Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Spanish version
Illustration
Foreign Body in Ear
DESCRIPTION
Young children seem to enjoy putting foreign objects in
their ear canals. Some common objects are erasers, beads,
food, and cotton.
FIRST AID
If a live insect is in your child's ear canal, take your
child into a dark room and shine a light by the ear. The
insect will often come out on its own. If this fails, kill
the intruder by pouring in some alcohol. You can use wine
or beer if you have no rubbing alcohol. Then remove the
insect by irrigating the canal with water and an ear syringe
(or nasal suction bulb).
Make one simple attempt to remove any other objects. Turn
down the side of the head where the ear with the object is.
Wiggle the earlobe and gently shake the head at the same
time and try to get the object to fall out with the help of
gravity.
CALL YOUR CHILD'S PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY IF:
- Your child has a foreign body in the ear canal AND these
measures don't remove it.
NOTE: DO NOT try to remove the object by putting tweezers,
fingers, or any other device into the ear canal. This
almost always pushes the object in farther and makes
removal by the physician very difficult. Watch your
child closely to make sure that he doesn't push the
object in.
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