Blood in the Ear – Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Blood in the ear

If there is blood in the ear , this can have very different causes. Anything is possible, from minor injuries to a wide variety of illnesses. Minor bleeding is usually harmless and the result of improper ear cleaning. They will disappear quickly and on their own.

Description

Blood in the ear can come in different strengths. Sometimes when cleaning the ear, there is some blood on the cotton swab. This is usually not a major concern. On the other hand, light bleeding combined with pain indicates a medical condition that needs to be evaluated by a doctor. If the bleeding is severe, seek help immediately.

Causes

In most cases, blood in the ear is caused by improper cleaning or scratching the ear, for example with pointed objects. Such injuries are often harmless and hardly cause any pain . The bleeding will stop on its own after a short time. If there is more bleeding and pain, there may be serious injuries in the ear, so that a doctor’s visit is necessary, because the eardrum could be injured, for example.Accidents in the head area or blows to the ear are another cause of bleeding. These are sometimes harmless, but in more serious accidents they can also be an indication of a skull fracture and other serious injuries. After severe trauma, blood in the ear can indicate a cerebral hemorrhage. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.

Foreign objects in the ear can also cause bleeding. Another possible cause of blood in the ear is infection and inflammation in the ear. These are usually very painful and/or cause itching . In middle ear infections, for example, there is discharge from the ear , which can sometimes be bloody.

Ear bleeding can occur as a result of very loud noises (blast trauma). In this case, the eardrum may be injured. In the worst, but also the rarest case, blood in the ear can even indicate a tumorous change in the ear canal.

Diseases

When to the doctor?

Bleeding in the ear can have various causes. Minor bleeding is usually due to improper cleaning of the ear. However, if you frequently notice bleeding in your ear, you should see a doctor. Especially if this bleeding is associated with pain.

The eardrum may be injured if there is heavy bleeding and pain . Accidents or hits to the head can also cause bleeding in the ear. In such a case, a doctor should be consulted urgently. After trauma, blood in the ear can even indicate a cerebral hemorrhage. In this case, there is danger to life, so that medical help is required immediately.

Another cause of blood in the ear is infections. Infections are usually very painful and also associated with a discharge from the ear. This discharge may also be bloody. Bleeding in the ear can have many different causes. If such bleeding occurs only once and is stopped after a short time, there is no need for the help of a doctor. Only if the bleeding occurs with severe ear pain should a doctor be consulted for help.

Diagnosis and course

The causes of blood in the ear can be diagnosed through different ways. In order to find the right underlying cause, a discussion with the doctor (anamnesis) and possibly further examination is necessary.

The doctor will ask about the cause of the bleeding and other symptoms. In the case of self-inflicted bleeding (from sharp objects in the ear), the ear canal and eardrum are examined for further injuries. The ear is examined with an otoscope.

If the bleeding is accompanied by pain, fever or a general feeling of being unwell, this is an indication of an infection or inflammation for the doctor . In this case, various further investigations are possible to get to the bottom of the cause. After accidents, trauma and blows, a computed tomography of the head is created, on which any bleeding in the skull area can be determined.

Complications

The complications of blood in the ear include harmless risks, as well as very significant ones. In severe cases, a brain hemorrhage can cause blood to form in the ear. If this is not treated immediately, it can lead to a stroke . A stroke can be fatal or be associated with lifelong impairments such as paralysis or cognitive loss.

If blood coagulation takes place, medication is usually administered. This is associated with side effects, but contributes to rapid healing. Problems arise when blood dries up in the region around the bones in the ear or the eardrum. This means that their functionality is limited or even completely inactive. The affected person then hears worse on one side. This may initially go unnoticed.

In severe cases, permanent hearing impairment is a possible consequence. If the blood in the ear occurs due to heavy physical exertion, this should be avoided in the future. The bursting of small veins can not only lead to impaired hearing. This can also hide the presence of permanent high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts a strain on the organism and leads to the failure of other systems. A heart attack is imminent. This can lead to a life-threatening situation. Lifelong sequelae, which require a change in the current course of life, are also possible.

Treatment and therapy

Blood in the ear is treated in different ways, depending on the cause. For minor injuries, no further treatment is necessary. The bleeding will go away on its own, and there are usually no further symptoms. Various measures can be taken if the eardrum is damaged, for example by sharp objects, accidents or blast trauma.

Minor eardrum injuries heal within a few days without any therapy. More severe injuries may require surgery to repair the injured tissue. If the injured ear has come into contact with water or the like, it may be necessary to take antibiotics because bacterial infection is possible.

Antibiotics are also usually prescribed for the various infections and inflammations in the ear. Foreign objects in the ear should never be removed yourself. There is always a risk of pushing it further into the ear or getting serious injuries. A foreign body should always be removed by a doctor.If there is blood in the ear due to tumorous changes, the doctor will decide how to proceed. For this purpose, it is determined (usually by a biopsy = tissue removal) whether the cell growth is benign or malignant .

A benign tumor can often be removed without problems. Various therapies can be used for malignant cell growth, from surgery to chemotherapy to radiation.

Outlook and prognosis

If people notice blood in their ears, this indicates a variety of causes. Blood in the ear is usually caused by improper cleaning of the ear. In these cases, the ear should be cleaned and the prospect of an ear that no longer bleeds is approaching.

With pronounced bleeding and pain, the eardrum may be injured. Accidents or hits to the head can also cause blood in the ear. In this case, going to the doctor is absolutely necessary. Bleeding after trauma can even indicate inflammation of the brain . This situation is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention so that the doctor can make a prognosis and start therapy for recovery.

Blood in the ear can also be caused by an infection. These are usually extremely painful and are accompanied by discharge from the ear. If the infection is treated with medication, the blood flow from the ear stops after a short time. Accordingly, blood in the ear has numerous causes, which lead to a different prognosis depending on the cause.

Prevention

Blood in the ear cannot be prevented in all cases. The most common cause, however, is entirely preventable. When cleaning your ears, you should always be very careful, only use soft materials and never insert them too deeply into the ear canal.

If you feel an itching in your ear , you should never handle the ear with pointed objects, this very often leads to sometimes serious injuries. Likewise, some infections are also due to improper cleaning or scratching. A very careful ear cleaning is therefore the most important thing to prevent blood in the ear.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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