Otorrhea – Causes, Definition, Symptoms, Treatment

Otorrhea – Causes, Definition, Symptoms, Treatment






Any excess of fluid draining from the ear is known as otorrhea. It is not usual to experience Ear Discharge frequently. Several factors can cause ear discharge in individuals. It can be due to Ear infection, any problem in the ear canal or middle car. Symptoms of otorrhea include, oozing out of fluid from the ear(s) with foul smell, pain or discomfort in the ear and feeling of ear pressure. Treatment for otorrhea depends on the root cause. Often antibiotics are prescribed in the drops for clearing off any bacterial infection.

Otorrhea Causes :

Ear infection is the main cause for ear discharge. People frequently coming in contact with water are prone to ear infection. Swimmer’s ear is one such case. Middle ear can develop swelling causing ear discharge in some people. This condition occurs commonly in children causing thick Mucus discharge from the ears. If treatment is not given in the right time, it can cause rupturing of eardrum resulting in partial or permanent loss of hearing.

For some children and adults, outer ear infection can cause pus like discharge from the ear. This condition is called as Otitis externa. Here infection occurs in the external segment of the ear causing inflammation and pus like drainage. Excess of water inside the ear and weather condition and swimmer’s ear can cause this problem. Thick pus yellow or greenish in color can come out of the affected ear in such cases.

Putting small objects into the ear can cause otorrhea and ear discharge. Many people use pointed objects like pen, safety pin etc for clearing off the mucus from the ear. This can affect the ear canal causing ear discharge. Pulling the wax like substance using sharp objects can lead to inflammation and pain of ear inviting more complications.

Eardrum perforation in the middle or internal ear can cause ear pain with discharge. A strong blow on the ear or severe injury to the head can cause ear discharge. Sometimes soft tissue damage in the internal ear can be the cause. Severe cold and Headache can affect the pressure of the ears causing ear pain and discharge. In rare cases brain injury can trigger ear discharge which of course is accompanied with several serious symptoms. Cerebrospinal fluid can get discharged from the ear in case of brain injury.

Otorrhea Symptoms :

Otorrhea can cause symptoms like ear discharge, Vertigo or lightheadedness in the affected person. It can cause considerable ear pain with discomfort. In severe cases it can result in partial loss of hearing or feeling of stuffed up ear. Ear pressure can increase due to infection and ear inflammation causing vertigo and ear discharge. For some people, along with ears nose would also get affected due to inflammation causing breathing difficulty.

Diagnosis :

No separate tests are needed to detect otorrhea. Any doctor simply looking into the ear can find out ear discharge. Ear specialist would use a special device for examining the ear using lighted instrument for identifying the cause. In case of ear infection the discharge is accompanied with foul smell. Otorreha if accompanied with severe symptoms like confusion, loss of orientation and mental imbalance should be consulted with neurologist without any delay.

Types Of Otorrhea :

Otorrhea is of two types.

CSF otorrhea is one in which the brain gets injured due to presence of Tumor or infection or even a skull fracture.

Purulent otorrhea is one that occurs due to ear infection causing pus like fluid discharge.

Otorrhea Treatment :

Treatment for otorrhea is given in the form of topical antibiotics. Antibiotic drops are prescribed which has to be applied 2-3 times a day. One has to bend his/her head sideways, while applying the drops. In case of severe ear infection oral antibiotics are also suggested along with topical ones. Care should be taken while washing the face so that any water particles do not get into the affected ear. Swimming should be avoided until the infection clears off completely. Your doctor would use a special kind of suction pump to drain off the fluid from the ear so that he can look into the ear clearly to identify the cause of ear discharge.

For CSF otorrhea several tests including imaging tests are done to find out the cause and extent of brain injury. In case of Meningitis, strong dose of antibiotics are prescribed. Trans canal drain is done for removing excess of CSF fluid from the ears. For people with repeated ear infection, placing a device inside the ear is considered, so that fluid gets drained easily. If a person has recurrent ear infection that lasts more than 2 weeks, it is considered to be chronic. Any foreign objects present inside the ear should be removed surgically.

Otorrhea

Otorrhea






Otorrhea is a condition in which there is pus like discharge from the ear. It could possible due to ear infection in the middle ear or ear canal or anywhere inside the eardrum. You can see thin fluid draining from the ear/ears and it is a rare phenomenon. It would be embarrassing to have fluid like discharge draining from your ear. It can possibly be due to ear infection or presence of any foreign particles inside or due to brain injury. Your doctor will have to find out the root cause of otorrhea for giving proper treatment. The therapy will be based on the causative factor.

Causes :

Ear infection is the major cause of fluid discharge. Otitis Media is the medical term given to ear infection which can cause inflammation of the middle ear. Bacteria or virus can be responsible for infecting the ear. It begins when the glue like mucus gets accumulated in the ears and increase in mucus may cause the fluid to drain from the ear. It is commonly seen in children.

Otorrhea is formed due to outer ear infection called otitis externa. This infection is popularly called as ‘swimmer’s ear” in which the outer layer of the ear develops infection due to excess of water or humid weather.

In both the type of infection, moist fluid runs out from the ear. The affected person will get a thin clear fluid which is usually yellow or white in color. It may have an unpleasant smell if it is due to bacterial infection. Presence of any impediment on the ear canal can also cause otorrhea.

Finally when there is heavy brain injury due to accident some part of cerebrospinal fluid can drain through the ear. Exposure to excess of water can also cause ear infection. If the person falls and injures his head, he may get pus like discharge from his ear. In case of any perforation (hole) in the eardrum it can cause otorrhea.

