First aid for foreign bodies in the ear

A foreign body that has entered the ear has an inorganic and organic origin. A medicine (tablets, capsules) and even an ordinary sulfur plug can become a foreign object. Sulfur in the form of a stony conglomerate with jagged edges causes severe pain and causes hearing loss. Most often, when a foreign body enters the external auditory canal, an inflammatory reaction occurs and pus accumulates if it is not removed in time.

By damaging the tissues of the organ of hearing, a foreign body can lead to serious complications, so emergency first aid is mandatory. A person can pull some items out of the ear canal on their own, even without a medical education. But often an attempt to pull out a foreign body only exacerbates the problem and injures the osteochondral canal. It is better not to resort to self-help, but to seek qualified medical assistance.

Features of foreign bodies entering the organ of hearing

A foreign body of the ear is an object that has entered the external auditory canal, the cavity of the inner or middle ear. Objects that ended up in the organ of hearing can be: parts of the hearing aid; earwax; live microorganisms; insects; plants; cotton wool; plasticine; paper; small children’s toys; stones and the like.

A foreign object in the ear causes severe pain, sometimes there may be: hearing loss; nausea; vomit; dizziness; fainting; feeling of pressure in the ear canal. It is possible to diagnose the ingress of a foreign object into the osteochondral canal using a procedure that is called otoscopy in medicine. A foreign object is removed in different ways, the choice of method is determined by the parameters and shape of the body. There are three known methods for extracting an object from the ear: surgical intervention; removal using basic tools; washing.

Otolaryngologists divide foreign objects of the ear into internal and external. Most often, foreign objects are exogenous – they got into the cavity of the organ from the outside. Objects localized in the ear canal are divided into two groups: inert (buttons, toys, small parts, foam plastic) and live (larvae, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches).

Symptoms that indicate a foreign object has entered the ear

Most often, inert bodies can stay in the ear for a long period of time and not cause pain and discomfort, but due to their presence in the organ, a feeling of congestion occurs, hearing decreases and hearing loss develops. At first, when an object enters the ear, a person can feel its presence in the ear canal when running, walking, bending down or to the side.

If an insect is in the osteochondral canal, its movements will irritate the ear canal and cause discomfort. Living foreign bodies often provoke severe itching, burning in the ear and require immediate first aid.

The essence of first aid when a foreign body enters the ear canal

The most common way to remove a foreign object from the ear is through a lavage procedure. To do this, you will need warm clean water, a XNUMX% boron solution, potassium permanganate, furatsilin and a disposable syringe. During manipulation, the liquid from the syringe is released very smoothly so as not to cause mechanical damage to the eardrum. If there is a suspicion of injury to the membrane, it is strictly forbidden to flush the organ.

In the case where an insect is stuck in the ear, the living being should be immobilized. To do this, 7-10 drops of glycerin, alcohol or oil are poured into the ear canal, then the inert object is removed from the organ by washing the canal. Plant objects such as peas, legumes or beans should be dehydrated with a XNUMX% boron solution before removal. Under the influence of boric acid, the trapped body will become smaller in volume and it will be easier to remove it.

It is strictly forbidden to remove a foreign object with improvised objects, such as matches, needles, pins or hairpins. Due to such manipulations, a foreign body can push deep into the auditory canal and injure the eardrum. If washing at home is ineffective, a person should consult a doctor. If a foreign object has penetrated the bony part of the ear or is stuck in the tympanic cavity, it can only be removed by a specialist during a surgical operation.

If a foreign body gets deep into the organ of hearing, there is a huge risk of damage:

• tympanic cavity and membrane;
• auditory tube;
• middle ear, including antrum;
• facial nerve.

Due to trauma to the ear, there is a risk of profuse bleeding from the bulb of the jugular vein, venous sinuses or carotid artery. After a hemorrhage, a disorder of the vestibular and auditory functions often occurs, as a result of which strong noises in the ear, vestibular ataxia and an autonomic reaction are formed.

The doctor will be able to diagnose an ear injury after studying the medical history, patient complaints, performing otoscopy, x-rays and other diagnostics. To avoid numerous complications (hemorrhage, intracranial injuries, sepsis), the patient is hospitalized and a special course of treatment is carried out.

