Ear discharge is drainage of blood, ear wax, fluid or pus from the ear. Fluid leaking out of the ear is usually ear wax. However a raptured ear drum can also result in 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.  It can also result in bleeding.

Other causes of ear drainage include :

• eczema or other skin irritation on the ear canal
• swimmer’s ear which is associated with symptoms such as  itching, scaling, a red or moist ear canal and pain that increases when you move the earlobe

Types of ear discharge

There are different types of ear discharge . These include the following :

• pus or fluid filled :This is the most common . The main cause is an ear infection.  This happen when the ear drum is torn which occurs in about 10% of ear infections
• earwax : This is light brown, dark brown or orange brown in color. If it gets wet, it can look like  discharge
• blood : This occurs after an injury. It is usually a minor scratch on the lining of the ear canal
• ear tube fluid discharge : Children with frequent ear infections may get ventilations tubes put in. They help the middle ear drain its fluid and become dry. The ear tube gets plugged in sometimes.Normal fluids build up in the middle ear until the ear tube opens up again. This can cause some clear fluid drainage from the ear canal for a day.
• water : A clear fluid once in a while could be bath water or tears that get into the ear canal
• ear drops : Ear discharge could be from ear drops put in the ear
• swimmer’s ear discharge : Early symptoms are an itchy ear canal.  Symptoms that appear later include a whitish, watery discharge. This  usually occurs in swimmers and during the summer time
• foreign object in the ear canal : foreign objects lodged in the ear canal can result in low-grade infection and pus colored discharge. Sharp objects can also result in blood streaks

When to call your doctor

Call your doctor immediately if  you experience the following

• clear or bloody fluid after a head injury
• pink or red swelling behind the ear
• fever over 104° F (40° C)
• bleeding from the ear canal except few drops and after an ear exam
• age under 12 weeks old with a fever
• your child acts and looks sick

Call your doctor within 24 hours in the following situations :

• age less than 6 months
• ear pain
• discharge is green, yellow ,cloudy white or smells bad
• clear drainage which is not from a head injury but lasts more than 24 hours

Contact your doctor if you have any concerns.