Ear emergencies

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Ear anatomy	Eardrum repair - series	External and internal ear	First aid kit
Foreign object in ear	Foreign object removal	Ruptured eardrum

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

See also: Acoustic trauma

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.

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.

Review Date: 02/12/2007
Reviewed By: Alden J. Pearl, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.