Should i take child to er or can i wait it out & can i clean the ear? my 7 yr old child was cleaning the outer part of the ear with a q tip & jammed the q tip into the ear & started crying very hard immediatly. she's never had anything cause her thi

Since : Since your child has drainage and difficulty hearing, she should be seen by a physician. She may not only have an injury from the q-tip, but may also have an infection from swimming and getting water in her ear. She may need an antibiotic ear drop and/or further evaluation to assess possible damage to her ear drum. As an aside, a q-tip can be used to clean the outer ear, but should never be put into the ear canal. Not only can it cause injury if inserted too far, but it also can push wax and debris farther into the canal causing an impaction. I like to tell my patients that the only thing they are allowed to put in their ears are their elbows. Legal disclaimer: I am providing this general and basic information as a public service and my response to this question does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. For any additional information, advice, or specific concerns, please speak with your own physician. The information provided is current as of the date of the answer entry.

Ear pain: She should be seen by an ear doctor to see if she damaged the ear drum membrane.