Ear Disorders and Treatment

Disorders of the ear are common among ENT practitioners. Treatment of ear diseases are usually done on an outpatient basis especially otitis externa (ear canal infection) and otitis media (middle ear infection).

Otitis Externa
Otitis externa is usually caused by frequent ear manipulation due to itchiness (sometimes fungal in origin), exposure to moisture and bacteria. Treatment is done by giving anti-inflammatory ear drops, anti microbials and pain reliever.

Otitis Media
Otitis media is usually caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction due to nasal pathology like sinusitis or frequent allergic rhinitis.Common among school aged children. The ear drum is usually reddish and bulging due to the presence of inflammatory fluid inside the middle ear which is very painful. Pain medication is the primary treatment of choice. Persistence of symptoms usually warrants antibiotic therapy and sometimes myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion.

Chronic Ear Infection
Chronic ear infection or chronic otitis media is a condition wherein there is a presence of a perforation in the ear drum with or without fluid. Treatment is mainly to eliminate moisture and fluid by frequent suctioning, anti-inflammatory ear drops and oral antibiotics. Failure of medical treatment of chronic discharge warrants a surgical procedure called mastoidectomy which is performed under general anesthesia. Repair of the perforated ear drum is done by doing tympanoplasty to cover the defect using graft material like temporalis fascia graft or silicone. Improvement of the conductive hearing defect is also done by manipulating the ear bones or ossicles via ossiculoplasty.

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