Ear Injury

See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one):

• If NOT, try one of these: Wound Infection
• If NOT, try one of these: Ear Piercing Symptoms

Is this your child's symptom?

• Injuries to the outer ear, ear canal or eardrum

Types of Ear Injuries

• Cut or Scratch. Most cuts of the outer ear do not need sutures.
• Bruise. Most bruises of the outer ear just leave a purple mark. They heal on their own.
• Blood Clot (Serious). Most of the outer ear is made of cartilage. A large blood clot (hematoma) can cut off the blood supply to the cartilage. It needs to be drained. If not, the ear may become deformed (boxer's ear).
• Ear Canal Bleeding. Most are due to a scratch of ear canal. This can be caused by cotton swab, fingernail, or ear exam. Most stop bleeding on their own. Persistent bleeding needs to be seen.
• Cotton Swab Injuries: Cotton swabs cause more than 10,000 ear injuries each year in the US. More than 2,000 are punctured eardrums. Never let young children put cotton swabs in their ears.
• Punctured Eardrum. Most are due to long-pointed objects put in the ear canal. Examples are cotton swabs, pencils, sticks, straws, or wires.
• Loss of Hearing (Serious). Caused by blunt trauma, such as a slap to the ear. Also, caused by explosions.

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Skin is split open or gaping and may need stitches
• Upper part of the ear is very swollen
• Pointed object was put into the ear canal (such as a pencil, stick, or wire)
• Clear fluid is draining from the ear canal
• Skin is cut and No past tetanus shots. Note: tetanus is the "T" in DTaP, TdaP, or Td vaccines.
• Severe pain and not better 2 hours after taking pain medicine
• Age less than 1 year old
• Outer ear injury looks infected (spreading redness)
• You think your child has a serious injury
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Few drops of blood in the ear canal. Caused by a minor injury, cotton swab (Q-tip) or ear exam.
• Injury causes an earache or crying lasts more than 30 minutes
• Hearing is less on injured side
• Dirty cut or hard to clean and no tetanus shot in more than 5 years
• Clean cut and no tetanus shot in more than 10 years
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Minor ear injury
• Pierced ear with minor injury

Care Advice for Minor Ear Injuries

1. Bleeding - How to Stop:
   • For any bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound.
   • Use a gauze pad or clean cloth.
   • Press for 10 minutes or until the bleeding has stopped.
2. Clean the Wound:
   • Wash the wound with soap and water for 5 minutes.
3. Antibiotic Ointment:
   • For cuts and scrapes, use an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin). No prescription is needed.
   • Put it on the cut 3 times a day.
   • Do this for 3 days.
   • Cover large scrapes with a bandage (such as Band-Aid). Change daily.
4. Pain Medicine:
   • To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
   • Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
   • Use as needed.
5. What to Expect:
   • Minor ear wounds heal quickly.
   • Most often, cuts and scrapes heal in 2 or 3 days.
6. Preventing Ear Injuries:
   • Careful adult supervision of young children.
   • Never let young children put cotton swabs in their ears.
7. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Pain gets severe
   • You think your child needs to be seen
   • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Copyright 2000-2023. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.