According to statistics, in 80% of cases, otitis media is detected at least once in children at an early age. Swelling of the ear region increases pressure in the middle ear, which causes pain, discharge from the ear cavity. And when a yellow liquid flows from a child’s ear, what could it be - any parent asks this question. Doctors primarily suggest this diagnosis - otitis media. But there can be many reasons for this phenomenon.
Etiology of discharge
If the discharge is with blood, this indicates that the outer ear is damaged, a tumor could develop. Transparent serous discharge is a frequent companion of allergic diseases, otitis media. Pus (a greenish tint) appears when the middle ear is affected by a bacterial infection. This occurs in the acute stages of the chronic process.
If a child has a yellow liquid with an odor flowing from the ear, it should be borne in mind that sulfur can be quite liquid, which is considered normal. The ear must be cleaned at least once a week.
If a child has yellow fluid flowing from the ear and the cause is associated with sulfur, then the phenomenon will not have any additional symptoms. If fluid forms in the ear as a result of inflammation, signs may appear: pain, temperature, hearing impairment. It is better to consult a doctor and make sure that there is no pathology of the auditory organ.
You need to pay attention: in a child, odorless yellow liquid flows from the ear or with it? How thick is it? This can shed light on an accurate diagnosis.
What to do
If a child has a yellow fluid flowing from the ear, how to treat, concerned parents instantly become interested. But you need to remember that at first it is important to correctly diagnose an ailment, and only professionals can do it. They will take into account all the features of the course of the disease. To begin with, you need to go through or perform an examination at the ENT. Depending on the development of the pathology and the degree of tissue damage, the patient will be prescribed medication, physiotherapy or surgery.
Pathogenesis
In the pathology of the ears, the causes in most cases lie in the ineffective treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to find out exactly where the fluid is released from.
It can be produced directly in the outer ear or in the middle ear cavity. In the first case, we are talking about damage to the membrane in the ear. According to experts, then swelling is often observed as a result of perforation of the ear canal. When there is inflammation in the ears - this is called mastoiditis, fluid accumulates in the middle ear cavity, which creates excessive pressure on the ear, which leads to the destruction of the membrane. In addition, it may be damaged mechanically, may break due to the presence of a foreign body in the ear cavity. But sometimes a yellow fluid flows from the child’s ear due to a common SARS or flu. The phenomenon may occur due to tonsillitis. Only a specialist will accurately diagnose.
In order to be able to accurately diagnose and undergo appropriate treatment, it is necessary to find out the cause of the pathology. The inflammatory processes of the epithelium, which lead to obstruction of the auditory tubes, are often caused by the following factors:
- allergic reactions;
- nasopharyngeal infections;
- inflammation in the middle ear;
- antibiotic abuse;
- septic inflammation;
- immune diseases;
- pathologies of the nasal septum;
- otitis media or otorrhea;
- mechanical damage.
The appearance of otorrhea in most cases signals the development of infectious diseases that lead to hearing loss. Often, in preschool children, ear pathologies appear associated with reduced body resistance to infections and the anatomical features of the structure of the Eustachian tube. In children, it is much shorter and wider than in adults, which leads to the unhindered penetration of pathogens from the nasopharynx into the ear.
When to see a doctor ENT?
With the development of ear pathologies, other signs of the disease are often manifested. And if the child’s yellow fluid flows from the ear and this is accompanied by other symptoms, this is a good reason to seek the help of an ENT doctor. Do not postpone a visit to the doctor if the following symptoms are observed:
- hearing loss
- headache;
- dizziness;
- hyperthermia;
- lumbago in the ear;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- pain on palpation of the ear.
The above symptoms indicate the occurrence of pathological processes inside the organ of hearing. Dangerous infections of the inner ear are often complicated subsequently by meningitis, can lead to hearing loss, etc.
Treatment methods
The traditional treatment of ear diseases includes the use of medicines and physiotherapeutic procedures that contribute to the fight against inflammatory processes. To eliminate local manifestations of pathology and infectious agents, you can use the following drugs:
- antifungal agents;
- antibiotics - they prevent the growth of bacteria that appeared during the development of acute otitis media and some other ailments;
- anti-inflammatory ear drops;
- antibacterial ear drops - they destroy the cells of pathogenic microbes, which leads to the elimination of inflammation;
- immunostimulants;
- painkillers.
It is important to remember that if a child’s yellow fluid flows from the ear and it smells bad and has greenish impregnations, in no case should the heated area be heated.
Physiotherapy
Do not cope with the disease solely on your own, as the doctor can not only make an accurate diagnosis, but also prescribe additional procedures, for example, physiotherapeutic ones. The main goal of hardware exposure is to restore the regenerative properties of tissues and increase local immunity.
Prevention Council
After bathing, both infants and adults may experience symptoms of hearing damage. Contact with water causes the cork to swell and otitis media develops. In this case, parents may also wonder: if a child has yellow fluid flowing from his ear, what should I do?
You can try cleaning your ears with a cotton swab to remove sulfur and water from the ear canal. But it is not always possible to do this to the end, and sometimes only a doctor will remove the problem. If the sulfur plug is swollen, a person is tormented by a sharp pain, it does not allow you to fall asleep, does not allow you to work.
Home treatment
With any pain and with the appearance of discharge from the ear, it is necessary to consult a specialist. If the fluid flows from the ear, this may be due to the need not only to cure the underlying disease, but also its complications, among which may be deafness. The treatment of otitis media begins with exposure to the external auditory canal. Then drops recommended by the doctor are used. But you should not take medicines that you have chosen on your own at the pharmacy, until the moment the patient appears to the doctor.
Medicines should have the necessary properties (only a competent specialist can pick them up). Some drops can be used only for perforation of the membrane, the presence of the disease can be seen only by doctors.
If a child has a yellow fluid flowing from the ear, how to treat it at home, ideally, the doctor should also tell. Alternative methods are aimed at symptomatic treatment. So, if it is definitely not pus that flows, you can take a cloth soaked in a solution of alcohol and water in a 1: 1 ratio and moisten your ear with it. This improves blood flow to the middle ear region and stimulates rapid recovery. But if there is a suspicion that there are signs of pus in the liquid, in no case should this area be warmed up, because the bacteria begin to multiply several times faster.
The next recipe is to pour 20 g of dry chamomile grass into 200 ml of alcohol or vodka. Before you start using this product, you need to rinse your ear with water infusion of chamomile or clean it with a cotton swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide. Chamomile infusion is prepared according to the same recipe as above, but instead of alcohol or vodka, water is used in it.
Folk recipes for symptoms
If the patient is concerned about tinnitus, he should chew on a few buds of cloves. An infusion of this herb is also suitable. To prepare it, you need 15 g of cloves pour 100 ml of hot water. Drink the drug on a teaspoon three times a day.
If hearing loss has decreased after otitis media, you need to make tea from a red rose. Drink it for 2 weeks.
In case of external inflammatory processes of the auricles, it will be necessary to grind the calcined root of elecampane, and then add body fat to it to make an ointment. Only the auricles lubricate it.
A tincture of two tablespoons of nightshade and 100 g of vodka will save you from edema. After mixing the ingredients, it is necessary to tightly close the container and leave it for 2 weeks in a dark place.