Foreign Body in Ear

Foreign body in ear

 Any foreign object that enters the body by a skin wound, a natural body opening, by being inserted, ingested, or otherwise entering is referred to as a "foreign body."

Some objects are purposefully inserted into the ear by people who may have been attempting to clean the ear canal or relieve itching, or by children who insert toys, beads, peas, beans, and other small objects. A bug could get inside the ear canal. The effects of either cause can range from no symptoms to excruciating pain and diminished hearing. A foreign object in the ear can hurt and damage your hearing.

Causes

• Adding a foreign object.
• A creature.
• Excessive cleaning and use of cotton swabs.
• Blowing insignificant particles into the ear.

Signs and symptoms

• Asymptomatic
• Irritation
• Redness, swelling, discharge
• Pain, tenderness
• Decrease in hearing
• Dizziness, nausea, vomiting
• Symptoms of otitis media
• Ear fullness senses
• Itching
• Ringing in the ear
• Fever
• Young children frequently repeatedly scratch or rub their ears.
• Sensation of movement

Complication

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia
• Otitis media
• Deafness
• Damage to the labyrinth, ossicles, and tympanic membrane.

Diagnosis

• History
• Observing signs and symptoms
• Examination of ear

A trained medical professional may typically see objects in the ear by directly peering into it while using a device known as an otoscope. To examine the internal structure, a magnifying lamp with a plastic cone tip is pushed into the canal. In situations involving children, it's crucial to understand that there might be multiple foreign bodies and that additional orifices might need to be checked. Once the object is discovered, there are numerous options for retrieval.

Management (first aid)

If an object becomes lodged in the ear, follow these steps:

• Don’t attempt to remove the foreign object by probing with a match stick or any other tools. To do so is to risk pushing the object farther into the ear and damaging the fragile structure of the middle ear.
• Remove the object: if the object is clearly visible, and can be grasped easily with tweezers, gently remove it.
  • Modified tweezers or forceps can be used to reach in and grab the object with the help of an otoscope so important structure are not damaged.
  • Gentle suction can be used to suck out the object.
  • Irrigation of the canal with warm water and a small catheter can flush certain materials out of the canal and clean out debris.
  • Small children do not tolerate painful or scary interventions and may need to be sedated medically to have objects removed from their ears. Often with children, the first try is the most successful, as subsequent attempts to remove an object can be painful and frightened to the child.
• Try using gravity. Tilt the head to the affected side to try to dislodge the object.
• Try using oil for an insect:
  • Try to float the insect out by pouring minerals oil, or baby oil into the ear. The oil should be warm but not hot.
  • As you pour the oil, you can ease the entry of the oil by straightening the ear canal. Pull the earlobe gently backward and upward for an adult, backward and downward for a child.
  • The insect should suffocate and may float out in the oil bath.
• Don’t use oil to remove any object other than an insect: if there is any suspicion of a perforation in the eardrum- pain, bleeding or discharge from the ear.
• Seek medical assistance: if these methods fail or the person continues to experience pain in the ear, reduced hearing or a sensation of something lodged in the ear, seek medical assistance.
• After the foreign object is removed the doctor may put the patient on antibiotic drops for five days to a week to prevent infection from trauma to the ear canal.