What Is in My Childs Ear?!

Are you OCD or something? This is beyond the normal scope of daily parenting, even for people who have kids with frequent ear infections. You might want to talk to a professional about this. It can't be healthy.

Ditto the question about why you do this daily...

As for the brown stuff, it is most likely ear wax. Yes, it can be brown. It can be a dark honey gold brownish color. Completely normal, too. Do NOT try to pick it out. Warm water and a wash cloth at bath time is all you should do.

If you think it is earwax, there are simple ways to remove it so that you can see if it is truly ear wax. Carefully, though, and if there is an ear infection, removing the wax is not a great idea.
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Ear-Wax

It's possible that you scratched her with the otoscope at some point and the brown piece is dried blood.

Please don't take this as being mean, because I totally don't mean it that way.
If you don't have a medical reason for checking her ears daily, I recommend that you stop. I'm speaking as a M. of kids that have a medical condition that needs daily monitoring, so I may be a little too passionate about this, so please forgive my bluntness! I feel that unnecessary testing is invasive and can cause anxiety in your little one, if not now, then as she gets older. It may not seem invasive now, but please consider why you are checking her daily.

You seem like a really attentive, caring mama. I hope you find that your daughter's ears are just fine!

You check her ears daily with an otoscope? Why? I am not trying to be snarking. I am really asking. Does she have some kind of medical condition? I fairly sure you do not need to take her to the ER for something that looks like ear wax.

Do you want to be billed an exorbitant amount for an ER doc who does not specialize in kids' ears to look in there and say it's wax? Really, why would you take her to the ER for this?

Take her to the ped. They look at kids' ears all the time.

The problem with having an otoscope (and yeah, I had one too many years ago) is that you aren't a doctor and you're trying to be. Stop looking in the kids' ears all the time.

If you don't stop obsessing over your children's health, you're going to see disasters where there are none, over and over. Really, that's no way to live...

Slowlyyyyy backing out of this thread. ::blink blink::

Is there a reason you're looking in her ears every day? Because I've never, ever heard of that before. I don't see why this is necessary unless she has had issues and the doctor told you to do this. Otherwise, you need to relax and stop this. It's a sign of anxiety on YOUR part, and you may need to look into that.

Sounds exactly like ear wax.
Why are you looking in her ears daily? Have you been told to by her doctor? Did the doctor show you the safe way to?
I have kids that get excessive ear wax that hardens and can cause issues including infections and loss of hearing.
I have been shown how to look, what to look for and can also safely flush it out using warm water. But I have been shown how. Even then, I do not look at their ears every single day and don't bother with them unless there is an issue.
Leave her ears alone. Most times the extra wax will naturally come out on it's own and does not cause any problems at all. Ears are supposed to have wax in them.
If it makes you feel better you can bring her to see the doctor's office tomorrow. Unless she's also running a fever or showing signs of pain there is no reason to go to the ER.

Wax, dirt, a teeny seashell, dried blood...it could be anything, really.

When my youngest was about 5 I had a container full of shells in the bathroom. It included some teeny, tiny snail shells. Taylor decided to put one in each ear so he could hear the ocean all the time. Luckily, I was able to fish them out with an ear curette. I'm a medic and see weird stuff in people's ears quite often.

That said, I do NOT recommend that you fish around in your child's ears. Though I doubt that it's anything to be concerned with, if you're truly worried, make an appointment with the pediatrician to have the stuff removed. Don't go to the ER.

It's ear wax. If you don't know that, you shouldn't be using an otoscope and looking in your child's ears every day.

If you don't know what you are doing with it, you could cause more damage to your child's ears. Did your pediatrician tell you to do this? Did they show you how to use it correctly?

Do you use a stethoscope too to listen to lungs every day? I mean come on. Sounds like a hypochondriac in the making.

ooohh okay M....breathe....it's ear wax. No trip to the ER. No rush to the Dr. it's wax. Ear wax can be gray to brown.

Does your pediatrician know you are using an otoscope DAILY on your child? Do you KNOW what you are doing and do you know you are using it PROPERLY???

