External diffuse otitis is the development of an inflammatory process in the ears. Pathology develops, as a rule, in the outer part of the ear. It includes the auricle, which consists of cartilaginous tissue, as well as the auditory canal, up to the eardrum. Specialists distinguish diffuse and limited otitis externa. A limited type boil can occur in any part of the outer ear. In turn, diffuse otitis externa develops exclusively in the ear canal near the eardrum.
Causes of disease development
Today, doctors name only two main reasons why the development of external diffuse otitis media can begin. It could be an infection or an allergic reaction. In the case of allergies, swelling of the ears also occurs after contact with a certain allergen.
In almost all cases, the cause of otitis media is bacteria, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An infection can enter the ear in a variety of ways:
- through minor wounds on the skin of the ear;
- if there is purulent otitis media, then infection occurs due to the ingress of purulent exudate from the middle ear, which exits through the eardrum;
- by blood flow. During SARS or influenza, the infection moves throughout the body. If a person has a predisposition, then very often the flu provokes the development of external diffuse otitis media.
Other causes of inflammation
Another reason that rarely causes otitis externa is skin diseases. For example, dermatitis, eczema, seborrhea. If you do not start treatment on time, then acute diffuse external otitis media will very quickly take on a chronic form.
Factor that increases the risk of inflammation, is considered too frequent cleaning of the ears. Because of this, they lose their protective layer in the form of sulfur. At the same time, its excess will have an extremely negative effect. It is best to clean the ears 2-3 times a month, and remove external impurities while bathing.
Types of diseases
Chronic diffuse otitis externa is a very long process during which the inflammation is not completely cured, but only decreases from time to time. In this regard, a person sometimes suffers from discomfort and severe pain in the ear.
Depending on the cause that provoked the development of the inflammatory process in the outer ear, experts distinguish between bacterial, hemorrhagic viral otitis media, allergic, otomycosis - otitis media caused byfungi.
Symptoms of pathology
The main symptoms of external diffuse otitis media are swelling, redness of the cartilage tissue of the ear, as well as the tissues of the ear canal. In almost all cases, there is severe pain and itching. Pain can have varying degrees of intensity and increase with pressure on the tragus of the ear.
Due to swelling, the ear canal begins to narrow. This provokes the appearance of noise in the ears, a feeling of congestion, hearing loss. The worst effect on a person's hearing is bilateral otitis media.
If otitis externa was provoked by a bacterial infection, then purulent discharge appears, body temperature rises above 38 degrees.
If the pathology was provoked by ARVI, then general weakness and severe malaise are added to the rest of the symptoms. In this case, the hemorrhagic form will cause the appearance of blood bubbles located on the surface of the ear.
Otitis externa caused by fungi is characterized by the appearance of white, black or yellowish discharge from the ear, which has a very unpleasant odor. In addition, there will always be constant severe itching. If symptoms of diffuse otitis externa appear, treatment should be prompt and competent.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of otitis externa is very simple. First of all, the doctor conducts an external examination. Then he probes the diseased ear and performs an otoscopy. Thanks to such simple manipulations, it is possible to determine the presence of otitis externa characteristicsigns:
- redness of the skin;
- presence of puffiness;
- is the ear canal narrowed and is there content in it;
- Will the patient feel pain during palpation.
Using otoscopy, the state of the eardrum is determined. You can also exclude the presence of an inflammatory process in the middle ear.
If certain discharge was found in the ears, the specialist takes a scraping from the ear canal to conduct a microscopic examination. Thus, it is possible to establish which pathogen provoked the development of otitis externa.
Treatment of otitis externa
To cure the inflammatory process that develops in the outer ear of a person, it is worth using complex therapy. One method of treating diffuse otitis externa will not bring any result, or it will be minimal. In this regard, it is necessary to use medications, ointments, and in some cases, you can use traditional medicine.
Ointments for the treatment of pathology
If the patient suffers from an acute form of the disease, then first of all it is necessary to eliminate the inflammatory process, due to which the remaining signs of the disease appear. In most cases, for the treatment of acute external diffuse otitis media, the doctor prescribes a special ointment that must be placed in the sore ear with the help of turundas. Regardless of which drug was prescribed, the procedure will be performed in all casesthe same.
- From a cotton pad you need to roll the turunda. It will turn out more comfortable than plain cotton wool.
- Then the turunda is dipped into the prepared ointment, but the tail should remain clean so that it is comfortable to hold.
- Turunda with ointment is placed in the sore ear for 10 minutes, then removed and thrown away.
When applying otitis externa ointment, it is best to lie on one side so that the affected ear is at the top. In this case, it is undesirable to make any sudden movements.
Medicines
To cure right-sided or left-sided diffuse otitis externa completely, doctors can prescribe a wide variety of medications.
- Antibiotics. They can only be correctly selected by the attending physician so that an infection of bacterial origin can be eliminated. You can not take antibiotics on your own, because the risk of side effects is too high. Doctors often prescribe Amoxicillin.
- Means of anti-inflammatory type. Vishnevsky's ointment is popular. It can be used to cure otitis externa, which is of infectious origin.
- Antiseptic preparations. With their help, pus and sulfur can be washed out of the ear, which accumulate there in large quantities during illness. Antiseptics help soften them and guide them out of the ear. Miramistin shows good results.
Folk treatments
In addition, traditional medicine can also be used, but they can only be usedafter consultation with your doctor, because in some situations their use may be inappropriate. For the treatment of otitis externa, it may be advised to use the juice of carrots or beets, garlic, aloe, onions, Kalanchoe. The main condition for use is that they must be diluted with boiled water in a ratio of one to seven.
Washings for otitis externa
In almost all cases, washing should be carried out by a specialist, because there is a very high risk that in the hands of an inexperienced person, the remedy can cause great harm and provoke complications. Of course, if the patient has at least a little experience, then washing can be done at home. It is important that the procedure is carried out very carefully.
Washing with otitis externa is performed according to the following scheme.
- The pharmacy buys a disposable syringe. Use it without a needle.
- A solution is drawn into the prepared syringe, then the head is firmly pressed against the shoulder so that the sore ear is directed upwards. The solution is poured into the affected ear.
- Wait a while so that the solution has time to soften the sulfur and mix with it as much as possible.
- Then tilt your head so that all the excess content spills out of the affected ear.
In no case should you use a very hot solution and run a syringe for washing deep into the sore ear. It is also forbidden to use undiluted juices with boiled water for washing.
Decoctions of chamomile, mint,thyme, eucalyptus. The decoction should be prepared immediately before use. Of the solutions, it is best to use antiseptics. Also, the doctor may advise the use of saline, mineral water, saline or iodine solution. It is advisable to wash the sore ear at least 3 times a day.
Disease prevention
A huge role is played not only by the timely treatment of otitis externa, but also by strengthening the immune system. If a person's immunity is strong enough, then the risk of developing the disease is much lower. Therefore, it is worth taking simple preventive measures in order to get sick with otitis externa as rarely as possible. The main preventive measures include the following:
- Take vitamin complexes, the diet should be a lot of fruits and vegetables.
- Stay outdoors as often as possible. It is best to do this in parks or squares.
- In the cold season, keep your ears always warm.
- Take an infusion of chamomile, mint or calendula regularly.
- Get your sleep routine in order.
Otitis externa is a very serious disease that is best left untreated. Therapy should be started immediately so that the acute form of the disease does not turn into a chronic one and there are no life-threatening complications. It is worth contacting a specialist immediately after the first unpleasant symptoms appear.