Symptoms :

Otorrhea is characterized by fluid discharge from the ear. There can be discomfort, unsteadiness and pain on the affected ear. It may cause partial loss in hearing for some people. The person can feel constant pressure inside the ear and it can reduce the normal sensation of the ear. In rare cases, there will be nose bleeding.

Types :

There are two types of otorrhea. CSF otorrhea (cerebrospinal) is one in which there is brain injury and part of cerebrospinal fluid gets discharged from the ear. It can be due to skull fracture, brain tumor, or any serious infection inside the brain. Meningitis can also produce CSF drainage from the ear. Next one is the purulent otorrhea in which there would be cloud like fluid pouring from the infected ear.

Treatment :

The doctor will have to find the root cause of ear infection and pus discharge from the ear. He would use a suction pump to drain the fluid completely so as to examine the internal part of the ear clearly.

Antibiotic ointment is prescribed for healing and reducing the inflammation inside. One should not use water for washing the fluid discharge since it may worsen the problem by sending more water inside the ear causing ear perforation.

In case of CSF otorrhea like that of meningitis infection, your doctor would give course of strong antibiotics. Trans canal or trans mastoid method is used to treat CSF otorrhea for draining the fluid inside.

If the person gets chronic inflammation of the ear, then the doctor would recommend putting a tube inside the ear for facilitating proper drainage. In case if the drainage is due to foreign particle inside the ear, then the doctor may take steps to remove it surgically.

Otorrhea – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Otorrhea – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

What is Otorrhea?

Otorrhea is the medical term given to Ear Discharge or drainage which is exiting the ear. Having any fluid draining from an ear is not something individuals are accustomed to experiencing. In order to diagnose the cause of this drainage, it is very important to know just how long it has been occurring, how severe it is, and exactly under the circumstances that it began.

More than a few diverse conditions can cause an individual to experience this discharge. Several of the more ordinary causes consist of a variety of types of infection, the access of an unfaMiliar object into the ear as well as trauma to the brain. The various problems which cause this discharge will normally produce dissimilar types of drainage being occurring. Normally the management of otorrhea will depend on the reason for the discharge.

Causes for this discharge can begin from the ear canal, the middle ear or the cranial vault. Definite reasons are inclined to be evident acutely because of the relentlessness of their signs or related conditions. Additional reasons normally have an idler, continual course but can often become visible acutely.

Otorrhea Causes

Normally, an infection of the middle ear will cause ear drainage. This is also well-known as Otitis Media and this kind of infection can cause the middle ear to grow to be inflamed, typically due to viral or bacterial infection. This condition is most common in children and typically causes very glue-like, thick mucus to increase in the middle ear. This increase of the mucus can result in a ruptured eardrum. When this occurs, ear drainage most likely takes place as the mucus will drain from the eardrum and outside the ear.

An additional frequent reason for otorrhea can be caused by an outer ear infection. This is normally known as otitis externa. This kind of infection is usually recognized as “swimmer’s ear”. With this infection, the outer segment of the ear develops into inflammation. Several of the more general causes of this kind of swelling are excess water, a skin circumstance as well as hot weather, which can annoy the skin of the outer ear.

Otorrhea, which can be experienced in either kind of ear infections, may result in a clear, watery drainage or pus filled drainage. A clear, watery drainage is normally a thin discharge which is mostly clear in appearance. In some individuals, they may also experience a pus filled drainage, which is usually seen in the case of otitis externa. This type of drainage can create a very unpleasant smelling, thick, yellowish or greenish discharge. Some other signs which may go with an infection causing discharge may consist of a severe ear pain, fever, vertigo, nausea as well as fatigue.
There are also added conditions that can cause otorrhea. An impediment in the ear canal may cause this to occur. This may happen because of insertion of any type of strange object too far into the ear, where it can cause a great amount of inflammation. There are also incidences where ear discharge can occur in the event of an injury to the brain. If the brain becomes severely injured, cerebral fluid can drain thru the ear and this is of course a very urgent situation.

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Several of the fundamental causes of otorrhea are as follows:

• Over contact to water because of swimming


• Existence of an item in the canal of the ear normally observed in children


• Severe hit to the ear in cases of an injury to the head


• Injure to the tissue of the ear due to different pressure


• Head colds


• “Acute Otis media” together with eardrum perforation


• “Chronic Otis media” with either ear drum perforation or Cholesteatoma or both


• Dermatitis of the canal of the ear

Diverse reasons of otorrhea will verify the color as well as constancy of the discharge from the ear.

Otorrhea Symptoms

• Vertigo or unsteadiness


• Discomfort or pain in both or one ear


• Slight or partial hearing loss


• Sensation of the ear being stuffed up


• Pressure which is constant in the ear


• Nose bleeding

Otorrhea Treatment

First the doctor will need to make an appraisal of the occurrence of otorrhea with suction appliance so as to clear this discharge in the ear which is affected. Following this the physician can establish the exact site from where the discharge is coming from. Antibiotic which is topical will be recommended as well as obligatory not to get the ear wet as well as avoiding swimming pending the full course of therapy is finished. The individual should not wash the ear with water to clear the discharge as this will force the eardrum and can cause it to perforate.

Antibiotics use needs to be held back pending a spinal tap confirming any signs of Meningitis. A “trans-canal” method is also suggested to treat CSF otorrhea. On the other hand a “trans-mastoid” method is favored in case of a natural discharge as the exact location of the leak is not known.

If otorrhea is due to an inner or middle ear infection antibiotics are typically given to the individual. If this discharge becomes a problem which is chronic, the patient can need to have tubes put into the ear for proper drainage. If a foreign object is the reason for the discharge, a physician can perform the necessary steps to remove it. If a serious injury, such as a brain injury, is the cause, emergency treatment needs to be given under the direction of a neurologist.