Objects in the Ear

Children sometimes put objects in their ears, such as small screws or beads. If you have children under five at home, try to keep small objects out of their reach. Small children sometimes experiment with putting objects in their ears or even up their noses.

If it’s clear a child has something in the ear, tilt the child’s head to the side and try to gently shake the object loose. It may help to pull the ear up and back. If you can see the object and it’s soft, try to remove it with tweezers. However, be careful you don’t push the object in farther, and don’t try this if the object is in so deep that you can’t see the tip of the tweezers when you try to remove it. Also, don’t try it if your child won’t sit still.

If an insect is in your child’s ear—or in your own ear for that matter—pull the ear up and back and point it toward the sun or a bright light. Insects are attracted to light and may crawl out towards the light. If this doesn’t happen, fill the ear canal with mineral oil, olive oil, or baby oil. This may cause the insect to float out. Whatever you do, don’t try to kill an insect that’s in an ear.

If you can’t remove the insect (or the object), call your health care professional immediately. Tools and methods are available that can remove any foreign body from any ear.