UPDATE 1st and Last: Calling Dr. Hive - kid put toilet paper in ear

[EmilyGF]

Hi all,

DD5 came out of the bathroom very distraught. She put a small (about the size of oatmeal) piece of paper up her ear to "dry it out" and it got stuck up her ear. I can just barely see it, but can't get it out. It is definitely wet.

She seems distraught, but says it doesn't hurt, just feels weird. 

What should I do? (We just had the big talk about never putting anything up your eyes or ears.)

Emily

UPDATE: I think it is out. She says everything feels normal.

She took a long bath, put some shampoo around her ears (to loosen it), and put her ears under water for multiple long periods. After that, she seemed back to normal. 

Before bed, though, I also did ear wax drops and had her let it sit in her ear for ten minutes. Then she laid with the ear facing down for another ten. There was a bit of white foam, so many there were still some small particles that came out.

Edited February 12, 2022 by EmilyGF

[Katy]

Have you tried wiping it with a q-tip?

[EmilyGF]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

Have you tried wiping it with a q-tip?

Yes. No success. (I had her laying down and was holding her still.)

[HomeAgain]

I would try to flush it out with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide.  It would break down wax if it's stuck in it at all.

[Bootsie]

I would call a doctor.  One of the things I remember vividly from childhood is my doctor saying "Do not clean your ear with anything but your elbow" because of the number of people he saw that caused damage.  I thought maybe he was extreme but DH's cousin cleaned her ear with a Q-tip a couple of years ago and did significant damage which the doctors were concerned would lead to permanent hearing loss.  
 

[Dianthus]

Take a shower and get soap or shampoo in the ear then rinse with water a few times. TP is made to break down in water and the soap will help break up wax.

[BusyMom5]

Hydrogen peroxide, let it sit for a few minutes.   Hopefully it will float right out.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I would wait for it to dry out (wet paper rips apart a lot easier than dry) and then I would use tweezers. 

[Pawz4me]

I have a hemostat (truly something everyone should own, IMO--we use them for so many things) and if I could see it I'd feel comfortable reaching in with it to snag it.

But I know that's no help if you don't have a hemostat handy (sorry).

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Pawz4me

[Jean in Newcastle]

9 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I have a hemostat (truly something everyone should own, IMO--we use them for so many things) and if I could see it I'd feel comfortable reaching in with it to snag it.

But I know that's no help if you don't have a hemostat handy (sorry).

 

Oh is that what that's called?  We have those.  I just call them "the tweezer things with scissors handles!"

[Ethel Mertz]

In addition to ears and eyes, tell  your dd not to put anything up her nose as well. Good luck with getting the paper out of her ear. Do you have a suction bulb used for babies’ noses?

[Pawz4me]

12 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Oh is that what that's called?  We have those.  I just call them "the tweezer things with scissors handles!"

LOL. I didn't know whether to type "a hemostat" or "a pair of hemostats." I think of them as scissors (so "a pair of") but Google seems to think "a hemostat" is the correct term.

I got them for plucking the excess hair from Avatar Dog's ear canal when I groom him, but I settled on just keeping it trimmed instead of plucking. But we use those things for so much other stuff I can't imagine being without them.

[catz]

You can get an ear wax kit at a  pharmacy that has a bulb syringe and some solution (which is probably is a mix of hydrogen peroxide).  I'd try that before getting a doctor involved.

[Harriet Vane]

1 hour ago, Ethel Mertz said:

In addition to ears and eyes, tell  your dd not to put anything up her nose as well. Good luck with getting the paper out of her ear. Do you have a suction bulb used for babies’ noses?

Do not suction ears, ever. It can move the tiny bones deep in the canal and bring both hearing loss and severe balance issues.

[kbutton]

13 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

Do not suction ears, ever. It can move the tiny bones deep in the canal and bring both hearing loss and severe balance issues.

Agreed, but she might be asking because they work well for gently flushing ears. The kits in the store come with bulbs like those.

[bluemongoose]

Can she lay down in a tub with her ears under the surface in the water? We did that once to get something out of the ears. 

[katilac]

Another vote for hydrogen peroxide. 

[Spryte]

Any update? I hope it’s out!

[Ausmumof3]

Similar experience ended up with a hospital visit and general anaesthetic for us unfortunately.  They don’t like doing stuff with ears without it due to potential for damage. Ours was a non degradable item so that might make a difference.

[Tanaqui]

Just go to urgent care. You'll feel awful if you DIY it and make matters worse - and with ears, you can always make things worse.

[EmilyGF]

UPDATE: I think it is out. She says everything feels normal.

She took a long bath, put some shampoo around her ears (to loosen it), and put her ears under water for multiple long periods. After that, she seemed back to normal. 

Before bed, though, I also did ear wax drops and had her let it sit in her ear for ten minutes. Then she laid with the ear facing down for another ten. There was a bit of white foam, so many there were still some small particles that came out.