Ear - Discharge

Pediatric HouseCalls Online

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: main cause is an ear infection with drainage of cloudy fluid or pus through 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.

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WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR

Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If

• Your child looks or acts very sick.
• Pink or red swelling behind the ear.
• Clear or bloody fluid following head injury.
• Bleeding from the ear canal (EXCEPTION: few drops and follows ear exam).
• Fever over 104° F (40° C) and not improved 2 hours after fever medicine

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9 am and 4 pm) If

• You think your child needs to be seen.
• Ear pain or unexplained crying.
• Discharge is yellow or green, cloudy white or foul-smelling (pus).
• Clear drainage (not from a head injury) persists over 24 hours.

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If

• You have other questions or concerns

Parent Care at Home If

• Probably normal earwax or water and you don't think your child needs to be seen.

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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: 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.

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Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.

Author and Senior Reviewer: Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.

Last Reviewed: 1/19/2009

Last Revised: 6/24/2008

Content Set: Pediatric HouseCalls Online

Copyright 1994-2009 Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.