Baby bleeding from ear

Ear Injury

Is this your child's symptom?

Injuries to the outer ear, ear canal or eardrum

Types of Ear Injuries

Cut or Scratch. Most cuts of the outer ear do not need sutures.
Bruise. Most bruises of the outer ear just leave a purple mark. They heal on their own.
Blood Clot (Serious). Most of the outer ear is made of cartilage. A large blood clot (hematoma) can cut off the blood supply to the cartilage. It needs to be drained. If not, the ear may become deformed (boxer's ear).
Ear Canal Bleeding. Most are due to a scratch of ear canal. This can be caused by cotton swab, fingernail, or ear exam. Most stop bleeding on their own. Persistent bleeding needs to be seen.
Cotton Swab Injuries: Cotton swabs cause more than 10,000 ear injuries each year in the US. More than 2,000 are punctured eardrums. Never let young children put cotton swabs in their ears.
Punctured Eardrum. Most are due to long-pointed objects put in the ear canal. Examples are cotton swabs, pencils, sticks, straws, or wires.
Loss of Hearing (Serious). Caused by blunt trauma, such as a slap to the ear. Also, caused by explosions.

When to Call for Ear Injury

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

Skin is split open or gaping and may need stitches
Upper part of the ear is very swollen
Pointed object was put into the ear canal (such as a pencil, stick, or wire)
Clear fluid is draining from the ear canal
Skin is cut and No past tetanus shots. Note: tetanus is the "T" in DTaP, TdaP, or Td vaccines.
Severe pain and not better 2 hours after taking pain medicine
Age less than 1 year old
Outer ear injury looks infected (spreading redness)
You think your child has a serious injury
You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

Few drops of blood in the ear canal. Caused by a minor injury, cotton swab (Q-tip) or ear exam.
Injury causes an earache or crying lasts more than 30 minutes
Hearing is less on injured side
Dirty cut or hard to clean and no tetanus shot in more than 5 years
Clean cut and no tetanus shot in more than 10 years
You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

Minor ear injury
Pierced ear with minor injury

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Bellevue
Everett
Federal Way
Seattle

Care Advice for Minor Ear Injuries

Bleeding - How to Stop:
- For any bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound.
- Use a gauze pad or clean cloth.
- Press for 10 minutes or until the bleeding has stopped.
Clean the Wound:
- Wash the wound with soap and water for 5 minutes.
Antibiotic Ointment:
- For cuts and scrapes, use an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin). No prescription is needed.
- Put it on the cut 3 times a day.
- Do this for 3 days.
- Cover large scrapes with a bandage (such as Band-Aid). Change daily.
Pain Medicine:
- To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
- Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
- Use as needed.
What to Expect:
- Minor ear wounds heal quickly.
- Most often, cuts and scrapes heal in 2 or 3 days.
Preventing Ear Injuries:
- Careful adult supervision of young children.
- Never let young children put cotton swabs in their ears.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain gets severe
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 01/29/2023

Last Revised: 12/30/2022

Neonatal Bleeding From the Ear | JAMA Pediatrics

Neonatal Bleeding From the Ear | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network [Skip to Navigation]

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Article

February 1964

M. S. McLELLAN, MD^{; RICHARD RIEHL, MD}

Author Affiliations

NEW ORLEANS

M. S. McLellan, MD, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans 12, ;From the Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, and the Charity Hospital of Louisiana.

Am J Dis Child. 1964;107(2):193-194. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1964.02080060195016

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Abstract

It is our purpose to present a most unusual case—bleeding from the ear at birth. Though flecks of dry blood are seen occasionally in or on the external ear of the newborn infant,1 apparently of maternal origin, we have not seen bleeding such as this previously reported.

Report of Case Pregnancy.—The mother, a 23-year-old primigravida who had not been followed in our prenatal clinic, entered the hospital with a diagnosis of severe pre-eclampsia. Membranes had been ruptured artificially 12 hours prior to delivery. Presentation was vertex, position left occipito transverse, requiring episiotomy and Keiland forceps rotation to accomplish delivery of a 7½ lb (3.2 kg) male infant. Oxygen and mask resuscitation were successful in establishing respirations, and he was sent to the nursery in "fair" condition.Nursery Examination.—In the nursery, this baby was found to have right facial paresis, absent suck reflex, weak cry, slight bleeding from the

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Blood from the ear of a child

Article rating

3. 56 (Votes: 16)

Contents

Causes of bleeding from the ear
- Mechanical reasons:
- Ear diseases:
First aid for the appearance of blood from the ear of a child nine0004
What will the doctor's actions be?

The appearance of blood from the ear of a child usually frightens parents, since, unlike nosebleeds, it seems rare. Having found spotting, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. The only situation when you can not rush to the otolaryngologist is a slight mechanical damage to the skin of the auricle. In other cases, only an otolaryngologist can correctly determine the cause by examining the ear cavity, prescribing laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures. nine0007

Causes of bleeding from the ear

There are 2 main groups of sources of blood from the ear: mechanical causes and diseases of the ear.

Mechanical causes:

Damage to the skin on the auricle or in the external auditory canal (scratch, abrasion). This is the only non-serious type of bleeding that does not pose a threat to the health of the child and does not require urgent medical attention. Minor bleeding stops on its own. Please note that in this case, the site of damage should be visible, or it is no longer possible to talk about a skin injury. Also, sometimes babies scratch their ears. The case may be in teething, which causes severe itching. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor to make sure that the cutting teeth are the cause of the scratching. nine0004
Damage to the eardrum. They arise due to the inaccurate use of cotton swabs, objects that the child himself can put into his external auditory canal, as well as injury during games. For example, hitting the head hard with a ball can rupture the eardrum. In addition to blood in such cases, the symptoms are ear pain and hearing loss.
Foreign body in the ear. The most important thing is not to try to remove the item yourself, even if it seems easy. This threatens to push the object deeper and cause more serious damage. Only an otolaryngologist can safely remove a foreign body and assess the extent of the damage it has caused. nine0004
Traumatic brain injury. With a fracture of the base of the skull in the region of the temporal bone, blood from the ears often appears.

