John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Foreign objects in the ear are common reasons for emergency room visits,
especially in children. The majority of these foreign objects are harmless.
Some are extremely uncomfortable (insects or sharp objects) and some
can rapidly produce an infection (food or organic matter) requiring emergency treatment. If
a person is not certain of the potential for harm in regard to an object or
insect in the ear, seek medical care immediately.
What are causes of objects in the ear?
Most objects that get stuck in the ear canal are placed there by the person
themselves. Children who are curious about their bodies and interesting objects,
are the most common group who has this problem (children aged 9 months to 8
years). Beads, food (especially beans),
paper, cotton swabs, rubber erasers, and small toys are the most common foreign
bodies.
Ear wax is a naturally occurring substance in the ear canal but can become a
problem when it builds up to the point that it clogs the ear canal, and causes
hearing loss or pain. Overuse of cotton swabs such as Q-tips to clean the ear
can actually push wax and skin cell debris further into the canal and pack it
against the eardrum causing symptoms.
Insects can also fly or crawl into the ear canal. Usually this happens while
sleeping on the floor or outdoors (for example, camping). This is often a frightening and dramatic event
as the insect's buzzing and movement is very loud and sometimes painful.
Structure of the Outer and Inner Ear Canal
What are the symptoms of an object in the ear?
The skin in the ear canal and the eardrum are very sensitive. Any
inflammation or injury is usually readily apparent due to pain or irritation.
In young children who are not old enough to verbalize their pain, the
diagnosis can be challenging. Redness, swelling, or discharge (blood,
inflammatory fluid, or pus) are the main signs of injury to the ear. Small
children often scratch or rub the ear repeatedly.
In the case of earwax impaction (cerumen impaction), a "fullness" or pressure is often reported
and a decrease in hearing on the affected side is noticed. In extreme cases,
dizziness, nausea and vomiting,
or unsteady walking result from inflammation of the
ear or build-up of pressure on the eardrum causing dysfunction of their middle
ear.
Vertigo is a feeling of spinning movement, and at times accompanied by nausea and vomiting occur. Vertigo is most often associated with an inner ear problem. The treatment for vertigo can be lifestyle changes and medication if necessary.
Middle ear infection or inflammation (otitis media) is inflammation fo the middle ear. There are two types of otitis media, acute and chronic. Acute otitis media is generally short in duration, and chronic otitis media generally lasts several weeks. Seventy-five percent of children in the U.S. suffer from otitis media at some point. Treatment depends upon the type (chronic or acute).
Ear was is a natural substance secreted by special glands in the skin on the outer part of the ear canal. It repels water, and traps dust and sand particles. Usually a small amount of wax accumulates, dries up, and then falls out of the ear canal carrying with it unwanted particles. Under ideal circumstances, you should never have to clean your ear canals. The absence of ear wax may result in dry, itchy ears, and even infection. Ear wax may accumulate in the ear for a variety of reasons including; narrowing of the ear canal, production of less ear wax due to aging, or an overproduction of ear wax in response to trauma or blockage within the ear canal.
Balance is a state of body equilibrium or stability. We often take for granted how dependent we are on a healthy balance system. When the system breaks down, however, patients will describe symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, lightheadedness, or motion sickness.
Swimmer's ear (external otitis) is an infection of the skin that covers the outer ear canal. Causes of swimmer's ear include excessive water exposure that leads to trapped bacteria in the ear canal. Symptoms include a feeling of fullness in the ear, itching, and ear pain. Chronic swimmer's ear may be caused by eczema, seborrhea, fungus, chronic irritation, and other conditions. Common treatment includes antibiotic ear drops.
External otitis or "swimmer's ear" is an infection of the skin covering the outer ear and ear canal. Acute external otitis is commonly a bacterial infection caused by streptococcus, staphylococcus, or pseudomonas types of bacteria. The swimmer's ear infection is usually caused by excessive water exposure. When water collects in the ear canal (frequently trapped by wax), the skin will become soggy and serve as an inviting culture media for bacteria. Cuts or abrasions in the lining of the ear canal (for example, from cotton swab injury) can also predispose to bacterial infection of the ear canal.
What are the symptoms of swimmer's ear?
The first symptom of infection is that the ear will feel full, and it may itch. Next, the ear canal will swell and ear drainage will follow. At this stage the ear will be very painful, especially with movement of the outside portion of the e...