Otitis externa is the inflammation of the skin of the ear canal.
Causes
of Otitis Externa
•During
swimming, water can get into the ear cannel and cause infection.
•Ear picking with cotton wool bud may cause
trauma to the ear canal and may result in infection.
•Abuse
of the antibiotic ear drop result in the extinguishing of normal flora in the
external ear, leading to fungal otitis externa.
•Immunocompromised patient, such as diabetes,
are more prone to otitis externa.
•The inflammation of the skin of ear canal may
be secondary to eczema.
Treatment
for Otitis Externa
To
prevent otitis externa, we should keep our ear dry. Avoid swimming in polluted
water. Avoid inserting anything into the ear canal. The use of cotton buds or
swabs is the most common event leading to acute otitis externa.
Consult
an ENT doctor when you get otitis externa. Ear cleaning under microscope will
be performed to remove dirt, wax and discharge from the ear canal. Antibiotic
ear drop (or antifungal ear drop in case of fungal infection) will be
prescribed.
For
recurrent infection, investigation including blood test for diabetes will be
conducted.
Reference information: www.ent-hk.com/
The
information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should
consult ENT Specialists before considering
treatment and should not rely on the information above.
