Otitis

Otitis is called the inflammation of the middle ear located behind a tympanic membrane, and representing the small cavity separating outside acoustical pass from an inner ear.

Otitis is the most common cause of relative deafness (reduced hearing). People of all age have this disease, but most children, because of features of an anatomic structure of an Eustachian tube – the cavity connecting an ear and a nasopharynx are subject to otitis.

Otitis reasons

Two main reasons for otitis, this hit of an infection and distribution of an inflammation from a nasopharynx in a middle ear, and also an ear injury.

At acute respiratory viral diseases the infection affecting a mucous membrane of a nose gets into a middle ear on an Eustachian (acoustical) tube. The contributing factors of development of otitis are the rhinedema breaking drainage of a tympanic cavity, and also a strong smorkaniye at the same time both nostrils. Chronic diseases of ENT organs (antritis, tonsillitis, etc.) can also become the otitis reason as ears, the nose and a throat are interconnected. The infection from other bodies postponed with a blood flow can serve as the otitis reason too.

The injuries of a middle ear which are the reason of otitis happen to penetration and without. The getting injuries arise at disturbance of integrity of a tympanic membrane a foreign subject. Not getting injuries arise at sharp difference of atmospheric pressure, for example, in the airplane or when diving (mareotit) (aero-otitis).

Otitis symptoms

Distinguish acute otitis and chronic. Acute otitis, in turn, can be catarral (simple) or purulent. Symptoms of otitis are similar at all forms of a disease, but their intensity and some features depends on a look.

The main symptom of otitis in an acute form is severe pain in fish soup which patients describe as pulling or shooting. Pain at acute otitis can be very intensive, amplifying in the evening. One of symptoms of otitis is the so-called autophonia – presence of the constant noise at an ear which is not connected with sounds from the outside appears an ear congestion. Perhaps insignificant decrease in hearing. Acute otitis often is followed by rise in temperature, a febricula.

Acute purulent otitis proceeds even more hard. Otitis symptoms in a purulent form the same, but are shown they more sharply. There can be dizziness. At purulent otitis in a tympanic cavity pus which breaks through a tympanic membrane and streams through acoustical pass outside accumulates. Strangely enough, suppuration serves as a favorable symptom of otitis, otherwise, pus can break on the other hand and stream in craniocereberal space that is extremely negative complication of purulent otitis and a life-threatening state.

Otitis symptoms in a chronic form are similar, but are less expressed. As a rule, there are pain, decrease in hearing more considerable, than at acute otitis. The symptom of an autophonia remains, there is a feeling of completeness, or an ear congestion, as at water hit. Chronic purulent otitis is shown by periodic suppuration from outside acoustical pass. Considerable relative deafness develops, the tympanic membrane is perforated.

Children's diseases of otitis, especially small child, can long not be distinguished as the kid cannot explain the pain reason. Otitis at the child is shown by the general symptoms of an illness: crying, rise in temperature, sleep disorders, refusal of food. As pain at otitis shooting, crying can sharply begin, at the time of a lumbago. To check whether the child has an otitis, it is necessary to press a finger a trestle, or a palm on all auricle, having created pressure difference. Sharp pain reaction will be confirmation of existence of otitis at the child.

Acute otitis, with a rapid current is inherent to children. Otitis demands urgent medical intervention as because of features of a structure, the infection from a middle ear easily extends to meningeal covers and in a head cavity from the child, causing meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscesses. These complications are life-threatening.

Diagnosis of otitis

The diagnosis is made on the basis of characteristic symptoms of otitis, complaints of the patient, and also carrying out an otoskopiya (survey of a gleam of acoustical pass by means of a nalobny reflector). Further diagnostic testings are conducted for specification of a form of a disease and definition of existence of complications. At detection of perforation of a tympanic membrane and existence of purulent contents, especially at chronic purulent otitis, take contents for carrying out the bacteriological analysis in laboratories. Carry out an audiometriya, for definition of decrease in hearing.

At suspicion on a complication of otitis or on a tumor of a middle ear, carry out a computer or magnetic and resonant tomography of a skull.

Treatment of otitis

Treatment of otitis has to be immediate, in view of danger of development of heavy complications: spread of a disease to space of a skull or on an inner ear (labyrinthitis) that can threaten with full loss of hearing. Treatment of otitis conservative, consists of the general and local therapy, but if necessary can be added with surgical intervention.

If the respiratory infection which got into an ear from a nasopharynx served as the reason of otitis, then treatment of otitis is carried surely out in a complex with treatment of a nasopharynx.

As the general treatment of otitis apply antibacterial, anti-inflammatory drugs, and also the drugs stimulating immunity.

Topical treatment of otitis depends on its form.

At acute otitis in a catarral form appoint dry heat to the area of an ear, in the form of compresses from woolen fabric and surely recover a drainage of an Eustachian tube, digging in in a nose vasoconstrictive drops (Galazolin, Nazivin, Naftizin, etc.). In an ear also dig in the antiinflammatory and anesthetizing drops (Sofradeks, etc.), apply a compress across Tsitovich: the wadded turunda is impregnated by 3% with spirit solution of boric acid and glycerin, enter into outside acoustical pass and leave for 3-4 hours, closing acoustical pass by a cotton plug.

Acute purulent otitis demands antibioticotherapia use, and also evacuation of pus from a tympanic cavity. At purulent otitis in an acute stage it is strictly forbidden to warm up an ear, it is also not necessary to use ear drops and turundas. Topical treatment of otitis in a purulent form, namely washing of a middle ear solutions of antiseptic agents, is carried out by the ENT specialist or the patient after training.

Treatment of otitis in a chronic form also consists in performing antiinflammatory and antibacterial therapy, at the strengthened immunocorrection. Also chronic otitis and acute otitis in a stage of subsiding of acute symptoms successfully treat by physical therapy methods (UVCh, UF-radiation, laser therapy, magnetotherapy).

From surgical methods of treatment of otitis shunting of a tympanic membrane or a paracentesis – a section of a tympanic membrane for the purpose of creation of outflow of purulent contents is most often used.