Daily seems like overkill.

You check them daily with an otoscope? If you don't know what you are seeing with the otoscope, you should leave that checkup to the pediatrician. It could be anything from a scab to wax to a bug (my DD really did get a bug in her ear one day). If she is in no pain, I'd call the pediatrician in the AM. Not go to the ER.

WHY are you sticking an otoscope down your daughter's ear every day?!?!? Are you a medical professional? Good lord, leave her ears alone!
With that said, yes it could be wax, or dirt, or anything, and you should NOT be making any attempt to remove/retrieve it. If you are worried, call her pediatrician in the morning. Put down the otoscope, lady!

My baby gets brown ear wax from time to time. NBD

Can I ask WHY you are looking in her ears every day?? That seems very bizarre!

ETA: If your daughter has had that many ear infections in her short life, she probably needs ear tubes.

Now I understand why you're a busy M. of 3. :)

If you're checking ears every day, I can only imagine all of the other things you must be doing, as well.

I'm guessing ear wax.

I hope all is well with her ears.

Who has an otoscope (sp?) at home and has a desire/need to look inside their kids' ears daily LOL!!!
Seriously, though, my doctor has always advised us never to stick anything smaller than an elbow in our kids' ears. I think you need to leave this kind of intrusive (and possibly dangerous) curiosity to the experts.

Sounds like ear wax. I have two kids (26 and 16) and never once looked in their ears with an otoscope because I wouldn't have known what the hell I was looking at. Kind of like you. (I also would have been afraid I would hurt their ears. Are you super careful with that thing?) If it bothers you that much, take her to her pediatrician this week. But the ER? Is her ear bothering her?

Ummm, I'm confused on why the heck you do this at all. Why in the world would you want to do that, and who has an otoscope? Sorry, but I'm with the others who are laughing.

And it is ear wax...normal. Let her be.

probably wax.
but now i'm thinking about a youtube i saw of a cockroach in an ear.....
(sorry. but i did. i'm sure it's not the case with your kid, though!)
am totally taken aback by everyone piling on. i never had an otoscope, but my kids' ears were a constant disaster, and i can understand staying on top of it.
but.......quit freaking out.
unless you find a cockroach.
;) khairete
S.

Please read Sunshine's post again. There is a whole, whole lot of wisdom in what she said, and she put it beautifully and graciously too.

Using medical equipment like an otoscope takes medical training. You're clearly a loving, concerned M., but this is a bit akin to driving a car without a license.

What I'd recommend instead is that you try to get to the bottom of WHY she's having all these ear infections. My son had (still has) a clear and demonstrable sensitivity to dairy products. As soon as we got him off dairy, they stopped. For a lot of other kids, the infections don't stop until they get ear tubes. But either way, a steady stream of antibiotics is not optimal, especially for a child so young.

I think it's fantastic that you're so on top of your daughter's health needs. I wish every M. were like you. But I really recommend that you shift your focus from symptoms to underlying causes.

It's wax.
It oxidizes to a brown color.
Nothing to worry about.

Additional:
There's nothing wrong about having/using an otoscope.
They aren't expensive and they are easy to use.

http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Slimline-Stainless-Otosc...

I have one and I use it about once per week.
Also - kids shove all sorts of things into their ears/nose.
But it's most likely ear wax.
Just mention it at her next check up.

Additional:
'Using medical equipment like an otoscope takes medical training.'
Um - no - not for an otoscope.
It's a glorified flashlight for small spaces.

I'm surprised at the number of people who are alarmed over an otoscope just because it's 'medical equipment'.
Doctors are human beings like anyone else - I don't worship them - and many of their standard tools are just as at home in a craft tool box as they are in a doctors bag.

Without seeing it I can't be certain but my money is on earwax. Do not attempt to remove it, it should come out on it's own in time. Production of earwax can increase when there is a mild physical irritation to the are canal, which you may be causing by checking her ears daily. I suggest you only look when she is sick or showing symptoms.

