Home Care:

To be safe, never put anything in the ear that is smaller than the tip of your little finger.

EAR INFECTIONS

Treat inflammation or infection as your health care provider recommends. Your doctor may suggest ear drops.

EAR WAX

Use a gentle, warm water flush with a syringe (available at the drug store) to remove packed-down ear wax. Do not attempt to remove impacted ear wax in very young children. If you can easily see and retrieve ear wax in older children, do so carefully. NEVER use sharp objects to attempt to remove wax.

INJURY

Seek medical help for:

• Head injury
• Injury from a foreign object
• Noises or pressure changes
• Suspected clotting or bleeding problem

Don't get alarmed over a ruptured eardrum. Antibiotics can help prevent further infection during the healing process. Eardrum ruptures in children will usually heal completely within a few weeks.

SWIMMER'S EAR

For swimmer's ear (unless the eardrum is perforated):

• Tilt the head sideways, with the water-filled ear up.
• Pull the ear upward and backward.
• Carefully squeeze a medicine-dropper full of rubbing alcohol or a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar into the ear. This mixture will dry out the ear and kill any bacteria or fungi.
• Wiggle the ear to move the solution all the way down.
• Tilt the head again so that the affected ear is now down, and let the fluids drain out.

Putting a little mineral oil or baby oil in each ear before swimming may help prevent the problem.

Call your health care provider if:

• The discharge is white, yellow, clear, or bloody.
• The discharge is the result of an injury.
• The discharge has lasted more than 5 days.
• There is severe pain.
• The discharge is associated with other symptoms, such as fever or headache.
• There is loss of hearing.
• There is redness or swelling coming out of the ear canal.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The health care provider will perform a physical examination and look inside the ears. You may be asked questions, such as:

• When did the ear drainage begin?
• What does it look like?
• How long has it lasted?
• Does it drain all the time or off-and-on?
• What other symptoms do you have (for example, fever, ear pain, headache)?

The doctor may take a sample of the ear drainage and send it to a lab for examination.

The doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory or antibiotic medicines, which are placed in the ear. Antibiotics may be given by mouth if a ruptured eardrum from an ear infection is causing the discharge.