I did the same thing recently, after many decades of no accident. I woke up that night with blood dripping out of my ear. I taped a cotton ball to the outside

I did the same thing recently, after many decades of no accident. I woke up that night with blood dripping out of my ear. I taped a cotton ball to the outside of my ear, to prevent bedding from getting bloody. Next morning, I pulled the cotton ball off and it has a 1 in "blood worm" (that's what I'm calling it) attached. I called my PCP. It took 6 weeks for the last of the dried blood to fall out of my ear and for it to feel normal. I am extremely careful now when I use q tips.