Discharge from the ears is called otorrhea by medical professionals. This manifestation in certain situations is not considered a deviation from the norm, and in some cases may indicate the development of a disease of the hearing organs. This article will tell you how to treat ear discharge. Symptoms, causes of this problem will also be covered in it.
Natural causes of discharge
Discharge from the ears may appear under the influence of certain natural factors:
- Hypocooling of the body.
- Summer heat.
- Water entering the ear passages.
- Variations in air pressure in the atmosphere.
- Poor personal hygiene.
- Increased physical activity.
- Stress or age-related changes in hormonal levels.
Emission of sulfur from the ears, due to natural causes, indicates only the active work of the glands located in the organs of hearing. It stops as soon asthe factor causing it is eliminated.
Pathological causes of otorrhea
- Otitis. With this disease, a liquid of mucous, purulent or mucopurulent consistency is released from the ears. It is formed from clots of dead cells, bacteria or elements of human blood, designed to protect the body from various pathological influences. High temperature, the presence of signs of intoxication of the body, a feeling of pain, tinnitus are the main symptoms of otitis media.
- Cholesteatoma. It is a benign tumor that increases the secretion of the glands in the ears. The disease is accompanied by: sensations of itching, burning or congestion in the hearing organs, discharge of fluid from the ears.
- Furuncle located in the ear canal. When it is opened, pus comes out of the ears. With this disease, pain is felt when talking and eating.
- Mechanical damage to the skull and brain. The obvious symptoms of this life-threatening condition are: the presence of neurological disorders and the discharge of a clear fluid with a pink tint from the ears.
- Injury to the hearing organs. In such cases, tissues and blood vessels are damaged, spotting is observed.
- Otomycosis. The disease causes the process of reproduction in the ear of the fungal flora. It is characterized by thick, black, white, or gray discharge, itching, and pain.
Main symptoms
The presence of certain symptoms signals that you should immediately seek medical help, conductnecessary diagnostics and treatment of hearing organs.
- Feelings of pain, burning in the ears of a different nature.
- Itching, inside and outside the hearing.
- Discharge fluid from ears.
- Presence of dizziness, nausea.
- Heat temperature.
- Swelling and redness in the ear.
- Weakness and fatigue.
Diagnosis
Otorrhea refers to dangerous manifestations that require immediate examination and treatment. Diseases of the hearing organs rarely disappear on their own, often causing complications. It is simply impossible to establish a diagnosis on your own, to prescribe a course of effective treatment for yourself.
To diagnose the causes of discharge from the ears, it is important to have a detailed history available. Often the development of otorrhea is facilitated by: injuries, sports, past diseases, surgeries, infections, as well as foreign objects that have fallen into the ears by chance.
For greater reliability of the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe computed tomography of the temporal region of the head, sinuses, X-ray of the jaw or teeth, audiometry. You will definitely need to donate blood for analysis.
Treatment
To eliminate the natural causes of otorrhea, the patient's lifestyle is adjusted: the daily regimen is streamlined, physical activity is limited, a certain air temperature is maintained, and the ear canals are cleaned qualitatively.
When revealing the truecauses of the disease, a course of therapy is prescribed. Inflammatory processes in the ears are treated mainly with drugs with antibacterial and antifungal effects. Washing, instillation, warming up the diseased ear in special ways are used, tablets and capsules are taken orally.
If there are pronounced manifestations of the disease, a specialist may prescribe glucocorticosteroids that relieve redness and swelling. During the period of choosing medicines and methods of treatment, guidelines for doctors are the color, consistency, smell of discharge.
In cases of ineffectiveness of the course of treatment of otorrhea, operations are indicated: excision of problem areas, tympanoplasty. Surgical interventions are also performed for the removal of tumors, head injuries, and ear injuries.
As evidenced by the color of the discharge
Depending on the type of disease, discharge from the ears is often brown, black, yellow. Consider their features.
Brown discharge from the ear often indicates wax leakage or melting of the wax plug in the hearing organs. The presence of certain symptoms can be a cause for concern: swelling, redness, shooting pains and tinnitus, hyperthermia and hearing loss. They may indicate ear problems caused by infections.
Yellow discharge from the ear indicates a bacterial infection. It can be provoked by pharyngitis, chronic rhinitis, pneumonia and other diseases. If the patient has pain in the ears, yellow discharge, havingan unpleasant smell, to avoid negative consequences, you should consult a doctor.
Black discharge from the ear often appears due to the multiplication of fungal flora in areas of inflammation. Usually, yeast-like and mold fungi act as instigators of these pathologies. The black liquid secreted from the ears is a mixture of mucous membrane secretions and metabolites of the fungal flora. When the ears are affected by a fungus, patients often suffer from sensations of pain, itching in the hearing organs and other manifestations of the disease.
Wurness in the ear of a child
Often, mom and dad notice that sulfur accumulates in their baby's hearing organs, which has an unaesthetic appearance and can form plugs. With its help, the eardrum is reliably protected from external influences. However, excessive amounts of wax in the ears and certain changes in the child's well-being can alert parents:
- Sulfur production is increasing significantly. This may indicate intoxication of the child's body.
- Dry wax in baby's ears can be a symptom of skin disease.
- Discharge from the ear of a child with liquid sulfur often indicates the presence of an inflammation process.
- Black sulfur in a baby's ears usually indicates that dirt has entered the hearing organs or, conversely, it is coming out of them.
- Dark brown sulfur is normal, it is the discharge of this color that is observed in people who do not have he alth problems.
Every mom needs to know how to properly clean her baby's ears from congestionsulfur. This can help avoid the development of dangerous diseases and complications.
Preventive measures
A large number of diseases can really be avoided if you keep your he alth under constant control and lead an appropriate lifestyle. In order to never be interested in what causes discharge from the ears, you should follow certain rules.
- Properly conduct hearing treatment.
- Do not allow foreign objects to enter the ear canals.
- Do not enter the pool without a special cap.
- After bathing, remove water that gets into the ears.
- Do not use ear buds.
- Seek immediate medical attention if you experience ear discharge or other symptoms of concern. He will help you choose a treatment that can defeat the disease in a short time.
Keeping your hearing organs clean is important in preventing otorrhea. It is not recommended to use cotton swabs, if itching is felt inside the ear, it is better to wash the ear passages with warm water and soap. If water gets inside the ear, it should be removed immediately.
