Signs of acute otitis externa

Along with the increasingly polluted environment, the occurrence of conditions such as acute otitis externa has also increased significantly. So what are the telltale signs of acute otitis externa?

Inflammatory phenomena are manifestations of macrophages, .. in the body that are fighting against foreign factors that invade the body such as bacteria, fungi, etc. The condition of otitis externa is the same.
Acute otitis externa is usually caused by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, or Escherichia coli. Fungal otitis externa is usually caused by Aspergillus niger or Candida albicans, less commonly.
Boils of the external ear canal are usually caused by S. Aureus (and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA in recent years).
The ear is the part that is exposed to the outside environment a lot. However, it is rarely noticed because you normally don't see it. Therefore, the ear is quite susceptible to infection due to a number of daily activities such as:
Swimming in rivers and lakes: The water source where swimming is not hygienic, leading to contaminated water entering and coming into contact with the ear canal. After swimming, some water will remain in the ear, if not cleaned and dried immediately afterwards, it will easily lead to wetness and create an environment for bacteria and fungi to penetrate the skin covering the tube. outer ear and cause ear infections. Habit of ear picking: This will also be an action that leads to acute otitis externa if you do it too often with a cotton swab, leading to repeated rubbing of the tip or too strong an ear pick. Using an inappropriate tool (with a sharp iron part) leads to scratching the skin, damaging the skin of the ear canal, or you use an unsterilized earpick, which pushes earwax and dirt deep into the ear. inside the ear canal. These accumulations tend to condense water, leading to a wet condition of the ear canal and creating conditions for bacteria and fungi to enter the cells in the ear canal, causing acute otitis externa. The use of ear cleaning services, earwax in unhygienic shops will be a source of fungal infection from one person to another and will also cause you to get otitis externa. The use of chemicals such as hairspray, hair dye, hair bleach, ... for sensitive people who are easily allergic to chemicals, when using these substances, if they get in the ears, they can also cause damage. acute otitis externa. Not only daily activities, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, seborrheic dermatitis ... are also prone to otitis externa. Decreased acidity in the ear canal (probably due to frequent water entering the ear canal) Women with fungal vaginitis may also be more susceptible to fungal otitis externa.

Signs of acute otitis externa are clearly shown through the following symptoms:
Ear pain: 70% of patients have signs of local ear pain, which is more painful when pulling the earlobe. Itchy ears: this is a common symptom (according to statistics, 60% of patients have this sign). The patient has a constant, uncomfortable feeling of itching that makes the patient constantly have to pick his ears, but this only makes the patient more itchy and causes ear pain. In addition, it will cause the skin to scratch more. Ear fullness: at first, there is a feeling of fullness and fullness in both ears (with 22% of patients feeling fullness in the ears when acute otitis externa). The pain then increases with increasing pain when chewing and swallowing. In the severe stage, the pain is continuous, the patient must take pain relievers to relieve the pain. Tinnitus: Fungal organizations in the outer ear canal cause inflammation of the outer ear canal causing tinnitus. Hearing loss: A fungal otitis externa is a fungal overgrowth that blocks the outer ear canal, causing hearing loss. In addition, when bacteria have entered, causing damage to the outer ear canal, the eardrum, it can prevent sound from traveling effectively to the inner ear. Swollen ear canal: Swelling of the outer ear canal due to inflammation of the outer ear canal causes swelling, red inflammation of the outer ear canal spreading to the outer skin. Leaky ear: The ear is festering in the outer ear canal, has a bad smell, the ear fluid is clear at first, then white or yellow-green when infected, there may be bacteria or fungal organization attached. Boils in the ear canal: This condition causes severe pain and may bleed or ooze pus. The boil appears as a swollen, red spot. The patient has a history of chronic otitis externa with itching and skin discoloration.

In order to prevent acute otitis externa, you need to limit the use of earwax removal tools, clean newly used clean earpicks. When using need to be gentle, use ear cleaning services at reputable stores.
Use alcohol and vinegar (1:1 ratio) to prevent acute otitis externa. The alcohol helps remove the water (evaporates), and the vinegar changes the pH of the ear canal, limiting the growth of bacteria.
Vinmec International General Hospital is a general hospital that has the function of examining and treating ENT diseases such as sinusitis, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinitis, tonsillitis, and pain. throat, tinnitus and many other diseases. At Vinmec, we have also performed endoscopic diagnosis and treatment with modern medical methods for ear, nose and throat diseases, which not only brings high efficiency but also minimizes complications of recurrent disease. The great success is because Vinmec is always fully equipped with modern facilities, examination and treatment procedures are carried out by a team of experienced and qualified doctors that will bring about treatment results. optimal for customers.