Hearing he alth allows a person to feel confident in everyday life. The discharge of fluid from the ears cannot be considered the norm, and such a symptom should be carefully considered. Proper diagnosis and timely treatment will allow a person to quickly return to normal life.
Why is fluid coming out of my ear?
In medicine, the process in which fluid flows from the ears is called otorrhea. Such a symptom may indicate the development of pathological processes in the body that affect the hearing organs. However, experts pay attention to the fact that liquid discharge is not always a disease, you should not panic before visiting a specialist.
Most often, discharge from the ear is observed with an infectious lesion, various internal injuries, barotrauma. If an inflammatory process occurs in the hearing organs, then this will undoubtedly lead to the appearance of unexpected secretions, which are important to pay attention to in a timely manner. This will allow early treatment and avoid possible complications.
Doctorsidentify a number of pathological reasons why it flows from the ear:
- Skull injuries.
- Development of otitis (unilateral and bilateral).
- Furunculosis.
- Otomycosis.
- Polyps in the ears.
- Myringitis.
Regardless of the root cause, it is worth paying attention to the nature of the discharge, which can tell more about the nature and causes of deviations. So, for example, a change in the integrity of the eardrum is also one of the reasons for the appearance of discharge from the ear. Such damage is dangerous, requires immediate medical attention, and threatens with complete hearing loss.
What types of discharge are there?
Often, diseases of the ears entail a general deterioration in a person's condition. In such a situation, the appearance, texture, smell and volume of ear discharge are of particular importance. Based on what kind of fluid flows from the ears, one can better characterize the degree and nature of the pathology.
Doctors strongly recommend not to seek self-medication. All symptoms must be clearly conveyed to a specialist, and not resort to available sources of information in search of universal salvation. Prolonged improper treatment can lead to serious complications, up to complete hearing loss.
There are several basic types of discharge:
- Pus.
- Clear liquid.
- Discharges mixed with blood.
More details about such manifestations will be written below.
Pus is secreted, what should I do?
If purulent discharge from the ear appears, thenthis is a good reason for concern. Greenish, white, brown pus with a characteristic odor is a clear sign that the inflammatory process is in the active stage, the hearing organ is seriously affected and immediate treatment is required.
Along with this, the person suffers from pain, a general feeling of weakness, bouts of nausea and fever. Inflammation can occur against the background of a mechanical injury in a severely neglected state.
If pus is released regularly, has a white color, then this indicates a fungal infection. Pain will occur closer to the auricle, but not deeper.
Clear fluid from the ears
If a sticky liquid flows from the ears, which does not have a characteristic odor and more like ordinary water, then this indicates a slight damage to the tissues or the eardrum.
From the point of view of medicine, such a symptom is not dangerous, you should not panic, but it is not recommended to postpone a visit to the doctor. A competent specialist will quickly select the necessary funds and eliminate the unpleasant symptom.
When fluid flows from the ears and nose at the same time, this indicates the presence of an allergic reaction and requires further study to understand the root cause, find the main source of irritation.
Bleeding
Blood that flows from the ears cannot be considered normal under any circumstances. If a person paid attention to blood discharge, then this indicates the presence of a serious mechanical injury, cracks or internalbreaks.
In medical practice, there are cases when blood is mixed with pus. Such secretions are extremely dangerous, they indicate the neglect of the inflammatory process and even the presence of a tumor in the area of the hearing organs.
In such situations, the treatment of otorrhea should be comprehensive, competent, and most importantly, prompt. It is impossible to delay the visit to the doctor and the diagnosis, you can completely lose the opportunity to hear.
Liquid in baby's ears
It is believed that children are more susceptible to the influence of adverse factors that provoke otorrhea. Discharge from the ears appears more often than in adults. This is explained by the fact that the child's immunity is in the formation stage, does not have sufficient strength. At the same time, the structure of the hearing organs is such that the auricle is small, the ear canal is still short, and this does not provide sufficient protection from dangerous influences.
The main reasons why fluid flows from the ears in childhood are no different from the reasons for an adult. The intensity of the symptoms will depend on the age of the child. Self-medication in matters of children's he alth is categorically contraindicated, the risk of complications is much higher, so only competent treatment by a doctor is required.