Ear diseases:

Otitis. The inflammatory process in the ear also causes an increase in body temperature, severe pain in the ear, weakness and dizziness. Most often, with otitis media, blood departs along with pus when an abscess is opened. The doctor should control the course of the disease.
Boils. Blood comes out with pus when opening a boil. The temperature also rises, redness and swelling appear in the ear area. nine0004
Myringitis (an infection of the eardrum). It is characterized by severe pain in the ear and a rise in temperature.
Ear candidiasis. It often occurs after taking a course of antibiotics, because weakened immunity and the absence of microflora form a beneficial environment for the reproduction of fungi. This causes fragility of the vessels and, as a result, the appearance of bleeding from the ear.
Neoplasms (benign or malignant). Tumors of the ear, in addition to the appearance of blood, manifest themselves as pain and tinnitus, dizziness, headache, hearing loss. nine0004

First aid in case of bleeding from the ear of a child

First of all, it is necessary to clean all possible contamination of the auricle with warm boiled water. If the wound on the skin is superficial, after treatment with an antiseptic preparation (chlorhexidine solution, hydrogen peroxide), it can also be anointed with iodine and covered with a plaster so that the tissue segment covers the wound. If the bleeding is severe and the site of its occurrence is not visible, you need to close the external auditory canal with a swab of sterile cotton wool or a bandage, then apply a bandage. After that, you need to take the child to the hospital. nine0007

If you suspect a traumatic brain injury, do not touch the ear and wash it. The child must be laid on a flat surface and an ambulance called.

What will the doctor do?

After an external examination of the organ of hearing, if the cause of the bleeding could not be determined immediately, the doctor may order laboratory tests of blood, urine and swab from the ear. In some cases, hardware diagnostics can be performed. Further appointments of the doctor will depend on the cause of the formation of blood from the ear:

in case of damage to the skin - the doctor will treat the place of damage with a disinfectant;
if there is a foreign body in the ear - the doctor will remove it;
In case of ear diseases, the child will be prescribed medicines: antibiotics, painkillers, antibacterial and antifungal drugs;
for tympanic membrane rupture, treatment will depend on the severity of the injury; in some cases, surgery is necessary;
if a neoplasm is detected, the child will be referred to an oncologist. nine0004

Our ENT doctors are always ready to help!

If you find blood from your child's ear, please contact our Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic - experienced otolaryngologists are always happy to provide their patients with fast and professional assistance.

Seeing a doctor early can help keep you healthy.
Don't delay treatment, call now. We work around the clock in Moscow.

tel.: 8 (499) 501-15-53 (24/7)

Ear bleeding

To the guide

Bleeding from the ear can be the result of trauma, pathological or neoplastic processes and always requires medical attention, unlike nosebleeds.

Article rating

3.51 (Votes: 45)

Bleeding from the ear is a warning sign that requires urgent diagnosis and medical attention, unlike nosebleeds, which can be stopped on their own. nine0007

Causes are divided into 3 large groups.

Mechanical damage

Mechanical damages are:

Injuries. This may be a rupture of the eardrum as a result of penetration of sharp objects into the ear. Such a picture can be observed when people try to eliminate discomfort in the ear, for example, itching, with the help of knitting needles, cotton swabs, etc. Bleeding is accompanied by craniocerebral injuries, regardless of the nature of the damage. nine0004
Damage to the bony walls of the external auditory canal. Such injuries are the result of a fall on the lower jaw or occur during blows to the chin area (they are found among athletes involved in various types of wrestling).
Fracture of the base of the skull, in which the tympanic membrane ruptures, blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow out of the ear, hearing and vestibular function are impaired.
Barotrauma. Injuries resulting from a sudden change in pressure in the inner ear, such as diving, flying in an airplane, etc. nine0004

Infectious pathologies

An equally long list is made up of infectious pathologies of different parts of the ear, including:

Myringitis is an inflammatory process occurring in the tissues of the tympanic membrane, in which a vesicle filled with serous contents forms in the ear. It usually proceeds painfully, with an increase in body temperature, and after a rupture of the formation, an exudate containing an admixture of blood comes out.
Otitis - with the development of inflammation of the middle ear, severe pain appears, which often leads to dizziness. The release of blood from the ear canal in this case indicates a spontaneous opening of the abscess (the absence of pus indicates its penetration into the membrane of the brain, which can cause a serious complication in the form of meningitis). nine0004
Candidiasis is a fungal growth in the ear that causes weakening of the blood vessels, which can cause bleeding from the ear.

Tumors and neoplasms

First of all, it should be noted the appearance of a furuncle in the ear canal. Usually the clinical picture, in addition to pain, is supplemented by the addition of heat, the development of edema. The opening of the abscess can be spontaneous or intentional, blood impurities are present in the pus.

Tumors and neoplasms also include:

Hemangioma - occurs relatively infrequently, but can be localized in any part of the ear (more often in the outer). Vascular tumors of this kind, though increasing slowly, but at the same time can go beyond the ear canal. Some are accompanied by heavy bleeding. They require surgical treatment.
Carcinoma - bleeding from the ear is one of the clear markers of cancer. The tumor can occur in the outer and middle sections of the ear. nine0004
Polyps - growths in the ear canal, which densely obturate it, causing pain in the ear, hearing loss, migraines, flowing with blood.
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