How bad is it that there was blood in my ear this morning?

[shaniac]

Okay so like my left ear was feeling really waxy this morning and I stuck a cotton swab in to try and get some of the wax out, and when I pulled out the swab, it was red. I assume it was blood, although it's possible my earwax has assumed a reddish hue.

Possible contributing health factors: I've had what feels like the beginnings of an ear ache/infection in the same left ear. Also, I have a pretty bad smoking problem, and a terrible smoker's hack which has gotten worse lately. I cough a lot.

Are there any medical experts on OOT who have an idea what this could be or how bad it is?