One of the frequent reasons for contacting an otolaryngologist is a foreign body in the ear. It causes discomfort, pain, hearing loss. Sometimes there are spotting. If you do not get the item in time, the development of otitis begins.
Foreign body in ear
An alien object can be in the outer passage, get into the middle ear or internal. Diagnosis is carried out with the help of otoscopy. According to the ICD-10 code T16: foreign body in the auditory canal.
As a result, the earth, sand, pieces of glass, fragments of an exploding projectile are getting into the ear. In the elderly, suffering from a decrease in the functions of the body, inside can get batteries, parts of the hearing aid.
The photo shows in which part of the ear canal the foreign body in the ear is most often stuck
Classification of foreign bodies
By the mechanism of appearance, the object can be:
- exogenous,
- endogenous.
The first include objects that penetrate from the outside. Endogenous species include those that appear in the ear itself: a lipoma, a grease, a large sulfur plug.
By the nature of the location of free-standing items. They are easily pulled out, they can move inside the ear. Fixed do not pass freely, they can get stuck in narrow aisles.
Divide into living and non-living.
Live
Such a foreign body leads to pain, noise. Can tickle. Has a tendency to constant movement and irritation of receptors. Therefore, patients experience dizziness, vomiting. Babies in rare situations find convulsive seizures.
Some insects leave chemicals. They cause irritation, in some cases necrosis of tissues. To remove such a foreign body, it is required to immobilize the insect. For this purpose, an alcohol tincture or oil is added.
Symptoms are pronounced, so patients quickly consult a doctor. In the practice of doctors, there are cases when flies laid eggs in the ear for reproduction.
Non-living
Among the symptoms:
- pain,
- discharge from the ear,
- feeling of bursting,
- development of otitis.
The characteristics vary depending on the object itself. For example, a seed in the ear does not give symptoms at first. Over time, it absorbs sulfur emissions, increases in size.
Over time, pain begins to grow, hearing worsens. It will be difficult to extract such an object, since it is as if pasted into surrounding tissues.
Foreign body sometimes ruptures the eardrum. Against this background otitis develops. Simultaneously, the secretory activity of the sweat and sulfur glands is stimulated.
In the presence of excretions, microscopy and bacteriological examination are performed to determine sensitivity to antibacterial drugs. If the foreign body is in the ear due to an injury, the x-ray of the skull is prescribed.
Foreign body in the ear when viewed with the otoscope
How to remove
The diagnosis is confirmed by the doctor. If this living foreign body, it can independently get out of the ear. If this does not happen in the near future, it is recommended to see a doctor immediately.
With
If there is no acute pain, dizziness, bleeding, try to rinse your ear with water. It should be warm. The procedure must be repeated several times.
First the auricle is pulled back and up. This helps to smooth out the auditory meatus. Then a stream of water( it is possible from a syringe) is directed to the upper part.
If the object is clearly visible, then try to pull it out with a normal tweezers. Do not use a cotton swab or a match. This will cause the object to go further into the ear.
If an insect has fallen, tilt your head so that the ear with the foreign body is on top. Preheat the vegetable oil to room temperature. Hands slightly widen the auditory meatus. To do this, shade the lobe back and up.
If this is a child - then the movements should be back and forth. Insect under the influence of oil will die and will be on the surface. This method can not be used if there are signs of damage to the tympanic membrane.
In the
clinic, the impact methods depend on the age of the patients. Free-standing objects are pulled out using forceps or tweezers. If the eardrum is damaged, special hooks are used.
If the problem has already led to external otitis, the doctor first relieves the inflammation, providing access to the foreign body.
When it comes to seeds, first they are dehydrated. For this, boron alcohol is used. After reducing the size of the foreign body using blunt hooks or ear pincers. Manipulation can cause painful sensations.
If all the measures did not lead to a positive result, surgical treatment is prescribed. It is effective if the foreign body has got into the middle or inner ear.
See in our video how to render first aid in case of foreign body entry into the ear:
First the diagnosis is performed, which allows to identify the object and differentiate it with tumors, perforations and hematomas .BTE surgery is performed under general anesthesia.