Clear, Odorless Ear Discharge

Top 5 causes

1. Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa)

Symptoms

• Ear itching or pain
• Redness
• Clear discharge
• Swelling
• Ear and jaw discomfort

Swimmer’s ear is an inflammation of the outer ear canal. It doesn’t mean you had to be in a pool to get it. You can get it from bacteria, fungus, or a virus getting into the ear canal. This is more likely to happen when the ear’s delicate skin is injured, such as from cleaning with cotton swabs or scratching.

Moisture from swimming, showering, or bathing can get trapped near the injured skin, making it easier for organisms like bacteria to grow. Children may be more susceptible to swimmer’s ear because they have narrow ear canals, according to the CDC. Your doctor can diagnose swimmer’s ear by doing an exam, and will prescribe antibiotic ear drops to clear up the infection.

2. Eczema (atopic dermatitis)

Symptoms 

• Itchy ears
• Red, cracked, dry, patchy, or scaly skin
• Clear discharge

Eczema can affect many areas of the body, including the ears. The constant breakdown in the skin barrier can cause clear discharge. It is more common in people with allergies, asthma, and other skin diseases.

Your treatment depends on the underlying cause. It can be helpful to avoid triggers like earbuds and irritating substances like soaps or shampoos. Sometimes you’ll need to use medications, such as steroids to decrease inflammation or antibiotics to treat infections.

It’s also helpful to use skin products that promote a healthy skin barrier, such as gentle soaps and moisturizing lotions.

3. Foreign object in the ear

Symptoms

• Feeling of fullness or pressure
• Feeling that something is “stuck” in your ear
• Pain in one ear
• Fluid or bloody discharge from one ear

Sometimes ear discharge is caused by a foreign object in the ear. This is especially common in children, who may put food, a bead, or a toy inside their ears. It is the reason for many emergency room visits in children, according to a study in the International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology.

In adults, it can happen when a cotton swab or even an insect gets stuck inside.

Over time, the object itself can cause an infection, or sometimes attempts to remove the object can cause an injury or infection in the ear canal. In these cases, discharge can be clear or bloody, pus-filled, or foul-smelling.

If something is stuck in your ear, don’t try to get the object out yourself. You can unintentionally worsen the situation by pushing it deeper inside or damaging the canal.

Most objects can be removed by a pediatrician or primary care doctor, but you should go to the ER for a button battery or sharp object, or if the discomfort is unbearable. Your doctor will have special instruments to remove foreign objects. You may also get a prescription for antibiotics if the ear is infected.

When to call the doctor

You should contact doctor if:

• You have pain that doesn’t get better with acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Symptoms don’t go away, especially after 3 to 5 days
• You have a fever
• You have pain or swelling behind the ear (called the mastoid area)
• You experience hearing loss

Treatment

At-home care and prevention

• For ear pain, take medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Applying a warm compress to the ear may also give you some relief.
• To keep the ear canal dry while swimming or showering, try using soft waterproof earplugs or cotton balls lubricated with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). It’s important to keep your ear dry, especially when it’s healing from a ruptured eardrum or an infection. Ideally you should avoid activities that could allow water to get inside your ears.
• Do not use foreign objects like cotton swabs to clean your ears. The ears are self-cleaning. If you have a buildup of wax that’s affecting your hearing, you can try to dissolve the wax with mineral oil, diluted household-grade hydrogen peroxide, or saline. (Check with your doctor about how to do it safely.) Do not irrigate or place drops in your ear if you have a ruptured eardrum.
• When you have an infection, try to avoid activities that drastically change the pressure in your ear, such as flying, forcefully blowing your nose, or scuba diving. If you can’t avoid an activity like flying, try to decrease pressure changes by yawning or opening your mouth wide, chewing gum, or sucking on hard candy.
• Avoid wearing a hearing aid in an infected ear until the infection has cleared up. It can help the bacteria to grow.

Other treatment options

Your doctor may recommend:

• Medications like antibiotics to treat infections or steroids to decrease inflammation.
• Surgical procedures, such as placing ear tubes (tympanostomy) in children with frequent ear infections, removing foreign bodies, ear irrigation, or repairing ruptured eardrums (tympanoplasty).
• Hearing tests (audiometry) and tests measuring pressure in the ear (tympanometry).
• Imaging tests. Although they aren’t always beneficial, a CT scan may help your doctor figure out the cause of your ear symptoms (e.g., a skull fracture or bone infection).