Contents
The foreign body of the ear is presented in the form of a foreign object located in the external auditory canals, or in the cavity of the middle and inner ear. Alien objects can be varied. As a rule, these are small household items, pebbles, pieces of paper, toys, plasticine, cotton wool, hearing aid parts and much more. Sometimes small insects, plants can act as a foreign body. Most often, the ear cavity is clogged with sulfur clots, in medicine this also applies to foreign bodies.
What is a foreign body and what causes it
If a foreign object is stuck in the ear canal, then the first thing a person has is congestion, which is accompanied by pain. If the object is in the ear canal long enough and deep enough, then the patient’s hearing is noticeably reduced and ear pressure appears. In more advanced cases, severe dizziness may occur, which provoke gag reflexes.
To diagnose a foreign body in the ear, the patient must undergo diagnostic measures. If the results are positive, the doctor prescribes the removal of the foreign body. The type of removal is selected according to the size and shape of the object that is in the ear. This can be a simple washing, instrumental removal, and in especially severe cases, the doctor prescribes surgery.
Most often, foreign bodies in the ear canal are diagnosed in young children. After all, during games, children often put small parts in their ears, nose and mouth. It will be good if the child tells his parents about it or they themselves notice it. But there are times when the baby carefully hides this so that the parents do not scold. If the object stays in the ear for a long time, this will lead to an inflammatory process that can result in hearing loss.
In adults, this happens quite by accident. When relaxing in nature, small insects can fly into the ear, earth, plants, and so on. In such cases, the foreign body may linger in the ear canal, and may penetrate deeper, for example, into the tympanic cavity or the inner ear.
In older people, hearing aids, such as batteries or other small parts, can be the cause of a foreign body.
First Aid
As we have said, there are three main ways to remove a foreign body from the ear canal:
- washing the ear cavity;
- instrumental removal;
- surgical intervention.
Surgical removal is performed when the foreign body has penetrated much deeper. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to provide the patient with first aid in time.
Foreign bodies are divided into two categories: objects (small parts from toys and hearing aids, a button, a bead, cotton wool, bones, and many others) and living beings (cockroach, midge, fly, bug, and so on).
As a rule, young children often face such a problem when small parts fall into their hands. If an inanimate object gets into the ear canal, then it does not cause much concern for people. However, by trying to remove it on their own, a person, on the contrary, pushes it even deeper. As a result of this, the eardrum is damaged and a serious inflammatory process develops. Therefore, if an inanimate object is in the ear, then only a doctor should deal with the removal.
When a small insect enters the ear, a person experiences burning, itching and pain. In this case, he needs to provide first aid.
Put the person on the healthy side and pour in about 10 drops of liquid, of course, vegetable oil would be ideal (it softens the exit of the insect from the ear canal). After a couple of minutes, the insect will die, and the patient will immediately lose all discomfort.
Then the person is turned on its side, on a sore ear. In this position, you need to lie down for another two to three minutes. After that, rinse the ear canal with water with low pressure. Thus, the water will wash the already dead insect. It is categorically impossible to wash the ear immediately, otherwise the insect will penetrate even deeper, and then serious complications will arise.
If, after washing, you did not notice how the insect came out, then you should immediately contact a specialist for medical help. It is absolutely impossible to leave even a dead insect in the ear. This can cause the development of severe suppuration and inflammation, and this, in turn, can result in hearing loss.
Methods for removing a foreign body from the ear canal
Even a long time ago, doctors tried to get foreign bodies with tweezers and forceps. But today this technique is considered incorrect, especially if the object is round or oval. In the process, the object can slip out and go even deeper, exacerbating the situation.
If the object is deep enough, for example, in the tympanic cavity or in the middle ear, then the removal process becomes more complicated, and simple washing is not enough.
To begin with, doctors perform an otoscopy (examination of the outer layer of the ear canal, eardrum and cavity). This will allow you to accurately determine the location of the foreign object and the gap between it and the outer layer of the auditory canal. It is in this gap that the doctor must get in order to wash the foreign object. This is considered the simplest removal technique, since under a strong stream of water the object itself comes out.
In cases where the object has been in the ear for more than one day, and may have already swelled (this applies to objects of plant origin), then washing is carried out for three days. Before washing itself, 5-6 drops of alcohol should be dripped, this leads to wrinkling of the object. Already on the third day, under a strong pressure of water, a foreign body comes out.
There are situations when the object does not come out, the walls of the ear canal are significantly inflamed, then doctors perform surgery. Before the start of the operation, the patient is anesthetized and the foreign body is removed with the help of special instruments.
In order to prevent serious complications, it is necessary to consult a doctor in time. Sometimes neglect of your health can lead to serious consequences. In our case, it is a complete hearing loss.