External otitis is a common ear infection in infants and children, but it also occurs after going to the beach or pool, for example.
The main symptoms are ear pain, itching and there may be fever or whitish or yellowish discharge.Treatment may be done with medicines such as dipirone or ibuprofen, as directed by your doctor.In cases where yellowish secretion, indicative of pus, antibiotics may be necessary.
Symptoms of ear infection on the outside are milder than the average ear infection and include:
Your doctor makes the diagnosis by observing the inside of your ear with an otoscope, as well as observing the symptoms presented as well as their duration and intensity, if symptoms persist for more than 3 weeks, it may be advisable to remove some of the tissue.to identify fungi or bacteria.
The most common cause is exposure to heat and moisture, which is common after going to the beach or pool, which facilitates the proliferation of bacteria, the use of cotton swabs and the introduction of small objects into the ear.However, rarer ones. Causes, such as insect bites, excessive sun or cold exposure, or even autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, may occur.
When the ear infection becomes persistent, called chronic external otitis, the causes may be the use of headphones, acoustic protectors, and the introduction of fingers or pens into the ear, for example.
Malignant or necrotizing external otitis, on the other hand, is a more aggressive and severe form of infection, more common in people with compromised immunity or uncontrolled diabetics, which begins outside the ear and progresses for weeks or even months, causing severe ear damage and severe symptoms In these cases, treatment with more potent antibiotics may be indicated for an extended period of 4 to 6 weeks.
Treatment is performed under the direction of a generalist or otolaryriologist, usually with the use of topical remedies that favor the cleaning of the ears such as serum, alcoholic solutions, as well as topical corticosteroids and antibiotics, such as Ciprofloxacin, for example If the eardrum is perforated, aluminum tartrate may be indicated at 1.2% 3 times a day, 3 drops.
Your family doctor or otolaryngologist may recommend the use of pain relievers, such as dipirone, anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, especially in infants and children., such as yellowish discharge (pus), odor in the ear, or an infection that does not stop even after 3 days of combined use of ibuprofen dipirone.
Drugs that can be used include neomycin, polymyxin, hydrocortisone, ciprofloxacin, optical ofloxacin, ophthalmic gentamicin and ophthalmic tobramycin.
To complete the treatment indicated by your doctor, it is also important to take certain steps at home to recover more quickly:
If there are flakes or pus in your ear, you can clean the area with the tip of the clean towel soaked in warm water.Ear washing should not be done at home, as there may be a perforation of the eardrum to prevent the infection from getting worse.
A good way to relieve earache is to place a hot compress in your ear and rest, so you can iron a towel to warm up a little and then lie on it by touching the ear that hurts, but this does not exclude the need to use the medications indicated by your doctor.
Ear infection should be treated with medications indicated by the doctor and the cure arrives in about 3 weeks of treatment, in the case of antibiotic use the treatment lasts from 8 to 10 days, but when only analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are used, the treatment lasts 5 to 7 days, with an improvement of symptoms on the second day of treatment.