Otitis is a disease that occurs due to the development of the inflammatory process in various parts of the hearing organ. Most often this illness manifests itself with pain and intoxication syndrome, fever, and in some cases even hearing impairment is observed.
Often the otitis of the external ear is accompanied by lesions of the middle and outer parts of the organ. An external disease can develop as a result of an infection that penetrates tissues through minor scratches that occur when the outer shell is damaged. The cause of this can be thermal, chemical burns, mechanical injuries and so on. In this case, the main causative agents of the disease are staphylococci and streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus and so on. Also, external ear otitis most often occurs in people who suffer from metabolic disorders in the body, hypervitaminosis, gout and diabetes.
It should be noted that this ailment begins with an inflammatory process, which initially captures only the surface layer of shells. Gradually, the otitis passes to the surrounding tissues. Often, the disease extends to the eardrums.
As for otitis media, it develops mainly due to infections of the nasopharynx. In this situation, the causative agent enters the middle ear cavity through the ear tube. In this case, the agents of ARVI will cause otitis media. Treatment will be aimed at eliminating the underlying disease buy antibiotics online. What provokes such a disease? Often the middle ear otitis occurs with parainfluenza, influenza, rhino- and adenovirus infection, respiratory syncytial disease and others. Also, this ailment develops in diseases caused by such bacteria as hemophilic rod, moraxella, streptococcus pyogenic, pneumococcus.
Most often there is an average otitis of the ears in children, since the auditory tube is short and wide. It is worth noting that the infection can penetrate and outside with barotrauma tympanic membranes or mechanical damage. Also, the development of this ailment is facilitated by such infectious chronic diseases as adenoids, sinusitis, tonsillitis.
In the beginning, the otitis media of the middle ear occurs as an inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the organ. At the same time, active fluid production takes place. In viral diseases, exudate is serous. If the process is caused by various bacteria, then purulent otitis of the ear may begin with the corresponding secretions. Often the accumulated fluid causes protrusion of the eardrum. In extreme cases, it breaks. This is what is the main cause of hearing loss in the middle ear otitis.
With this disease, the patient suffers from severe pain in the area of the auricle or inside the organ. Often patients complain of itching of the skin. At the same time, from the external part of the auditory organ there is separation of putrefactive secretions, which have a rather unpleasant odor. With the development of external otitis often there is an increase in temperature to subfebrile indicators.
Begins otitis media of the middle ear acutely. At the same time strong painful sensations of the shooting or pulsating character are manifested. This disease causes an increase in body temperature, usually up to 38 ° C and above. There are also symptoms such as intoxication, manifested by pain in the muscles, loss of appetite, headache, weakness. Often, with otitis media, signs appear that correspond to acute respiratory infections, such as coughing, tickling in the throat, runny nose. In this case, the patient is greatly concerned about the decrease in hearing, noise and stuffiness in the ears.
In newborns, the otitis media of the middle ear appears slightly differently. The child is constantly naughty and worried. In this case, the baby is not able to suck. A few days later the perforation of the eardrums takes place. As a result, the pain sensations decrease. From the ear canal, the liquid gradually begins to emerge. It can be in the form of pus or transparent. Over time, the number of excretions decreases, as the tympanic membrane begins to scar, and pain sensations decrease. With proper treatment, the ear otitis in the child disappears, and the hearing organ is fully restored.
Complications of otitis media. If you do not deal with the timely treatment of the disease or treat it incorrectly, the following complications may occur: thrombosis of venous sinuses, and in rare cases even sepsis, abscess and meningitis, labyrinthitis and purulent mastoiditis, impaired hearing functions and even deafness, adhesive otitis media, Chronic inflammatory process, persistent perforation of the tympanic membrane.
Diagnosis of the disease. To diagnose “an otitis of an ear” the expert of a narrow profile can only. Diagnosis of the same disease is based on otorhinolaryngological and clinical examination of the patient. With the instrumental method of identifying the disease, otoscopy is usually used, which allows you to examine the tympanic membranes and the external ear canal with the help of an otoscope, as well as otomicroscopy, carried out with the help of surgical optics. Often used audiometry, determining the severity of hearing, and tympanometry, which is a study of the mobility of tympanum membranes.
In order to exclude the development of complications of this disease, the doctor can apply a computer tomography of the skull bone structures, as well as brain research using radiography.
Often, to establish the correct diagnosis and to distinguish between purulent and viral otitis media, a puncture of the tympanic membrane is done. This allows you to extract a certain amount of accumulated liquid for its further investigation. In this case, even bacteriological culture can be made, which allows to determine what is the causative agent of the infection. After all, before treating the otitis of the ear, it is necessary to know the cause of its occurrence.