Ear - Discharge

Symptoms

DEFINITION

• Drainage of substances/liquids with varied colors and consistency from the ear canal
• Drainage through an ear tube is included

Causes

• Normal discharge: earwax or water. Earwax is light brown, dark brown, or orange brown in color.
• Abnormal discharge: cloudy fluid or pus. Main cause is an ear infection with drainage from a ruptured eardrum or through a ventilation tube.

See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one) If

• Follows ear injury, see EAR INJURY.
• Began while doing lots of swimming, see EAR-SWIMMER'S.

Should I Call?

WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR

Care at Home

HOME CARE ADVICE FOR EAR DISCHARGE

1. Earwax:
   • Ear wax protects the lining of the ear canal and has germ-killing properties.
   • If the earwax is removed, the ear canals become itchy.
   • Do not use cotton swabs (Q-tips) in your child's ear.
   • Call Your Doctor If: Begins to look like pus (yellow or green discharge)
2. Clear Discharge (without head trauma):
   • It's probably tears or water that entered the ear canal during a bath, shower, swimming or water fight.
   • Don't overlook eardrops your child or someone else used without telling you.
   • In children with ventilation tubes, some clear or slightly cloudy fluid can occur when a temporary tube blockage opens up and drains.
   • Call Your Doctor If: Clear drainage persists for more than 24 hours or recurs
3. Blood After Ear Exam:
   • If your doctor had to remove ear wax in order to see the eardrum, about 10% of the time this causes a small scratch to the lining of the ear canal. Usually the scratch oozes 1 or 2 drops of blood and then clots.
   • This should heal up completely in a few days.
   • It shouldn't affect the hearing.
   • Don't put anything in the ear canal because it will probably re-start the bleeding.
   • Call Your Doctor If: Bleeding continues or recurs
4. Suspected Ear Infection: Cloudy fluid or pus draining from the ear canal almost always means there's a small tear in the eardrum and a middle ear infection. Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen for pain relief until the office visit. (See EARACHE for details)
5. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.