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 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

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. 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

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact 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: 05/05/2025

Last Revised: 01/25/2025

Copyright 2000-2025 Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.