Bleeding from the Ear

Dear Ask The Doctor: My huasband woke up this AM with quite a bit of blood draining from and still in his ear canal. He is not in pain, but he does work around loud machinery. Should he go to the ER or can we wait to see our doc tomorrow?

Dear Laura: Bleeding from the ear is a not a common symptom. The most common cause of this condition is trauma of some kind. Other causes of bleeding from the ear include infections of the middle ear, tumors in the ear and foreign bodies in the ear. You should take your husband to a doctor immediately and have a complete examination to determine the cause and institute the appropriate management.