Isolation from the ears by medical professionals is called otorrhea. This manifestation in certain situations is not considered a deviation from the norm, and in some cases may indicate the development of a hearing disease. This article will explain how to treat discharge from the ear. Symptoms, the causes of this problem will also be highlighted in it.
Natural causes of discharge
Isolation from the ears may appear under the influence of certain natural factors:
- Hypothermia of the body.
- Summer heat.
- Water entering the ear canals.
- Fluctuations in air pressure in the atmosphere.
- Non-observance of personal hygiene.
- Increased physical activity.
- Stress or age-related changes in the hormonal background.
The release of sulfur from the ears, due to natural causes, indicates only the active work of the glands located in the organs of hearing. It ceases as soon as the factor causing it is eliminated.
Pathological causes of otorrhea
- Otitis. With this disease, fluid from the mucous membrane, 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 effects. High fever, signs of intoxication, a sensation of pain, tinnitus are the main symptoms of otitis media.
- Cholesteatoma. It is a benign tumor that enhances the secretion of glands in the ears. The disease is accompanied by: sensations of itching, burning or stuffiness in the organs of hearing, secretion of fluid from the ears.
- A boil in the ear canal. When it is opened, pus is released from 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 release of a clear pink-tinted fluid from the ears.
- Hearing injury. 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 discharge of black, white or gray, itching and pain.
Main symptoms
The presence of certain symptoms indicates that you should immediately seek help from a doctor, conduct the necessary diagnostics and treat your hearing organs.
- Sensations of pain, burning in the ears of a different nature.
- Itching, inside and outside the hearing organs.
- Isolation of fluid from the ears.
- The presence of dizziness, nausea.
- Heat.
- Swelling and redness in the ear.
- Weakness and fatigue.
Diagnostics
Otorrhea refers to dangerous manifestations requiring immediate examination and treatment. Hearing diseases 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 medical history. Often the development of otorrhea is promoted by: injuries, sports, past illnesses, surgeries, infections, and also foreign objects that have gotten into the ears by accident.
For greater reliability of the diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe computed tomography of the temporal region of the head, sinuses, x-rays 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 routine is ordered, physical activity is limited, a certain air temperature is maintained, and auditory passages are cleaned qualitatively.
When identifying the true cause of the disease, a course of therapy is prescribed. Inflammatory processes in the ears are treated mainly with drugs with antibacterial and antifungal effects. Rinsing, instillation, warming up of the diseased ear with special methods are used, tablets and capsules are taken orally.
In the presence of severe manifestations of the disease, a specialist can prescribe glucocorticosteroids that relieve redness and swelling. During the period of choosing medicines and methods of treatment, the guidelines for doctors are color, texture, smell of secretions.
In cases of ineffective treatment of otorrhea, operations are indicated: excision of problem areas, tympanoplasty. Surgical interventions are also performed to remove tumors, head injuries, ear injuries.
As evidenced by the color of the discharge
Depending on the type of disease, discharge from the ears is often brown, black, and yellow. Consider their features.
Brown discharge from the ear often indicates leakage of sulfur or melting of the sulfur plug in the hearing organs. Some symptoms may be cause for concern: edema, redness, shooting pains and tinnitus, hyperthermia, and hearing loss. They may indicate ear diseases caused by infections.
Yellow discharge from the ear signals a bacterial infection. It can provoke pharyngitis, chronic rhinitis, pneumonia and other diseases. If the patient has pain in the ears, yellow discharge, which has an unpleasant odor, in order 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, the instigators of these pathologies are yeast-like and mold fungi. The black liquid secreted from the ears is a mixture of the secretion of the mucous membranes and metabolites of the fungal flora. When ears are affected by a fungus, patients often suffer from sensations of pain, itching in the organs of hearing and other manifestations of the disease.
Sulfur in the ear of a child
Often, mom and dad notice that sulfur is accumulated in the hearing organs of their baby, which has an unaesthetic appearance and can form plugs. With its help, the eardrum is reliably protected from external influences. However, an excessive amount of sulfur in the ears and certain changes in the well-being of the child can alert parents:
- Sulfur production increases significantly. This may indicate intoxication of the child's body.
- Dry sulfur in the baby’s ears can be a symptom of skin diseases.
- Discharge from the ear in a child's liquid sulfur often indicates the presence of an inflammation process.
- Black sulfur in the baby’s ears usually indicates that dirt has got into the hearing organs or, conversely, it is coming out of them.
- Sulfur of dark brown color refers to the norm, it is the discharge of this color that is observed in people who do not have health problems.
Each mother needs to have information on how to properly clean her child’s ears from sulfur accumulation. This can help avoid the development of dangerous diseases and complications.
Preventative measures
A large number of diseases can really be avoided if you constantly monitor your health and lead an appropriate lifestyle. In order to never be interested in the reasons for the separation from the ears, certain rules should be followed.
- Correctly conduct a course of treatment of the organs of hearing.
- Do not allow foreign objects to enter the ear canals.
- Do not visit the pool without a special hat.
- After bathing, remove water that gets into your ears.
- Do not use ear sticks.
- Seek professional help immediately if discharge from the ears or other symptoms of concern appear. He will help you choose a treatment that can defeat the disease in a short time.
Of great importance in the prevention of otorrhea is keeping the hearing organs clean. It is not recommended to use cotton buds, if itching is felt inside the ear, it will be better to rinse the ear canals with warm water and soap. If water has got inside the ear, it should be removed immediately.