefore it provokes the occurrence of additional unpleasant sensations, such as:

tickling sensation;
reflex;
seizures in children.

The last three indicated signs can develop due to the fact that, constantly moving along the external auditory canal, a living foreign body irritates the vagus nerve receptors located in the skin of the passage.

If the foreign body is a chamois plug, the following symptoms are observed:

ear congestion;
impaired perception of sounds - they are deaf, as if their source is behind some kind of barrier, often distorted;
hearing loss;
feeling of increased pressure in the external auditory canal;
- this symptom develops if the sulfur plug touches the eardrum and regularly irritates it.

Diagnostics

In some patients, symptoms in the presence of a foreign body in the ear do not always appear, therefore, additional diagnostic methods are required to identify it.

In some cases, a foreign body in the ear can be detected when examining the external auditory canal without the use of additional diagnostic tools. To do this, the otolaryngologist fixes the head of the victim with one hand, and with the other, to improve the view, pulls the auricle:

in an adult patient or an older child - up and back;
in small children - down and back.

If the patient went to the doctor some time after the foreign body entered the ear, pathological changes (tissue edema) may develop that do not allow a simple examination of the external auditory canal. Therefore, instrumental diagnostic methods will be needed to identify a foreign object in the ear. They are also necessary in case of a deep location of a foreign body in the structures of the ear. These are methods such as:

Laboratory research methods used in the diagnosis of a foreign body in the ear are:

- helps to identify the emerging inflammation, provoked by the impact of a foreign body on the tissues of the ear - while the number of leukocytes (leukocytosis) and ESR increase in the blood;
bacterioscopic examination - in the presence of discharge from the ear, they are examined under a microscope to identify and identify the attached pathogen that provoked the inflammatory process against the background of a foreign body in the ear;
bacteriological examination - sowing discharge from the ear is carried out, colonies are expected to grow, by which the pathogen that caused the inflammatory process is identified when the ear tissues are injured by a foreign body.

Differential Diagnosis

Differential (distinctive) diagnosis of a foreign body in the ear is carried out with such diseases and pathological conditions as:

ear tumors - including metastatic ones (arising from the drift into the ear tissue of tumor cells located in other organs and tissues);
damage to the external auditory canal;
external - an inflammatory lesion of the outer ear;
hematoma - accumulation of blood in the ear as a result of its traumatization;
- the formation of a through defect in it.

Complications

Against the background of a foreign body in the ear, complications such as:

otitis externa;
perforation of the tympanic membrane with a foreign body;
otitis media - an inflammatory lesion of the structures of the middle ear, which can develop if a foreign object has perforated the eardrum, and pathogenic microorganisms have penetrated from the external environment through the formed defect into the middle ear cavity;
abscess - limited abscess. Able to develop due to the fact that through a soft tissue defect caused by a foreign body, pyogenic bacteria enter them;
- diffuse purulent lesion of soft tissues.

First aid for a foreign body in the ear

Treatment of pathology consists in:

removal of a foreign body from the ear;
elimination of the consequences caused by a foreign object.

Removal of a foreign body from the ear should be carried out as soon as possible to prevent:

the development of an inflammatory process - due to inflammation, accompanied by swelling of the soft tissues, the extraction of a foreign object from the ear can be difficult, accompanied by tissue damage and the development of bleeding;
swelling of foreign bodies due to their hygroscopicity.

Removal of a foreign body should be carried out by a medical specialist in a dressing room of an ENT hospital or clinic. Self-extraction of a foreign object is fraught with:

injury to the skin of the external auditory canal;
damage to the eardrum - up to its perforation;
secondary infection of the tissues of the ear.

Removal of a foreign body can be carried out:

washing;
with an ear hook;
in difficult cases - by performing a surgical operation.

Washing is carried out with water, which must first be heated to body temperature. It is drawn into a large syringe, the cannula of the syringe is inserted into the ear canal, a portion of water is poured into the ear by gently pressing the piston. The piston of the syringe should move easily, otherwise, in order to overcome mechanical resistance, the piston can be moved too forcefully, and too much water will enter the ear, which can push the foreign body even deeper. If necessary, the procedure is carried out several times. If the foreign object is safely washed out, the remaining liquid is dried with a turunda. Washing is contraindicated in the presence in the ear:

batteries;
flat or thin foreign objects (for example, pins) - they can be carried by blood flow deep into the external auditory canal;
perforation of the tympanic membrane.

Extraction of a foreign object with the help of an ear hook is carried out as follows: the hook is brought behind a foreign object and is removed from the external auditory canal by pushing movements from behind. If it is necessary to remove bodies with hygroscopic properties, 96% ethyl alcohol is instilled into the ear before the procedure - it has dehydrating (dehydrating) properties, and the foreign body decreases in size, which makes it easier to remove.

If there is a pain syndrome, then the extraction of a foreign body is carried out under local anesthesia. The procedure in children is carried out after their sedation - the introduction of drugs that cause a state of drowsiness. After the procedure, the external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane are examined for their inflammatory changes and violations of tissue integrity. If they are available, local treatment is carried out - this is:

sanitation (washing) of the inflamed or damaged area with antiseptic solutions;
topical application of antibacterial ointment.

