Клиническая картина наружного отита: снижение слуха и дискомфорт

As the name suggests, otitis externa is an inflammation of the anatomical structures of the outer ear: the auricle and ear canal. The pathological process can also spread to the eardrum.
In the structure of all otiatric diseases, otitis externa accounts for about 30%.

On average, every tenth person suffers an episode of this pathology in his life. For more information about the etiology of the disease, as well as about the typical clinical manifestations of acute and chronic external otitis , read on estet-portal.com in this article.

Otitis externa: etiology of the disease and predisposing factors

The etiological causes of otitis externa in most cases are microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, less often – fungal microflora (fungi of the genus Candida and Aspergillus).

The incidence of otitis externa increases significantly during warm seasons.

It is necessary to highlight such predisposing factors for the development of the disease:

1.    Use of cosmetic sticks for self-cleaning of the auditory canal;

2.    Ingress of dirty water into the external auditory meatus (for example, while swimming in a lake);

3.   Atopy and other allergic diseases, seborrheic eczema, psoriasis;

4.    Staying in an area with hot, humid air;

5.    Diabetes mellitus;

In some cases, otitis externa may also be associated with erysipelas and Herpes zoster.

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Acute otitis externa: clinical picture of the development of the disease

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There are such varieties of otitis externa as acute and chronic. Acute otitis media manifests over a period of several hours to days, characterized by the presence of pain of moderate or severe intensity.

The pain is greatly aggravated when the auricle is displaced, it can radiate to the area of ​​the eyes, pharynx and even teeth. The skin of the inflamed outer ear – erythematous, and in some cases there is edema.

It is possible to determine the cause of pruritus by its localization

Inflammatory discharge, as a rule, has a purulent character. With subtotal or total obstruction of the ear canal, hearing loss is possible. In addition, acute otitis is often accompanied by symptoms such as subfebrile condition and deterioration in general well-being.

Acute otitis externa is also characterized by intense itching, which can lead to mechanical trauma to the ear and further aggravate the disease.

Chronic otitis externa: key symptoms of the pathological process

Otitis externa is called chronic if the duration of the disease is more than four weeks, as well as relapses of the pathology more than four times a year. Chronic otitis externa has a more blurred clinical picture than acute.

In some cases, the only manifestation of chronic otitis externa is itching of varying intensity.

Painful sensations, usually of moderate or mild severity. Pathological discharge from the ear – scarce or absent altogether. Despite the fact that the diagnosis and treatment of otiatric diseases and, in particular, otitis externa, is the prerogative of otolaryngologists, this pathology can occur in the practice of any doctor. Therefore, knowledge of the typical clinical picture of otitis externa should be possessed by a physician, regardless of specialty.

Thank you for staying with estet-portal.com. Read other interesting articles in the "Dermatology" section. You might also be interested in: How to choose an antifungal agent for effective treatment of athlete's foot

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