Foreign body in the ear sometimes does not give any symptoms, sometimes it can manifest itself as pain, redness, discharge, hearing loss. Removal of the foreign body in the external ear canal differs according to the type of foreign body. Synthetic or vegetable foreign bodies are removed by pulling with a suitable instrument under the microscope.

Since herbal foreign bodies tend to swell by absorbing water, the ear should be protected from water and ear washing should not be done. In live foreign bodies, the insect is killed by filling the external ear canal with alcohol, topical anesthetic solutions or glycerin, and then removed by aspiration. In children, these procedures may require sedation or general anesthesia.