Ear Injury
If you have an ear injury, you may experience symptoms like earache, clear or bloody discharge from the ear, or changes in or loss of hearing. Ear injuries can also cause dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms. If you are injured and have severe pain in your ear or other worrisome symptoms, have your doctor examine your ear. Do not try to stick tweezers or cotton swabs in your ear to remove a lodged object as this might make the injury worse. If your ear is bleeding or wounded, wash the cut and apply a compress. Continued bleeding after 10 minutes may need to be checked out by a medical professional.
Recently Answered
- Q What is acoustic trauma and how does it relate to hearing damage?
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Acoustic trauma is when your ear is assaulted by an overpowering sound wave. These types of traumas can cause hearing damage. Explosions, gunshots, and loud music all are possible sources of these overwhelming sound waves. Long-term exposure to loud... Full Answer
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- Q How many people experience hearing loss due to ear injury?
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Hearing loss may be one symptom or side effect of an ear injury. For most people, hearing loss due to an ear injury is not permanent and gradually returns over time. However, it is estimated that about 19 million people in the United States are deaf or... Full Answer
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- Q Do ear injuries affect children differently than adults?
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Ear injuries do not affect young children differently than adults. However, children may be more susceptible to this type of injury because they often put things in their ears that they should not. Their smaller ear canals also make it easier for objects... Full Answer
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- Q What tests evaluate hearing loss that results from ear injury?
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A tuning fork test and an audiometry test can be used to determine if hearing loss has resulted from an ear injury. A tuning fork is a medical instrument that has two prongs and makes sound when it is struck. A doctor uses a tuning fork to reveal hearing... Full Answer
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- Q What increases my risk for an ear injury?
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One means of increasing ear injury risk is by putting things in your ears. Obviously, you should not put sharp objects in your ears, but even cotton swabs can be dangerous. Participating in activities that cause abrupt air pressure changes (flying, deep... Full Answer
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- Q Is an ear injury serious?
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Sometimes ear injuries can be serious. Untreated external ear injuries can lead to deformity. When the fleshy part of the ear receives a blow that causes swelling and hematoma (swelling with an excessive amount of blood), and the hematoma is not drained,... Full Answer
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- Q How does an ear injury affect the body?
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How an ear injury affects the body depends on the type of injury. External injuries to the soft flesh of the ear can cause deformity and permanent damage. For example, if a blow is received to the ear that causes swelling, the swelling can be severe... Full Answer
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- Q What is acoustic trauma and how does it relate to ear injury?
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Acoustic trauma is when your ear is assaulted by an overpowering sound wave. These types of traumas can cause ear injury. Explosions, gunshots, and loud music all are possible sources of these overwhelming sound waves. Long-term exposure to loud noises... Full Answer
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- Q What is a ruptured eardrum?
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A ruptured eardrum occurs when there is a tear or hole in the eardrum, which is a thin membrane that separates the ear canal from the middle ear. A rupture can occur from a foreign object entering the ear canal or from an abrupt change in air pressure,... Full Answer
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- Q What are the possible complications of a ruptured eardrum?
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Possible complications of a ruptured eardrum include ear infections, hearing loss, and middle ear cysts. One of the functions of the eardrum is to provide a barrier between the ear canal and the middle ear. If this barrier becomes ruptured, it increases... Full Answer
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