How can you tell if it s otitis media or otitis externa?

The difference between the two is mainly the location of the inflammation.

The structure of the ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The dividing line between the outer and middle ear is the eardrum, and the dividing line between the middle and inner ear is the eustachian tube.

As the name suggests, otitis externa is located in the external auditory canal, which is usually visible to the naked eye.

After the eardrum to the eustachian tube, this part is called otitis media.

Bounded by the eardrum, otitis media is divided into purulent and non-purulent otitis media.

Purulent otitis media is characterized by earache and pus. It is often accompanied by fever and vomiting (acute otitis media). Pus discharge is the main symptom, and a small amount of pure purulent and foul odor is dangerous purulent otitis media.

Symptoms vary slightly depending on different types of otitis media. Typical symptoms of suppurative otitis media include earache, hearing loss, discharge of water in the ear canal, pus, and even bleeding. Secretory otitis media is mostly manifested as ear pain, ear tightness, ear blockage, hearing loss or tinnitus.

In addition to the above typical symptoms, it can also be accompanied by fever, headache and other systemic symptoms. Symptoms: 1. Earache is more common in acute purulent otitis media, and the pain is more obvious when the tympanic membrane is hyperemia, and if it is accompanied by purulent discharge in the middle ear, it can be manifested as severe pain.

Some patients will experience a feeling of ear congestion. 2. Patients with suppurative otitis media with flowing water or purulent ear canal, when the eardrum is perforated, watery, bloody or purulent discharge will flow out of the ear canal. Ear canal discharge can be persistent or intermittent, with the former being more common in middle ear cholesteatomas, especially when the ear canal discharge is like tofu residue with a foul odor, and the latter is more common in chronic simple otitis media.

3. Most patients with hearing loss will be accompanied by varying degrees of hearing loss, especially patients with middle ear cholesteatoma, because the ossicular chain is destroyed by cholesteatoma, the hearing loss is more serious. 4. Some patients with tinnitus will be accompanied by low-key or high-profile tinnitus. In patients with secretory otitis media, when the nose is pinched and the air is puffed, the "sound of air passing through the water" in the ear will be heard.

Note: Some patients may have symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

1. The degree of impact on hearing varies.

Otitis media itself is in the eardrum and also contains the fragile ear bones, otitis media is actually an inflammation of the middle ear, usually caused by a throat infection or the common cold, otitis externa is mainly caused by inflammation of the external auditory canal**, when attacked, there will be jumping pain in the ear, which is more serious in sports, otitis externa does not have a great impact on hearing.

2. The symptoms are different.

In patients with otitis media, partial measurements can also cause internal fluid to drain. Hearing can improve at this time. If the liquid is relatively viscous, the sense of hearing will not be able to change due to the change in the position of the head.

Children are relatively slow in their voices and unable to concentrate. After the formation of an abscess at the opening of the external auditory canal, the external auditory canal is partially softened. When the abscess matures, it collapses and a small amount of pus comes out, at which point the pain is significantly improved, and otitis externa causes a small amount of discharge from the entire external auditory canal**.

3. Accurate diagnosis.

Endoscopy can directly enlarge the lesion hundreds of times, and after the lesion is further expanded, it will be clearly displayed on the TV screen, so that the doctor can understand the patient's condition very accurately, and the diagnostic accuracy rate reaches more than 90%, which can clearly understand the patient's condition.

If the patient has hearing loss and pus in the ear canal, most of them are otitis media. In some patients, tinnitus, ear congestion, and ear pain may also be one of the manifestations of otitis media.

Otitis media is painful to measure tragus and pinna. If it's severe, there is a yellow thing like mucus in the ear. Guidance:

In this case, it is recommended to follow the doctor's instructions**, do not use your own medicine, pay attention to the hygiene of your child's ears, and do not delay your child's condition, otherwise it will affect hearing. Thank you for your trust in me, I hope it can help you, I wish you good health!

In the case of otitis externa, the pain in the ear is not very severe, and the inflammation can be seen with the naked eye, and the ear will be drained with pus. If it is otitis media, not only will the ears be very painful, but also there will be a high fever, dizziness and nausea.

If there is otitis media, there will be a slight fever, and the ear will flow the corresponding pus, the pain is more intense, and the otitis externa will be seen with the naked eye that there is an inflammatory reaction on the ear, otitis media can not be seen with the naked eye, and relevant tools are needed.

In the case of otitis externa, there will be redness and swelling on the ear canal, and in the case of otitis media, blood will flow from the inside of the ear.

