How to Get Bird Seed Out of an Ear Canal

Foreign bodies in the ear canal can be irritating and painful. The ear canal itself is a small, open tube that runs from the exterior of the ear to the eardrum, allowing air and liquids to drain and prevent infections. Small objects can become trapped in the canal and hit the ear drum, resulting in hearing disruption and extreme discomfort. Removing small objects from the ear canal, such as bird seed, requires patience and a gentle hand.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flashlight
• Syringe
• Tweezers
• Warm mineral oil
• Towel

1. Shine the flashlight into the ear canal to determine the location of the seeds. If they are close to the opening, simply turning the head may be enough to dislodged the seeds. If they have been pushed closer to the ear drum, you will have to go in after them.

2. Shoot a gentle stream of warm water into the ear to flush out the seeds. Fill your syringe with a small amount of warm water and hold the syringe against the top of the ear canal, slowly depressing the plunger. The water will move down from the top of the canal and back toward the ear drum, forcing the seeds out with the water.

3. Pick the seeds out with the tweezers if they are within reach. Slowly insert the tweezers into the ear, opening then gently to avoid hitting the ear drum or sides of the ear canal. Pull each seed out carefully, making sure not to push them in farther in an attempt to remove them.

4. Fill your syringe with warm mineral oil and inject it into the ear canal as a last resort. The oil is heavier than water and will wrap around any remaining seeds within the canal and pull them out. Turn the head to the side and allow the oil to drain from the ear, wiping any remaining oil from the ear with a towel once the seeds have all been removed.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when inserting objects into the ear canal. The ear drum is delicate and can be easily ruptured as you clean out the ear.
• Never force an object into your ear. While it might seem like a good idea to push cleaning items, such as cotton swabs, into your ears, they can cause irreversible damage to your sensitive ear canal.

References

• Foreign Object in Ear
• Ear First Aid
• Ear Emerigencies

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