First Aid: Foreign Object In The Ear

By Matt Unangst, 25 Feb 18:00

I was always told as a child that I should never put anything besides my elbow in my ear. Since this is impossible, the meaning is pretty clear: don’t put foreign objects in your ear. Should you have the misfortune to get a foreign object in your ear, it can be extremely painful and cause hearing loss. Small children can get foreign objects stuck in their ears without realizing it, so keep an eye out if your child has ear pain or hearing problems.

Here are some steps to take and tips to remember if you do wind up with a foreign object in your ear:

• Don’t try to push the object out with another object. Doing so can push the invasive object further into the ear, damaging your fragile middle and inner ear.
• Try to remove the object if it is clearly visible. Use tweezers to remove the object if you can easily see it and grab it.
• Use gravity. Tilt your head to one side to try to get the object to fall out.
• Use oil if the object is an insect. Tilt your head so that the ear with the insect in it is facing up and have someone else pour warm (but not hot) mineral, olive, or baby oil into your ear. Have the person pull your earlobe gently backwards and upwards (for a child, pull backwards and downwards). This helps to straighten the ear canal. If done correctly, pouring oil can suffocate the insect and float it out of the ear.
• Do not use oil if the object is not an insect. If you show signs of an eardrum perforation – pain, bleeding, or discharge, the oil could get past the eardrum, causing damage.

If these methods do not work or you continue to have pain in your ear, hearing loss, or a renewed or continued sensation of something lodged in your ear, call a doctor for assistance.

Tags: first aid, ear