Drainage from the ear; Otorrhea; Ear bleeding; Bleeding from ear
Ear discharge is drainage of blood, ear wax, pus, or fluid from the ear.
Most of the time, any fluid leaking out of an ear is ear wax.
A ruptured eardrum can cause a white, slightly bloody, or yellow discharge from the ear. Dry crusted material on a child's pillow is often a sign of a ruptured eardrum. The eardrum may also bleed.
Causes of a ruptured eardrum include:
Other causes of ear discharge include:
Caring for ear discharge at home depends on the cause.
Contact your health care provider if:
The provider will perform a physical exam and look inside the ears. You may be asked questions, such as:
The provider may take a sample of the ear drainage and send it to a lab for examination.
The provider may recommend anti-inflammatory or antibiotic medicines, which are liquid drops placed in the ear. Antibiotics may be given by mouth if a ruptured eardrum from an ear infection is causing the discharge.
The provider may remove wax or infectious material from the ear canal using a small vacuum suction.
Hathorn I. The ear, nose and throat. In: Innes JA, Dover AR, Fairhurst K, eds. Macleod's Clinical Examination. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 9.
Pelton SI. Otitis externa, otitis media, and mastoiditis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 61.
Player B. Otitis media. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 680.
Wareing MJ, Warner E. Ear, nose and throat. In: Glynn M, Drake WM, eds. Hutchison's Clinical Methods. 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 22.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 5/2/2024
Reviewed By: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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06/01/2025
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