What is the first-line treatment for a foreign body in the ear?

• A. Ear irrigation
• B. Emergency surgical removal under anesthesia
• C. Antibiotic ear drops only
• D. Do nothing and wait for spontaneous expulsion

Answer: (A)

Removing a foreign body from the ear is approached first with a noninvasive flushing method. Ear irrigation uses warm saline or water to gently wash the object out of the canal. This approach is favored because it’s quick, typically effective for many common, non-embedded objects, and avoids the risk of trauma that can come with instrumented removal or anesthesia. It’s important to ensure there isn’t a perforated eardrum and that the object isn’t a battery or a fragile item that could be damaged by water, since those situations call for different handling. If irrigation isn’t possible or safe, or if the object remains lodged, a clinician may remove it with appropriate tools or refer for specialized removal under visualization. Antibiotic drops don’t remove the object, and doing nothing risks ongoing obstruction and complications. Emergency surgical removal is reserved for cases where noninvasive methods aren’t feasible or safe.