If, under the influence of a foreign body, significant inflammatory changes have developed in the ear, as well as a violation of the general condition, then local treatment is supplemented with a general one, which is based on such appointments:

anti-inflammatory agents.

They are mainly used in the form of tablet forms, although with a significant progression of the inflammatory process, injections may be necessary.

Surgical intervention is performed if a foreign object cannot be removed from the ear in other ways.

If a living foreign body is found, first carry out the procedure of killing, and then removing. It is allowed to immobilize the insect on your own by instilling ethyl alcohol, vaseline or sunflower oil into the ear - after that, you should contact a specialist to remove the identified foreign object.

Sulfur plug can be removed by washing. Before the procedure, it is recommended to instill a solution of hydrogen peroxide into the ear for several days, which will soften the cork and facilitate its removal. If washing is ineffective, then the plug is removed using ENT instruments.

Prevention

Prevention of a foreign body in the ear is simple. Should:

Forecast

The prognosis for a foreign body in the ear in most cases is favorable - discomfort in the ear makes the patient contact a medical specialist without delay, therapeutic measures are taken immediately.

The prognosis worsens with:

foreign bodies in the ear that got into it due to severe head injuries;
late diagnosis and, as a result, the possibility of developing inflammatory complications;
attempts to extract a foreign body by a non-specialist (including the patient himself).

Kovtonyuk Oksana Vladimirovna, medical commentator, surgeon, medical consultant

A foreign body in the ear is a fairly common problem and a common reason for visiting an otolaryngologist. Mostly children face this problem. However, adults are also not immune from the penetration of a foreign body into the ear. For example, an insect may crawl there or a small piece of cotton wool may remain after medical procedures.

If the first signs of the presence of foreign objects in the ear canal occur, you should immediately consult a doctor who will help remove them and prevent the development of complications.

ear structure

To make sure that you should not try to remove objects that accidentally fell into the ear on your own, you must first familiarize yourself with the structure of the ear canal. The outer part consists of the auricle.

Since this part consists only of soft tissues, its bends can be completely straightened if the auricle is slightly pulled back in order to conduct an inspection if necessary. The inner part of the ear consists of bone tissue, and it is located quite deep. In addition, there is a niche near the eardrum, where small objects can fall, which are quite difficult to notice during examination.

Such bends of the ear allow for additional protection of the eardrum from a foreign body and injury. However, these same passages create many difficulties in removing the foreign object. In the outer part, foreign bodies can be removed much faster and easier than from the bone section.

Self-introduction of sticks, matches or needles into the ear canal to remove a foreign body from the ear is unacceptable, as this leads to skin injury with pain and bleeding from the ear.

Description of the problem

A foreign body in the ear (code T16 according to the ICD-10 code) can be exogenous, which is divided into living and inanimate objects, as well as endogenous, produced by the body itself, in particular, it can be sulfur plugs. Foreign objects not only cause a lot of discomfort, but also contribute to the development of inflammation, the appearance of otitis media. Also, various kinds of lesions can form at the entrance of the external auditory canal.

In addition, a foreign body in the ear of animal origin can irritate the glands, secrete a special secret, and provoke their hypersecretion. As a result, the tissues of the inner part of the ear increase in size and swell greatly. These substances irritate the skin and eardrum and provoke inflammation.

Problem symptoms

Symptoms of a foreign body in the ear largely depend on the characteristics of the object itself. If it is a small hard object, then it may not cause concern for a long time. However, then gradually from the pressure of an outsider on the skin of the ear canal, bedsores appear, an infection joins and inflammation forms. The ear begins to hurt badly, swell, and purulent and sanious discharge is also possible.

When an insect enters the ear, discomfort and discomfort begin to appear immediately. First of all, something begins to make a loud noise in the ear, move around and touch the eardrum. Noise is additionally accompanied by the presence of strong painful sensations, and sometimes even convulsions and dizziness are possible.

Sometimes a foreign body almost completely clogs the outer part of the ear canal, and then a person has tinnitus, a feeling of congestion, and hearing loss.

Varieties of foreign objects

A foreign body in the ear (according to the ICD-10 code T16) is a very serious problem, as it can provoke many different complications. All foreign objects that can enter the ear canal are divided into several groups, namely:

sulfur plug;
insects;
inanimate objects.

Sulfur plug is formed with improper or irregular care of the ears. It thickens over time, and as a result completely blocks the ear canal. Initially, her presence is completely imperceptible, but over time, hearing gradually begins to decline. If the cork is deep and presses on the membrane, then an earache occurs, and then a headache. In case of circulatory disorders, inflammation may occur.

There may also be living foreign bodies in the ear, eyes, and nose. It can be small insects and their larvae. They often enter the ear during sleep. It is impossible to confuse such a sensation, since the insect touches and injures the eardrum, causing pain. In addition, it can bite or sting. Then inflammation or allergies also join the unpleasant symptoms.

A non-living foreign body is mainly ingested by negligence. It can be small items, a piece of a match, used cotton and much more. Often, foreign objects that have penetrated very deep into the ear lead to various kinds of complications.