Symptoms of diseases
Symptoms may appear with varying degrees of intensity, indicating the stage of the disease or the severity of the injury. The first thing that indicates the accumulation of fluid in the hearing organs is the presence of a squelching sound when pressed.
In the early stages, a person may not feel any additional discomfort. The main pathological signs appear later, when the inflammation enters the active stage.
Main symptoms:
- Pulsating pain in the ear.
- Internal itching sensation.
- Inflammation raises the temperature.
- Redness of the ear.
- Discharge from ears.
- Headaches.
If the ear shoots, what to do at home? It is best to find the nearest doctor and get tested. This sign indicates the presence of acute inflammation, which requires competent treatment. To temporarily eliminate the symptom (for example, to endure the night), you can use special drops in the ears with an antibiotic and analgesic effect.
Diagnosis
If characteristic symptoms are found in a child or an adult, then this is a sure reason to go to the doctor. During the diagnosis, the cause of the pain and otorrhoea will be established, after which the correct treatment is selected.
Diagnostic measures include:
- Visual examination by an ENT doctor.
- Examination of the eardrum for possible damage.
- Determination of the level of mobility of the eardrum.
- Extraction of liquid for analysis.
- Audiometry is used in cases of complaints of hearing loss.
- General urine and blood tests, which can detect pathogensmicroorganisms and the presence of infection.
- Additionally, CT or MRI is performed in the most advanced cases.
Only on the basis of a comprehensive examination, it is possible to establish the exact cause of the discomfort and characteristic ear discharge.
Basic treatments
When an inflammatory process is detected, the doctor will most likely prescribe the use of drops in the ears with an antibiotic. However, many experts are inclined to believe that a mild form of otitis media (inflammation) disappears without the use of antibacterial agents, treatment is allowed outside the hospital.
Shooting ear, what to do at home? If the cause is established correctly and does not cause serious concern to the doctor, then you must carefully follow the medical recommendations, do not miss a scheduled visit to the hospital and do not engage in additional self-treatment.
Inflammatory process in the ear is treated comprehensively:
- If the diagnosis requires antibiotics are prescribed.
- With the active development of inflammation, antipyretics are used.
- Pain syndrome is eliminated with painkillers.
- Remedies for the common cold allow you to narrow the blood vessels, which fits the general condition of the patient.
What kind of drugs will be used during treatment, the doctor decides. Along with drug therapy, it is important to eat well, avoid drafts and sudden changes in temperature, and drink enough fluids. Such measures will help the body to fight the pathology more effectively.
Oftenthe question arises, is it possible to clean the ears with hydrogen peroxide? There is no single answer, many believe that there are safer methods for cleaning the ear canal. Hydrogen peroxide may be useful as a pre-cleaner, but only in exceptional cases.
Surgical intervention in the treatment of otorrhea is used, but in very rare situations, if the disease is severely neglected. Timely diagnosis allows you to choose a treatment that will restore the he alth of the hearing organs.
Probable Complications
Lack of necessary treatment is dangerous for hearing organs. Modern medicine has a wide range of tools that can stop the development of the disease in time and eliminate complications.
Don't ignore the signs and ignore the symptoms. Uncontrolled otorrhea can lead to the following complications:
- Meningitis.
- Abscess on the background of prolonged purulent inflammation.
- Reduction or complete loss of hearing.
Such consequences are easy to avoid if you are vigilant about your own he alth and do not neglect the help of competent specialists.
Prevention measures
Is it possible to avoid the accumulation of fluid in the ears? Doctors believe that this is possible, the main thing is to properly monitor the state of he alth and follow some preventive measures:
- Correctly and in time to eliminate respiratory diseases.
- Make sure there are no constant drafts, avoid hypothermia.
- Avoid getting water intoears.
- When the air temperature is low (in climatic winter conditions), wear a hat, protect your ears from cold air.
- Regularly clean your ears, do not allow sulfur formation to accumulate.
Proper hygiene can be controversial. The topic comes back: can you clean your ears with hydrogen peroxide? This is an extreme measure if it is not possible to eliminate congestion by other methods. Routine ear cleaning is done with soap and water, preferably as part of regular bathing routines. It is also not recommended to use additional devices, including cotton buds, as this can injure the eardrum.
Proper and careful attitude to the he alth of the hearing organs will keep them working at the proper level for a long time.
