An object that has been placed in the ear usually does not cause lasting damage. You may have mild to complete hearing loss if the object blocks your ear canal. You may also feel lightheaded if the object is able to move around in your ear. These symptoms usually go away once the object is removed from your ear.

Objects that are jammed or inserted forcefully can damage the ear canal or penetrate the eardrum. Symptoms of damage to the ear canal or a rupture of the eardrum include hearing loss, pain, dizziness, and drainage or bleeding from the ear canal.

An item such as a disc battery (or button cell battery) may cause a chemical burn to the ear canal or eardrum. A button disc battery needs to be removed from the ear canal within 4 hours to prevent serious burns to the ear canal or eardrum.

A visit to a doctor is needed to prevent infection and permanent hearing loss if an object has been jammed into your ear canal.