Doctors have successfully removed a germinating plant seed inside a boy's ear.
A video taken at the hospital at Nanchuan Hongren Hospital in Chongqing City in on April 22 shows doctors examining the ear of the six-year-old boy.
As per the report of Daily Mail, the boy was rushed to the hospital after his mother discovered the bean while she was cleaning his son's ear.
Speaking to local reporters, Doctor Zhang XiaoChun, a specialist in ear, nose and throat who examined the boy's ear, confirmed that the bean, suspected to be a butterbean, was already germinating.
"It looks like a broad bean and the seed can be seen starting to sprout already," the doctor said, according to the news outfit.
The doctor added that it grew because the ear is warm and moist, and the temperature is arounf 37 degrees, perfect for the seed to grow.
Metro UK noted that the operation took a few minutes and was successful. Fortunately, he is not expected to experience any negative long-term effects.
Naked Science cited that finding a foreign object -- inanimate or animate -- in the ear is frequent in patients attending ENT clinics. A good number of foreign bodies are organic, especially seeds.
In 2013, also in China, a dandelion that was growing in the ear canal of a 16-month-old girl was removed.
A foreign object in the ear can cause pain and hearing loss.
Mayo Clinic recommends not probing the ear with anything if an object becomes lodged in the ear. If the object is clearly visible and pliable from the outside, you may remove it using tweezers. You may also tilt your head on the side of the affected ear to try to remove the object. If it is an insect, put tiny drops of baby oil in your ear to immobilize it.
It is important to see the doctor as soon as you notice something unusual in your ear.