Otitis
Author: gostjobles
Our ears are responsible for giving us one of our five senses, hearing. Thus, care for it properly is very important in order to avoid infections or other ailments. However, sometimes these are unavoidable, especially in the case of children.
The most common disease affecting this part of our body is otitis caused by “an ear inflammation caused by infection, bacterial, viral or fungal,” says Bartholomew Scola, secretary general of the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Cervical Facial Pathology (SEORL).
When the ears are infected
The human ear is a complex structure that is responsible for both hearing and balance. It consists of two distinct parts, the outer ear, consisting of the ear and the inner, where the elements responsible for reproducing the sounds and make us to hear properly.
Indeed, this differentiation is also zones in the case of otitis, in which an etiology is presented differently depending on whether it affects the outer ear and ear canal or inner ear:
The most common causes of the appearance of external otitis have to do with agents that alter the innate protection of our ears against infections. These, as explained Scola, tend to be “scratching maneuvers that cause erosions in the skin of the ear canal or long baths that can ultimately affect the surface.”
As otitis media, “the most common cause is bacterial or viral infection of the lining of the ear in the course of a catarrhal process,” adds the expert.
The major symptom is seen when you have an earache is otitis, ie localized pain within the ear. In addition, the Panel recalls that “the discharge and hearing loss are also signs that are frequently associated.”
Given these symptoms are different treatments depending on the type of the disease. With this in mind, if the otitis affects the outer ear are treated, in addition to analgesics, “with a topical medication that is based on duct cleaning with disinfectant and antibiotic drops,” says Scola. For the stockings, the treatment is based on taking antibiotics and anti-inflammatory.
Ear infections are very common diseases, and in principle do not involve too much risk to health, unless they cause pain to the patient. However, when we speak of otitis media, if you can have complications, though rare. For example, there have been cases in which otitis “ends up affecting the bones of the skull, may generate other problems in this area as meningitis or facial paralysis,” said Scola. To this we must add that, if the process becomes chronic, it can degrade the quality of life much of the patient and create problems in their proper hearing.
Although in some cases, especially when it comes to children, these diseases are inevitable, yes there are some guidelines for prevention that can help us. That said, it is preferable to “avoid untimely scratching maneuvers, using rod and swimming in the sea or the pool very long,” advises the specialist. On the other hand, we must also focus our attention on properly treat colds not to be prone to these infections.
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