What is otitis externa?

External ear canal inflammation is a disease that occurs especially due to water and is usually seen in the summer months. Pool and sea water can increase the humidity in the ear and cause swelling and blockages in the ear canal. This causes external ear inflammation, which is a painful process.

Inflammation of the external ear canal is a rather painful process. The external auditory canal swells and narrows due to the existing edema. Deafness of hearing is added to these symptoms. Ear discharge is usually expected. The auricle becomes painful. Pain can be felt even when touched.

What are the symptoms of outer ear inflammation?

Hearing impairment,

Otalgia,

Ear discharge is one of the first signs of external ear infection.

What are the causes of outer ear inflammation?

The causes of outer ear infections are related to water. Sea and pool water are the most common causes of external ear infections.

It should be kept in mind that there may be a risk of diabetes in people who have recurrent external ear infections without pool and sea water. In this case, it is recommended to do tests for diabetes.

Malignant tumoral (malignant tumor) lesions should be considered in recurrent external otitis media in elderly people that do not respond to treatment, and patients should be examined in this direction.

How is an external ear infection treated?

It is important to keep the ear dry in the treatment of external otitis.

cessation of contact with water,

Cleaning, aspirating the dirt in the ear,

Local treatment with ear drops and direct dripping of antibiotics into the infection area are important steps in the treatment of otitis media.

Oral systemic antibiotics can be added to the treatment in cases where it is necessary to initiate anti-inflammatory treatment (treatment to reduce inflammation and edema), which relieves pain and edema, and in cases where the infection cannot be cured by local treatment.

During the treatment process, it is recommended that patients do not wet their ears and stay away from water.

Also, ear congestion can prevent the drops from getting in. For this reason, it is recommended to clean the ear by an otolaryngologist before the treatment of external otitis