Otitis: What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

it is an "acute or chronic inflammation of the ear".

A common complication of numerous flu diseases, otitis is generally due to bacterial or viral insults.

involves the inner ear;

Otitis media: probably the most common variant in pediatric children, is an "inflammation of the middle ear".

External otitis: In addition to involving the external auditory canal, this form of otitis also tends to affect the eardrum. However, the eardrum is not always compromised.

Myringitis: otitis takes on the precise connotation of myringitis when the infectious-inflammatory process affects only the tympanic membrane.

Acute Otitis and Chronic Otitis

Regardless of the ear area affected by the infection, all the various forms of otitis can have an acute or chronic course. We speak of acute otitis when the inflammation ends definitively in a short period, without necessarily needing treatment; otherwise, otitis becomes chronic when the patient, unable to spontaneously eradicate the pathogen in a short time, requires specific drugs for complete recovery.

Earache (Otalgia)

The symptom that unites all the different forms of otitis is earache (otalgia): the intensity of the pain and the possible presence of other symptoms (eg loss of balance, dizziness, nausea, etc.) depends on the area. ear affected by inflammation.

or viral, such as mumps (mumps) or acute otitis

Meningitis or meningoencephalitis: in these cases, internal otitis manifests itself in its purulent variant

Violent allergic reactions to substances / drugs (e.g. antibiotics)

Extreme stress

In addition to the presumed causes listed above, some possible risk factors that predispose the patient to internal otitis have been identified. Among the most probable, we remember: violent coughing, excessive effort and sudden movements.

Symptoms

Internal otitis generally begins with dizziness, always violent and acute. The clinical picture is completed by anxiety, confusion, difficulty in maintaining balance, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dizziness, nausea, nystagmus, stomach pain, pallor and hearing loss. Internal otitis can therefore cause considerable discomfort, sometimes leading to depression and panic attacks.

Diagnosis and treatment

A suspicion of internal otitis can be confirmed by multiple diagnostic tests:

Brain stem auditory response test
Electronystagmography (electronic recording of the movements of the eyeballs)
Bacterial culture test
CT scan
MRI (magnetic resonance tomography)

The cure for internal otitis depends on the underlying cause and the severity of the symptoms. Antiviral drugs and antibiotics are used in therapy when internal otitis depends on viral and bacterial infections, respectively.
Antiemetic drugs are indicated to stave off the feeling of nausea induced by dizziness, while anticholinergics are used to relax the affected patient. Benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs are also indicated to ward off anxiety and depression in patients with internal otitis. Corticosteroid medications are recommended to reduce ear inflammation. When medications are not enough to completely cure the disorder, internal otitis should be treated with surgery to correct any damage to the ear.

: infections of the respiratory tract, extending along the Eustachian tube, can in fact reach the middle ear, creating damage. Let us briefly remember that the Eustachian tube is a canal that connects the nose with the middle ear.
In addition to colds, pharyngitis, allergies and enlarged adenoids can also predispose the patient to otitis media.

Symptoms

Otitis media is accompanied by pain and ear inflammation, associated with the characteristic symptoms of the triggering disease: sore throat, fever / low-grade fever, nasal congestion (stuffy nose), cough.
In some cases, otitis media manifests itself in the purulent variant: in similar situations, ear pain is accompanied by the emission of purulent material (pus) from the ear canal. When otitis media is not carefully treated, the clinical picture may be aggravated by perforation of the eardrum, impaired hearing and severe tinnitus.

Diagnosis and therapy

Otitis media can be ascertained by several diagnostic tests:

Visit with the otoscope (diagnostic investigation par excellence)
Tympanometry: evaluates the movement of the eardrum and the pressure inside the middle ear
Tympanogram: evaluates the presence of fluid / mucus in the middle ear and the functionality of the Eustachian tube
Audiometric examination
TC

Therapy depends on the triggering cause: antibiotics are indicated in case of ascertained bacterial infection, while antivirals - when necessary - are indicated for the treatment of virus infections. For pain control, the patient suffering from otitis media can take analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapeutic aids, useful for speeding up healing times: paracetamol, ibuprofen and hydrocortisone (topical application, directly in the ear canal) are the most used.

, is an acute or chronic inflammation of the external ear canal. Precisely, otitis externa mainly involves the lining epithelium of the external auditory canal; despite what has been said, the infection can extend even deeper.

Causes

The pathogens involved in the etiopathogenesis of otitis externa are mainly bacteria and viruses (in particular herpes viruses); sometimes, some fungi can also be involved.
Acute external otitis, typical of children, is often a consequence of purulent eczema or otitis media, responsible for the progressive maceration of the skin covering the external auditory canal. External otitis can be favored by some predisposing factors, such as cold, humidity, dry ear canal or accumulation of ear wax (plug).
Chronic external otitis is typical of the defied, immunocompromised, diabetic or suffering from severe vitamin deficiencies.

Symptoms

Otitis externa tends to begin with an annoying itching sensation, which soon turns into more or less intense pain localized in the external auditory structures. Ear pain is accentuated when chewing or simply touching the ear. Otitis externa may be accompanied by erythema, hyperemia (increased blood in the outer ear), edema, impaired hearing, or otorrhea (purulent / serous discharge from the ear canal).

Diagnosis and treatment

Otitis externa can be ascertained with an otoscopy exam, useful for detecting the presence of edema and hyperemia. Also in this case, the most suitable therapy depends on the triggering cause: therapeutic supports (to relieve pain), antibiotics (in case d "bacterial infection) and antiviral (if the cause of external otitis depends on viral insults).