MedClinic > Blog > ENT > Otitis

 

Otitis is an inflammatory process in the ear that has three stages of development – acute, chronic and catarrhal. Treatment of otitis media should be timely and correct since the disease can lead to very serious consequences. Ear disease – otitis media occurs due to the ingestion of infectious microflora.

Provocative factors

Otitis in adults and children occurs for the following reasons:

  • complications against the background of infectious diseases of the nasopharynx;
  • rhinitis, inflammation of adenoids (this is how otitis media occurs in a child);
  • ear injuries;
  • decreased immunity;
  • severe hypothermia.

Clinical manifestations

Symptoms of otitis media are pronounced. If you have the following symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor:

  • severe headaches;
  • increased body temperature;
  • purulent discharge of their ear.

Signs of otitis media relieve immediately after pus discharges. Body temperature begins to gradually decrease, pain in the head and ears become less intense or may completely disappear.

Pus exits through the hole formed in the eardrum. The appearance of this symptom is considered a very good sign if the treatment is provided on time manner and carried out correctly, the hole in the eardrum will heal independently and will not affect your hearing.

In severe cases of otitis media, pus does not go out through the ear canal but enters the brain, which can provoke serious illnesses – sepsis of the brain, meningitis.

Types of otitis media

Depending on in which part of the ear the purulent inflammation occurred, otitis can be of the following types:

  • otitis media;
  • external;
  • internal.

External otitis is a disease that affects people who are often in the water, such as swimmers. It can also develop after a person washed his head, and then found oneself in a draft.

Otitis media is characterised by inflammation that occurs in the tympanic cavity, in the tympanic tube and the mastoid process of the ear. If treatment of otitis media has not been carried out on time, the disease can go into catarrhal purulent otitis media.

At the initial stages of development of catarrhal purulent otitis media, the symptoms are as follows – noise in the ear, hearing loss, body temperature does not increase, or reaches a mark no higher than 37 – 37.5 degrees Celsius.

How to identify and cure the disease?

Diagnosis of otitis media includes an examination of the patient, and, in most cases, this is enough to make the correct diagnosis. To diagnose complications caused by otitis media, such medical examination methods as audiometry, x-ray, MRI and CT are used.

Treatment of otitis media is selected individually, depending on the severity of the disease. In the case of severe pain, painkillers are prescribed. Symptoms of otitis media in adults and children should be stopped only with medications.

Otitis externa is treated with special ear drops. Treatment of otitis media in a child and an adult is carried out with antibiotics only in cases where other medications do not give the desired effect.

If with purulent otitis media there is a risk that the pus will not go outside on its own, paracentesis is performed – an operation to open a purulent focus. A procedure is carried out using local anaesthesia, a small puncture is made in the tympanic membrane with a thin needle to release purulent masses. The patient’s condition after paracentesis is significantly improved the next day.

The use of folk remedies – camphor oil, decoctions of chamomile, boric alcohol, candles made from garlic and a heating pad can lead to complete hearing loss.