What are the symptoms of otitis media?

Otitis media is a very common ear disease, and common causes include bacterial infection and colds. Generally, the symptoms of otitis media are quite obvious, such as ear pain, pus discharge, vomiting, etc. Some severe patients may also experience facial nerve paralysis, so all patients with otitis media must receive timely treatment.

1. Suppurative otitis media

(1) Acute suppurative otitis media is an inflammation of the middle ear caused by suppurative bacterial infection, with the main symptoms being ear pain and pus discharge. Children's systemic symptoms are more obvious than those in adults, and may include fever, vomiting, etc. Serious complications include intracranial complications such as meningitis, brain abscess, etc. Other complications include labyrinthitis, facial nerve paralysis, etc.

(2) Chronic suppurative otitis media refers to chronic suppurative inflammation of the middle ear mucosa, periosteum or deep into the bone. This disease is relatively common in clinical practice, and its main clinical manifestations are intermittent or continuous pus discharge in the ear, tympanic membrane perforation, and hearing loss. In severe cases, it can cause intracranial and extracranial complications. ① Systemic symptoms vary in severity. There may be fear of cold, fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Children have more severe systemic symptoms, often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Once the eardrum is perforated, the body temperature will gradually drop and systemic symptoms will be significantly alleviated. ② Earache: Pain deep in the ear that gradually worsens. Such as throbbing or stabbing pain, which may radiate to the same side of the head or teeth. Ear pain worsens when swallowing and coughing. Severe ear pain can cause insomnia and restlessness at night. After the eardrum perforated and pus flowed out, the ear pain suddenly subsided. ③ Ear discharge is the main symptom of this disease, which can be mucous, mucopurulent or pure purulent. Non-dangerous pus discharge is thinner and has no odor. Although the dangerous type of pus discharge is not much, it is thicker, mostly pure purulent, and accompanied by a foul odor. ④ Hearing loss and tinnitus: The patient begins to feel stuffy in the ears, followed by a gradual decrease in hearing, accompanied by tinnitus. Deafness may be ignored in patients with severe ear pain. Some patients may experience vertigo, and deafness may be alleviated after perforation. ⑤ The severity of deafness varies, and because it usually occurs in one ear, it is easily overlooked. It is usually conductive hearing loss.

2. Non-suppurative otitis media and secretory otitis media.

(1) Hearing loss Acute secretory otitis media can often cause hearing loss after a cold, while descending on an airplane or diving, and may also be accompanied by a phenomenon of "self-enhancement of the sound". The severity of hearing loss in patients with chronic secretory otitis media often fluctuates. Hearing may improve when the tragus is compressed or the head position is changed. When the middle ear fluid is thick, hearing will not change with changes in head position. Most children do not complain of hearing loss, but may ignore their parents' calls, have difficulty concentrating, or request too loud a volume when watching TV.

(2) Earache: Acute secretory otitis media may cause mild earache, while chronic secretory otitis media may cause earache during secondary infection.

(3) A feeling of stuffiness or blockage in the ear.

(4) Tinnitus is usually not severe and may be intermittent. The sound of air passing through water may be heard when the head moves, yawns, or blows the nose. A small number of patients with secretory otitis media may also experience water discharge in the ears, but the duration is very short, only a few hours or about a day.