The health of the hearing organs allows a person to feel confident in everyday life. The release of fluid from the ears cannot be considered the norm, and you should be careful about this symptom. Competent diagnosis and timely treatment will allow a person to quickly return to normal life.
Why is fluid released from my ear?
In medicine, the process by 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 organs of hearing. However, experts pay attention to the fact that liquid discharge is not always a disease, do not panic before a visit to a specialist.
Most often, discharge from the ear is observed with an infectious lesion, various internal injuries, and barotrauma. If an inflammatory process has arisen in the organs of hearing, then this will undoubtedly lead to the appearance of unexpected discharge, which is important to pay attention to in a timely manner. This will allow you to start early treatment and avoid possible complications.
Doctors identify a number of pathological reasons why it flows from the ear:
- Skull injuries.
- The development of otitis media (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 causes of discharge from the ear. Such damage is dangerous, requires immediate medical attention, and threatens complete hearing loss.
What types of discharge are there?
Often, ear diseases 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 urge you not to seek self-medication. All symptoms must be clearly conveyed to a specialist, and not resort to accessible 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 secretions:
- Pus.
- Clear liquid.
- Discharges with an admixture of blood.
More details about such manifestations will be written below.
Pus stands out, what should I do?
If purulent discharge from the ear appears, then this is a good reason for concern. Pus of a greenish, white, brown shade 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, a person suffers from a pain syndrome, a general feeling of weakness, bouts of nausea and fever. Inflammation can occur against the background of a mechanical injury in a very neglected state.
If pus is secreted 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 looks more like ordinary water, this indicates a slight damage to the tissues or the eardrum.
From the point of view of medicine, such a symptom is not dangerous, do 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 the fluid flows from the ears and nose at the same time, this indicates the presence of an allergic reaction and requires additional study to understand the root cause, to find the main source of irritation.
Blood discharge
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 serious mechanical injury, cracks or internal tears.
In medical practice, there are cases when the blood is mixed with pus. Such discharge is extremely dangerous, they indicate neglect of the inflammatory process and even the presence of a tumor in the area of the hearing organs.
In such situations, treatment of otorrhea should be comprehensive, competent, and most importantly, operational. You cannot delay a visit to a doctor and making a diagnosis, you can completely lose the ability to hear.
Fluid in the ears of a child
It is believed that children are more susceptible to 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 process of formation, 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 against dangerous influences.
The main reasons why fluid flows from the ears in childhood does not differ from the causes in an adult. The intensity of the symptoms will depend on the age of the child. Self-medication in matters of children's health is strictly contraindicated, the risk of complications is much higher, therefore, only competent treatment by a doctor is required.
Disease symptoms
Symptoms may occur with varying degrees of intensity, which will indicate the stage of the disease or the severity of the injury. The first thing that indicates the accumulation of fluid in the organs of hearing 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 passes into the active stage.
The main symptoms are:
- Throbbing pain in ear.
- Sensation of internal itching.
- With inflammation, the temperature rises.
- Auricle redness.
- Discharge from the ears.
- Headache.
If the ear shoots, what to do at home? It is best to find your nearest doctor and get tested. This symptom indicates the presence of acute inflammation, which requires competent treatment. To temporarily eliminate the symptom (for example, to endure night time), you can use special drops in the ears with an antibiotic and anesthetic effect.
Diagnostics
If characteristic symptoms are found in a child or an adult, then this is a good reason to go to the doctor. During the diagnosis, the reason for the pain and otorrhea appeared, after which the correct treatment is selected.
Diagnostic measures include:
- Visual examination by an ENT doctor.
- Inspection of the eardrum to identify possible damage.
- Determination of the mobility level of the eardrum.
- Extract fluid for analysis.
- Audiometry is used in cases of complaints of hearing loss.
- General tests of urine and blood, which allows to identify pathogens and the presence of infection.
- Additionally, CT or MRI is performed in the most advanced cases.
Only on the basis of a comprehensive examination can we establish the exact reason why the discomfort and characteristic ear discharge appeared.
The main methods of treatment
If 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) passes without the use of antibacterial agents, treatment is not allowed in a hospital.
Shoots the ear, what to do at home? If the reason is established correctly and does not cause serious concern for the doctor, then it is necessary to carefully follow the medical recommendations, not to miss a planned visit to the hospital and not to engage in additional self-medication.
The inflammatory process in the ear is treated comprehensively:
- If the diagnosis requires, then antibiotics are prescribed.
- With the active development of inflammation, antipyretic drugs are used.
- Pain is eliminated with painkillers.
- Remedies for the common cold make it possible to narrow the vessels, which facilitates 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 plenty of fluids. Such measures will help the body more effectively deal with pathology.
Often the question arises, is it possible to clean the ears with hydrogen peroxide? There is no definite answer; many believe that there are safer methods for cleaning the ear canal. Hydrogen peroxide can be useful as a pre-treatment, 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 return health to the hearing organs.
Probable complications
Lack of proper treatment is dangerous for the hearing organs. Modern medicine has a wide range of tools that can stop the development of the disease in time and eliminate complications.
Do not neglect the signals and do not pay attention to the symptoms. The uncontrolled course of otorrhea can lead to the following complications:
- Meningitis.
- Abscess against a background of prolonged purulent inflammation.
- Decreased or total hearing loss.
Such consequences can be easily avoided if you are vigilant about your own health and do not neglect the help of competent specialists.
Preventive 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 health and observe some preventive measures:
- Correctly and timely eliminate respiratory diseases.
- Monitor the absence of constant drafts, avoid hypothermia.
- Avoid getting water in your ears.
- At low air temperatures (in climatic winters) wear a hat and protect your ears from cold air.
- Regularly clean your ears, do not allow sulfur formations to accumulate.
There may be controversy regarding good hygiene. The theme comes back: is it possible to clean the 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 during regular bathing procedures. It is also not recommended to use additional devices, including cotton buds, this can injure the eardrum.
The correct and accurate attitude to the health of the hearing organs will help to keep their work at the proper level for a long time.