Why Is My Child's Ear Swollen After Rugby? A Parent's Guide to Auricular Haematoma Your child comes home after a rugby match. They mention that someone accidentally caught their ear during a tackle. At first, it seemed like an ordinary knock. But later, you notice something unusual. The outer ear looks swollen. It may be red or bruised. The normal folds of the ear may no longer be clearly visible. Your child says it feels tender or painful. Naturally, you wonder: “Is this just bruising?” “Will the swelling disappear by itself?” “Could this become cauliflower ear?” One important condition to recognise is an auricular haematoma , sometimes called a pinna haematoma . Although not every swollen ear after sport is a haematoma, a suspected collection of blood beneath the outer-ear tissues requires prompt medical assessment. What is an auricular haematoma? The outer ear is called the pinna or auricle. Most of its shape comes from flexible cartilage. A thin layer of tissue called th...
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