External ear infections are also termed as swimmer’s ear since they are common in swimmers. This will occur when contaminated water will enter in the external ear and will allow the germs to grow and thrive because of the warm and moist conditions. The symptoms of swimmer’s ear will include:
- Redness of ear
- Itchiness within the ear
- Flaking of the skin on the ear
- Discharge from the ear which could be pus
- There is pain upon movement of the head or when touching the ear
- Fever
Swimmer’s ear is somewhat easy to diagnose and can typically be treated with antibiotic ear drops. At times, the pus and debris may be required cleaning by the physician. You can prevent swimmer’s ear through the use of ear plugs before you swim or bath and drying gently your ears with the use of a blower placed at the lowest setting as soon as you finish swimming or bathing. Furthermore, you should not insert any kind of objects inside your ears and will refrain from swimming in polluted water. For further information, read about what is swimmer’s ear.
Otitis Media – Middle Ear Infections in Adults
Middle ear infections are most common in children because of the anatomical variation in the size as well as the shape of the Eustachian tube. This tube runs from the ear canal up to the back of the throat. If the fluid or bacteria is trapped inside the ear, an infection may likely to occur. Adults who frequently have middle ear infections should seek for an ENT doctor due to the fact that the surrounding tissues inside the nose or throat might be blocking the Eustachian tube and will prevent drainage.
Oftentimes, ear infections will occur after you have had a cold virus, a period of seasonal allergies or after you flown in an airplane. This can also be the result of sticking foreign objects like Q-tips inside the ear. The symptoms of middle ear infection are:
- Pain in the ear
- Fever
- Loss of hearing ability
- Discharges from the ear which will occur due to a ruptured ear drum
- Sense of fullness or pressure inside the ear
Middle ear infections in adults regularly treated with the use of oral antibiotics. Adult ear infections which are recurrent are caused by the enlarged structures inside the ear or throat. These will include the turbinates or small bones in the nose or nasal polyps which need to be surgically removed or reduced in size. In order to prevent future infections, try avoiding cigarette smoke, take a decongestant if you suffer colds or before you get to an airplane and also avoid trying to clean your ear wax with the use of Q-tips or other sharp objects.