Could Donald Trump's Ear Injury Cause Lasting Damage?

Former President Donald Trump is continuing to heal from an ear injury sustained during a shooting that took place on July 13 as the politician was speaking at a Pennsylvania rally (via NBC News). The assassination attempt left Trump missing part of his upper right ear, former White House physician Ronny Jackson told The New York Times last week as he described the nature of the wound. The Republican Representative noted that Donald Trump's ear is expected to heal through the process of granulation, in which new connective tissue gets to work repairing the wound. At the time, Mr. Jackson stated that no additional medical intervention would likely be needed, and that the wound's appearance is expected to reduce over time.

On July 20, Trump posted an official statement to Truth Social issued by Dr. Ronny Jackson, who described the injury in greater detail. According to the statement, the 2 cm-wide wound produced heavy bleeding and swelling to the area. Dr. Jackson noted that the granulation process has begun, with occasional bleeding from the wound, warranting the continued use of a gauze covering. He concluded stating that Trump will continue to receive follow-up care and a comprehensive hearing exam. Health Digest spoke with Dr. Patrick Davis, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon in Beverly Hills, about whether such ear injuries are known to cause lasting damage.

After reviewing the statement posted to the social media platform, Dr. Davis said that the wound is not likely to lead to complications in the long run. He explained that because the ear contains a great deal of cartilage, it receives a strong amount of blood flow, which supplies the organ with plenty of nutrients to support healing. It's this ample blood flow that Dr. Ronny Jackson notes in his statement as the reason Trump's ear bled so heavily following the injury.

"The issue to watch out for with bleeding is less about a concern for significant life threatening loss of blood, but rather for the blood to pool between his skin and his healthy cartilage, causing excessive pressure that can lead to necrosis or death of the cartilage itself," Dr. Davis told Health Digest. Cleveland Clinic experts explain that this is known as a subperichondrial hematoma, in which blood flow is reduced to the cartilage. Without proper drainage of the pooled blood to alleviate the pressure, this can leave the ear with a lumpy appearance, sometimes referred to as "cauliflower ear." Dr. Davis further stated that while the area may feel numb for some time, the Republican presidential nominee is not likely to experience long-lasting nerve damage.

On July 18, Trump formally stepped into the position of Republican presidential nominee, where he spoke publicly about his injury at the Republican National Convention (RNC). "If something happens with the ears, they bleed more than any other part of the body," he stated, as reported by Desert News. "For whatever reason the doctors told me that."

While Dr. Davis confirmed that the ears get substantial blood circulation, do they really bleed more than any other body part? Medical director of trauma at University of Utah Health Dr. Toby Ennis told Desert News that this is not the case, pointing out that there are a number of organs that receive greater blood supply than the ears, including the lung, heart, liver, colon, intestines, and more. Dr. Ennis added that the thigh bone as well as any major arteries or veins are also on the list of areas of the body that bleed more than the ears if injured.

Donald Trump has continued to keep his ear wound covered since the assassination attempt, which Dr. Davis feels is the right move in order to protect it from the elements. "Although some have mentioned that a bandage may be overkill for this injury, I tend to disagree as ointment is important to keep on the wound with a bandage covering which provides a proper healing bed for new skin to cover over his cartilage." Dr. Davis further notes that leaving the ear exposed could potentially dry out the wound, which requires hydration as it works to mend itself.

When asked if reconstructive surgery may be necessary for the former President, Dr. Davis told us that it probably won't be required unless the skin is unable to grow over the exposed cartilage. In such an event, skin grafting could be a potential option, in which a piece of skin could be surgically extracted from behind the ear and transplanted over the remainder of the wound.

Dr. Ronny Jackson mentioned in the public statement posted to Truth Social that Trump will undergo a comprehensive hearing exam. When asked if this is due to a risk of permanent hearing damage, Dr. Davis told us that any long-term hearing issues are unlikely because of where the damage took place. He explains that the funnel through which sound makes its way into the eardrum was not injured, and therefore hearing should not be compromised in the long run.

"The bullet 'whizzing' (i.e. increased air pressure) by his ear potentially could have caused more damage to hearing than the wound itself," Dr. Davis adds. Referred to as barotrauma, Cleveland Clinic experts state that sudden air pressure fluctuations can lead to an eardrum tear, and that loud noises or injury can cause an eardrum rupture. In most cases, the Mayo Clinic notes that these injuries often take care of themselves, although hearing loss can occur. However as Dr. Davis points out, no negative effects on Donald Trump's hearing are anticipated in this case.

The question of whether or not Trump was at risk for a concussion following his ear injury was also recently raised. As seen in a video clip posted to X (formerly Twitter) on July 15 by podcast host Benny Johnson, Dr. Ronny Jackson addressed these concerns during an appearance on "The Benny Show," stating that the bullet did not strike close enough to the former President's head to cause a concussion.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, although concussions do inflict damage on surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and alter chemicals within the brain, most mild traumatic brain injuries due to trauma do not cause lasting adverse effects. While the effects of a concussion may linger for days or upwards of weeks, most concussions are not deadly. However when it comes to protecting our health, seek urgent medical care in the event of severe headache, dizziness, seizures, bloody discharge from the ears, or any other concerning symptoms that emerge in the aftermath of head trauma.