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What Causes Bleeding In The Ear After Injury?
Posted on
Tue, 30 Aug 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 29 Aug 2016
Answered on
Mon, 19 Sep 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : I hurt my left ear with a hair pin. Now it's bleeding after 5-6 hours. Bleeding is low. I can hear fine also. What should I do?
Brief Answer:
Go in to clinic for help with stopping bleeding.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If the bleeding is continuing, go in to a clinic where they can treat the bleeding. I have used a silver nitrate stick for this. When touched to the bleeding site, it coagulates the blood, forming a clot that stops further bleeding. It does not hurt a lot. Then the ear must be left alone until the wound site heals fully.
I hope this information helps.
Go in to clinic for help with stopping bleeding.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If the bleeding is continuing, go in to a clinic where they can treat the bleeding. I have used a silver nitrate stick for this. When touched to the bleeding site, it coagulates the blood, forming a clot that stops further bleeding. It does not hurt a lot. Then the ear must be left alone until the wound site heals fully.
I hope this information helps.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
There's very very low bleeding still going on. But I don't have time to visit clinic today or tomorrow, I would be able to see doctor on Friday only. Is there any medicine you can recommend so that at least there is no infection?
Brief Answer:
Not ideal, but here are recommendations
Detailed Answer:
If the bleeding is minimal, I recommend:
- Leave it alone (don't dab at it with tissue or Q tip) and it should stop bleeding. Can use a Qtip once a day as explained below.
- You can very gently clean it once a day with a clean Qtip with hydrogen peroxide. If the hydrogen peroxide burns, it can be diluted to half strength with sterile (boiled and cooled) water. But be extremely gentle as you don't want to break open a scab that is keeping it from bleeding. Don't irrigate or put drops in the ear as we don't yet know if the ear drum is intact. The ear drum is the door to the middle and inner ear, and we don't want anything past the ear drum to get contaminated by manipulation with a Qtip, etc, if the ear drum is punctured. So don't use very much hydrogen peroxide/water at all.
- If you feel unsure about any of this, best to just leave it alone. Some blood will dry in the ear canal, and that is ok - it can be cleaned out when you see the doctor.
Not ideal, but here are recommendations
Detailed Answer:
If the bleeding is minimal, I recommend:
- Leave it alone (don't dab at it with tissue or Q tip) and it should stop bleeding. Can use a Qtip once a day as explained below.
- You can very gently clean it once a day with a clean Qtip with hydrogen peroxide. If the hydrogen peroxide burns, it can be diluted to half strength with sterile (boiled and cooled) water. But be extremely gentle as you don't want to break open a scab that is keeping it from bleeding. Don't irrigate or put drops in the ear as we don't yet know if the ear drum is intact. The ear drum is the door to the middle and inner ear, and we don't want anything past the ear drum to get contaminated by manipulation with a Qtip, etc, if the ear drum is punctured. So don't use very much hydrogen peroxide/water at all.
- If you feel unsure about any of this, best to just leave it alone. Some blood will dry in the ear canal, and that is ok - it can be cleaned out when you see the doctor.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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