External diffuse otitis media is the development of an inflammatory process in the ears. Pathology develops, usually in the outer part of the ear. It includes the auricle, which consists of cartilaginous tissue, as well as the ear canal, up to the eardrum. Specialists distinguish diffuse and limited otitis externa . A boil of a limited type can occur in any part of the outer ear. In turn, diffuse external otitis media develops exclusively in the ear canal next to the eardrum.
Causes of the disease
Today, doctors name only two main reasons why the development of external diffuse otitis media can begin. It can be an infection or an allergic reaction. In case of allergy, ear swelling also occurs after contact with a specific allergen.
In almost all cases, bacteria become the cause of otitis media, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An infection can get into your ear in a variety of ways:
- through minor wounds on the skin of the ear;
- if purulent otitis media occurs, then infection occurs due to ingestion of purulent exudate from the middle ear, which leaves the eardrum;
- through the bloodstream. During SARS or influenza, the infection travels 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 causes less frequent external otitis media 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 a chronic form.
A factor that increases the risk of inflammation is considered too frequent ear cleaning. Because of this, they lose the protective layer in the form of sulfur. At the same time, its excess will be extremely negative. It is best to clean your ears 2-3 times a month, and remove external contaminants while swimming.
Types of disease
Chronic diffuse otitis media of the outer ear is a very long process during which inflammation is not completely treated, but only decreases from time to time. In this regard, a person sometimes suffers from discomfort and severe pain in the ear.
Depending on what reason provoked the development of the inflammatory process in the outer ear, specialists also distinguish between bacterial, hemorrhagic viral otitis media, allergic, otomycosis - otitis media caused by fungi.
Symptoms of pathology
The main symptoms of external diffuse otitis media are the appearance of puffiness, redness of the cartilage of the ear, as well as tissues of the ear canal. In almost all cases, there is severe soreness and itching. The pains can have a different degree of intensity and intensify with pressure on the tragus of the ear.
Due to puffiness, the auditory meatus begins to narrow. This provokes the appearance of tinnitus, a feeling of congestion, hearing loss. Bilateral otitis media affects the ear of a person worst of all.
If external otitis media was provoked by a bacterial infection, then purulent discharge appears, the body temperature rises above the mark of 38 degrees.
If the pathology was provoked by acute respiratory viral infections, then general weakness and severe malaise are added to the remaining symptoms. In this case, the hemorrhagic form will cause the appearance of blood bubbles located on the surface of the ear.
External otitis media 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 a constant severe itching. If symptoms of diffuse external otitis media appear, treatment should be prompt and competent.
Diagnostics
Diagnosing external otitis media is very simple. First of all, the doctor conducts an external examination. Then she probes the sore ear and performs an otoscopy. Thanks to such simple manipulations, it is possible to determine the presence of signs characteristic of external otitis media :
- redness of the skin;
- the presence of puffiness;
- whether the ear canal has narrowed and if there is content in it;
- whether the patient will feel pain during palpation.
Using otoscopy, it is determined in what condition the eardrum is. You can also exclude the presence of an inflammatory process in the middle ear.
If certain discharge was detected in the ears, then the specialist takes a scraping from the ear canal to conduct microscopic examination. Thus, it is possible to establish which pathogen provoked the development of otitis externa.
Treatment of external otitis media
To cure the inflammatory process that develops in the outer ear of a person, it is worth using complex therapy. One way to treat diffuse external otitis media 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, because of 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 needs to be placed in the sore ear with the help of turunds. Regardless of which drug was prescribed, the procedure will be performed the same in all cases.
- From the cotton pad you need to turn the turundo. It will turn out more convenient than from plain cotton.
- Then the turunda is dipped in the prepared ointment, but at the same time the tail should remain clean so that it is convenient to hold.
- Turunda with ointment is placed in the sore ear for 10 minutes, then removed and discarded.
When applying the ointment to treat otitis externa, 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
In order to cure right-sided or left-sided external diffuse otitis media, doctors can prescribe a number of different medications.
- Antibiotics. Only the attending physician can correctly select them so that an infection of a bacterial origin can be eliminated. You cannot take antibiotics on your own, because the risk of side effects is too high. Doctors often prescribed Amoxicillin.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. Vishnevsky ointment is popular. With its help, it is possible to cure external otitis media, which has an infectious origin.
- Antiseptic drugs. With their help, you can wash pus, sulfur from the ear, which during the illness accumulate there in large quantities. Antiseptics help make them softer and direct them to the exit from the ear. Good results are shown by Miramistin.
Alternative methods of treatment
In addition, traditional medicine can be used, but they can be used only after consultation with the attending physician, because in some situations their use may be inappropriate. For the treatment of otitis externa, they may be advised to use carrot or beet juice, garlic, aloe, onion, and Kalanchoe juice. The main condition for use is that they must be diluted with boiled water in a ratio of one to seven.
Washing with external otitis media
In almost all cases, washing should be carried out by a specialist, because there is a very big risk that in the hands of an inexperienced person the tool can cause great harm and provoke the appearance of 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 external otitis media is performed as follows.
- A disposable syringe is bought at the pharmacy. You need to use it without a needle.
- A solution is collected in the prepared syringe, then the head is firmly pressed to the shoulder so that the sore ear is directed upwards. The solution is poured into the affected ear.
- Wait some time for the solution to soften the sulfur and mix with it as much as possible.
- Then tilt your head so that all the excess content spills out from the sore ear.
In no case should you use a very hot solution and run the syringe to rinse deep into the sore ear. It is also forbidden to use non-diluted juices with boiled water for washing.
For washing, decoctions of chamomile, mint, thyme, eucalyptus are perfect. Prepare the broth immediately before use. Of the solutions, it is best to use antiseptics. Also, the doctor may advise using saline, mineral water, saline or iodine solution. It is advisable to rinse a 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 the human immunity is strong enough, the risk of developing the disease is much lower. Therefore, it is worthwhile to carry out simple preventive measures in order to get sick with external otitis media as little as possible. The main preventive measures include the following:
- Take vitamin complexes, there should be a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet.
- Walk outdoors as often as possible. This is best done in parks or squares.
- Keep your ears warm during the cold season.
- Regularly take infusion of chamomile, mint or calendula.
- Get your sleep mode in order.
External otitis media is a very serious disease that is better not to treat on its own. Therapy should be started immediately so that the acute form of the disease does not become chronic and there are no life-threatening complications. Contact a specialist immediately after the appearance of the first unpleasant symptoms.