Foreign body in the ear canal in children

Foreign bodies are often found in the nose and ears in children. A similar problem often occurs in babies who are left unattended by adults. Children are not yet fully aware of the danger, so various small objects can periodically end up in the auricle, nose or respiratory organs.

It is not possible to determine the presence of a foreign body in the ear of a child immediately. Children under 2 years of age generally cannot say this on their own. But an older child is afraid to confess, because he is afraid that his mother will punish him. Therefore, the main symptom may be the unusual behavior of the baby, which suddenly can:

shake a head;
cry for no reason
refuse to lie down on any side;
poking your ear all the time.

In addition, a sharp decrease in hearing acuity, which may be caused by the presence of a foreign object or a sulfuric plug, must definitely alert the mother.

Causes and main signs in adults

If there is a foreign body in the ear, the reasons for this can be very different. In adults, the ingress of a foreign object occurs under unusual circumstances or through negligence. In particular, this may be the case if:

cotton wool remained in the ear canal during cleaning;
insects crawl during sleep;
sand or debris penetrates in strong winds;
larvae enter the ear when bathing.

In addition, it may be that other small objects can get into the ear canal. Often they are light, smooth and do not cause any discomfort at all. Then the presence of a foreign body in the ear can manifest itself only in congestion and hearing loss.

First aid

If there is a foreign body in the ear, help should be provided immediately, as foreign objects can provoke the development of various complications. If a visit to the doctor has to be postponed, then initially you need to examine the ear, since if there is a foreign object in the ear canal, then it can be immediately noticed.

If there is a feeling that an insect is crawling in the ear, then you should try to kill it by dropping a few drops of a heated solution of glycerin or warm vaseline oil. It is worth noting that its temperature should not be higher than 37 degrees, as you can burn the skin inside the ear. After about 3-5 minutes, the insect dies. Then the patient should tilt in the direction where the insect is located, leaning a napkin against his ear and wait until it comes out on its own along with the agent used.

If the object is small and metallic, then you can try to bring a magnet to the ear canal. In all other cases, be sure to consult a doctor.

If you suspect the presence of a foreign object in the ear, you should definitely contact an otolaryngologist. He will do an otoscopy, which allows you to see the stuck object. However, if he was in the ear long enough and during this period otitis externa developed, then otoscopy will not give any result. In this case, the otolaryngologist prescribes a tomography of the temporal bone.

Features of treatment

When a foreign body enters the ear, treatment may vary depending on the type of object stuck. Using tweezers, the doctor removes a small or flat hard object. Basically, the removal of a foreign body from the ear is almost painless and does not cause much discomfort. This method is also suitable for extracting cotton wool, small pieces of paper and matches.

To extract solid round objects, a special Janet syringe is used, designed for washing. This is a rather unpleasant procedure, so it is carried out for children only after preliminary anesthesia. An alcohol solution is used to extract swollen foreign bodies. This tool is used for their preliminary dehydration.

If a foreign object completely clogs the ear canal, then special hooks are used to remove it. Before removal of a foreign body, signs of inflammation must be eliminated.

If all these methods did not bring any result, then the operation is indicated. It is performed after a preliminary diagnosis, so that the presence of a tumor, hematoma, and perforation of the membrane can be excluded. The operation is performed under general anesthesia.

What is forbidden to do

Attempting to remove a foreign object from the ear on your own can be very dangerous. If you take out round objects with tweezers, they can penetrate even deeper into the ear canal. The following activities are strictly prohibited:

removing foreign objects with sticks or matches;
washing the ear if flat objects get into it;
the use of conventional removal techniques for severe swelling and inflammation;
delay in contacting the doctor, as there is a risk of suppuration.

It is imperative to follow preventive measures, since the penetration of a foreign object into the ear canal can be very dangerous.

A foreign object that has fallen into the ear almost completely blocks the ear canal. It provokes the occurrence of infections, which eventually lead to the development of inflammation and suppuration in the middle ear. If plant grains get into the ear canal, then in a humid environment they begin to gradually swell, squeezing the inner parts of the ear and disrupting normal blood circulation.

Foreign objects with sharp or jagged edges scratch the skin inside the ear and can cause injury to the eardrum. An infection also penetrates the wounds, which spreads through the bloodstream throughout the body. This can provoke inflammation of the lymph nodes and blood poisoning.

Batteries that enter the ear are especially dangerous. Once in a humid environment and having a charge, they continue to work and can provoke damage and even tissue necrosis. In addition, when they are in the ear for a long time, they begin to oxidize and at the same time provoke very strong irritation and subsequent damage to internal tissues.

Carrying out prevention

To avoid the danger of penetration of a foreign object into the ear, it is necessary to observe certain preventive measures, namely:

do not leave children under 2 years old unattended;
do not allow children under 7 years old to play with toys that have small parts;
during sleep or outdoor recreation without the use of a mosquito net, cover your ears with earplugs;
clean the ears only with special cotton swabs;
clean your ears regularly.

If, while observing all safety measures, it was still not possible to avoid getting a foreign body into the ear, you should immediately contact an otolaryngologist to eliminate it.