I have an otoscope too. My younger son used to have a lot of bacterial ear infections because of immature eustachian tubes. It came in super handy for checking his ears to rule out or confirm an issue when he wasn't feeling well. Saved time and money by not needing a doctor visit to tell me when there was no infection.

I bought and donated another otoscope to my kids' elementary school. They don't have a full time nurse so the secretaries have to pinch-hit when kids come in, they have thermometers but lacked other basic diagnostic tools. They were taught how to use it and it makes life easier there too.

Ditto what Angela G. said. Daily? That's really unnecessary.

Sounds like a chunk of ear wax. No biggie. Doctor's appointment at doctor's hours. You do it to rule out that it's anything of concern. Some kids just have waxy ears. I very often tease my kiddo "did you just stuff dirt in there?" He knows not to, they just get chunks of wax very quickly.

Whoa, even reading you explanation, I think it's really flakey that you check your one year old's ears every day! And people think I'm a helicopter parent. I could understand checking when you think there's a problem, but every day? You're introducing germs and potentially creating problem - the brown was probably just wax, but I think you have a bigger problem than that!

I also have an otoscope that I use to check my kid's ears. Just this weekend, I thought my daughter might have an ear infection, but I looked, and no infection. Saved myself a trip to the dr's office! What most people don't know is that ear infections are pretty easy to determine with an otoscope. It takes a little practice, but once you know what you're looking for, it really does save a lot of trips to the dr's office. :)
My experience is that what you are seeing is ear wax. Sometimes it can be different colors- sometimes lighter or darker depending on what the wax has trapped. Hope this helps!

Busymomof 3, this post made me laugh out loud. I hope there is a reason you feel the need to check daily.

It sounds like ear wax to me. Why are you looking in your childs ears with an otoscope? Is she complaining of pain? I would only take her to the ER for this if she is in pain or has a high fever.

Sounds like ear wax

Whew.... a bit sensitive with the SWH.

I agree with most of the moms here that the activity you say you do daily is beyond the scope of normal, especially with an instrument that only a DR should use. This is a bit on the OCD side. Think about all the germs and such you are introducing her little body to by probing daily.

Did you skip a day or something....if so, maybe that is why you see NORMAL ear wax.

Any ER (and most Dr.'sof any practice) would scold you for doing this and then turn their concerns toward you for being so OCD about it.

You really need to speak with a professional regarding why you feel the need to do this on a daily basis.

My guess would be wax, but I've never looked in anybody's ear and I am not a medical professional. However, this is not an emergency, and the E.R. is for emergencies, it is not a walk in clinic. If it makes you feel comfortable, you can call your doctor's office for a regular appointment. I do wonder though, why you are checking your own child's ears when you're not trained to know what to look for. When my kids were small, it would never have occurred to me to look in their ears.

Is it possible that it's just ear wax? I've never looked inside my kids' ears, so I'm not really sure what that might look like down in there. Here's my story though. A couple weeks ago my daughter started complaining about some very mild ear pain. She's a swimmer and has had swimmers ear several times. She said it felt like the onset of that. I called the pediatrician and practically begged her to just call in the Rx because I was sure i knew what it was. They refused to do it because it had been since the summer when they last saw her. Boy am I glad I brought her in the next day. The doctor dug out what looked like a little piece of corn!!!!! My daughter and I were both horrified! The doctor didn't seem fazed - she said she's seen it all. The weird thing is, my daughter is not a baby (she's 12) so we know she didn't PUT it in there. Actually, I said to her on the way out to the car, "Be honest, did you put anything in your ear?" She kept saying no and I believe her. Doctor said it could've gotten in there from the pool. Who knows. She wasn't even really sure exactly what it was. We were just glad she got it out. So, in opinion, I don't think you need to panic, but I would call the doctor in the morning and have her checked out. You never know what might be in there. Good luck!

Its probably just ear wax but if it bothers you a lot make a doctors appointment.

I would go in to my regular pediatrician because I worry. I would not go to the er.