First aid for a non-living foreign body in the ear

Small objects do not cause severe pain and discomfort, therefore, if they are detected, the removal procedure will be almost painless. Larger objects block the passage of sound waves through the auditory tube and cause hearing loss. A foreign object that has sharp corners most often injures the skin of the ear and the tympanic cavity, thereby causing pain and bleeding. If there is a wound in the organ, an infection gets into it and inflammation of the middle ear occurs.

For the first medical aid when a foreign inanimate body enters the organ of hearing, you should contact an otolaryngologist. First of all, the doctor examines the external auditory canal: with one hand, the doctor pulls the auricle and directs it up and then back. When examining a small child, the otolaryngologist shifts the ear shell down, then back.

If the patient turned to a specialist on the second or third day of illness, visualization of a foreign object will be more difficult and microotoscopy or otoscopy may be necessary. If the patient has any discharge, then their bacteriological analysis and microscopy are performed. If an object enters the ear cavity through injury to the organ, the specialist prescribes an x-ray.

It is not advisable to try to remove a foreign body on your own, without the necessary sterile instruments and medical knowledge. If an incorrect attempt is made to remove an inanimate object, a person can damage the osteochondral canal and infect it even more.

The simplest method of removing an object from the organ of hearing is therapeutic washing. The doctor heats the water, then draws it into a disposable syringe with a cannula. Next, the specialist inserts the end of the cannula into the auditory tube and pours water under slight pressure. The otolaryngologist can perform the procedure from 1 to 4 times. Other medicines in the form of solutions can be added to ordinary water. If fluid remains in the ear cavity, it should be removed with a turunda. Manipulation is contraindicated if a battery, a thin and flat body is stuck in the external auditory canal, since they can move deep into the ear under pressure.

The doctor can remove the foreign object with the help of an ear hook that winds up behind it and pulls out from the organ. During the procedure, visual observation should be carried out. If the patient does not experience severe pain, then the object can be removed without anesthesia. Minor patients are given general anesthesia.

Upon completion of the manipulation, when the object is removed from the osteochondral canal, the otolaryngologist performs a secondary examination of the organ. If a specialist detects wounds in the organ of hearing, they must be treated with boron solution or other disinfecting drugs. After removing the foreign body, the doctor prescribes an antibacterial ear ointment.

With severe inflammation and swelling of the osteochondral canal, the object cannot be removed. You should wait a few days, during which the patient must take anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and decongestant medications. If a foreign object cannot be removed from the ear with instruments and in various ways, the otolaryngologist suggests surgical intervention.

Emergency care in case of a foreign living body getting into the organ of hearing

When a foreign living object enters the ear, it begins to move in the ear canal, thereby giving the person a lot of discomfort. The patient, due to the ingestion of an insect, begins nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Small children have seizures. Otoscopy allows diagnosing a living object in an organ.

The otolaryngologist first of all immobilizes the insect with a few drops of ethyl alcohol or oil-based medicines. Next, the procedure for washing the bone-cartilaginous canal is carried out. If the manipulation turned out to be ineffective, the doctor removes the insect with a hook or tweezers.

Sulfur Plug Removal

Excessive formation of sulfur occurs due to its increased production, curvature of the osteochondral canal, and improper ear hygiene. When a sulfur plug occurs, a person has a feeling of congestion in the organ of hearing and increased pressure. When the cork comes into contact with the eardrum, a person may be disturbed by noise in the organ. A foreign body can be diagnosed by examining an otolaryngologist or by performing an otoscopy.

It is best to remove the sulfur plug by an experienced doctor. Before washing, the patient should drip a few drops of peroxide into the ear for 2-3 days before the start of the manipulation to soften the sulfuric lump and facilitate its further extraction. If this does not bring results, the doctor resorts to instrumental removal of a foreign object.

First aid for a foreign body in the ear should be provided by a qualified otolaryngologist after a detailed examination and appropriate research. The choice of a method for removing a foreign object falls on the shoulders of the doctor. The specialist takes into account not only the size, features and shape of the body that has entered the ear canal, but also the preferences of the patient. Removing an object from the ear by rinsing is the most gentle treatment method, which in 90% of cases helps to get rid of the problem. If therapeutic lavage is ineffective, the doctor recommends removing the foreign body with instruments or surgery. Timely provision of emergency care can prevent the occurrence of complications and hearing problems in the future.