Otitis externa and otitis media are both relatively common diseases, and you can judge whether you have otitis externa or otitis media by the symptoms and factors of the disease. Then you can go to ** according to the specific disease, so that it will be more convenient when **. Although otitis externa and otitis media are both very common diseases, they also have a great impact on people's normal life, but many people have no way to accurately distinguish between these two diseases.

In fact, there is a very big difference between otitis externa and otitis media, for example, otitis externa is generally caused by bacterial infection. For example, when you take a bath, you don't clean the water in your ears in time, or you accidentally scratch your ears when you pick your ears, which can easily cause bacterial infections and lead to otitis externa. The causes of otitis media and otitis externa are completely different, because otitis media generally does not occur actively, but due to other diseases, it leads to otitis media attacks.

At the beginning of the onset of otitis externa, you will feel very obvious pain, such as when you bite something, the pain will be more severe. Otitis externa can cause significant redness and swelling in the ear during the attack, and it can easily lead to some other inflammations. Otitis externa is prone to swelling at the onset of the disease, but the most obvious feeling of otitis media at the onset of the disease is tinnitus or temporary deafness.

Although these two diseases are very common, everyone should pay attention to them. <>

Be sure to go to the hospital in time**, if you don't get it in time**, then there is a good chance that there is no way to get **. Everyone should clean up the moisture in their ears in time after taking a bath, and remember not to pick their ears with their fingers often, and do not dig their ears very frequently, otherwise it will be easy to pick out their ears.

Difference Between Otitis Media and Otitis Externa.

Otitis media and otitis externa are both common ear diseases, which can cause a certain degree of hearing loss and cause certain harm to the human body. So, what is the difference between otitis media and otitis externa?

1. The degree of hearing influence is different.

The middle ear is within the eardrum and includes three delicate ear bones. The outer ear refers to the ear and ear canal. Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear and is often a painful complication of an upper respiratory tract infection such as the common cold or throat infection.

Boils and otitis externa are both inflammatory lesions of the external auditory canal**. Boils in the external auditory canal are localized and purulent; Pain in the ear during the attack, exacerbation with mouth opening, chewing, and yawning, and significant pain in pulling the pinna or pressing the tragus. Otitis externa has little effect on hearing and is the point that distinguishes it from acute otitis media.

2. The symptoms are different.

In people with otitis media, hearing may be temporarily improved as fluid leaves the cochlear window when the head is tilted forward or shifted to the unaffected side (dislocated hearing improvement). When the fluid is thick, hearing does not change due to changes in head position. Children often have slow response to sounds, difficulty concentrating, and declining academic performance, and are brought to the doctor by their parents.

Boils of the external auditory canal often grow at the opening of the external auditory canal, showing a localized bulge, the top of the abscess becomes soft after the abscess is formed, and it can burst on its own after the pus is ripe, and a small amount of thick pus is discharged, often with blood streaks, and the pain is quickly and significantly relieved. In otitis externa, the entire external auditory canal is red and swollen, with a small amount of purulent discharge, and the acute ** can be turned inappropriately.

Otitis media generally causes hearing loss, vertigo, lightheadedness, and pus in the ears. And otitis externa The ear canal will have an eardrum, ** will also have inflammation, and the ear will make a buzzing sound. You can go to the hospital for a CT scan, or you can go to the ear to check for the eardrum or to distinguish whether it is otitis externa or otitis media by the symptoms of the ear.

According to the specific pain of your ear, whether there is severe tinnitus in the ear, whether there is severe dizziness and dizziness, etc., you can make an appropriate judgment and distinguish between the time when the ear pain is severe and the pain is not very serious in otitis externa. You can do it by yourself or go to the hospital for a corresponding examination.

There are differences in causes, frequency of onset, symptoms, inflammation, and pain. Otitis externa will be noticeably red and swollen. There will be discharge. Otitis media usually occurs in the middle ear.

In diagnosing otitis externa, note the presence of auricular traction pain, tragus tenderness, or chewing pain; Distinguished from earache in acute otitis media, acute otitis media does not have auricular traction pain.

Otitis media and otitis externa are still relatively easy to distinguish, otitis externa is mainly caused by long-term repeated ear picking, or ear water, there may be some inflammatory discharge, usually under the guidance of a doctor to take anti-inflammatory drugs, in the use of applied ointment for **, but otitis media is mainly caused by bacterial or viral infection, which will cause patients to experience ear pain, hearing loss and other phenomena, which need to be carried out in time**.

Usually we must pay attention to the local hygiene of the ears, need to keep clean and dry, the diet should also be light, try not to eat some food that is easy to catch fire, and at the same time when washing the baby's hair or bathing, try not to let water enter the ears, but also pay attention to personal hygiene, do not let the baby dig the ears with his hands.