Yellow discharge in the ear: Beware of acute otitis externa

The article was consulted with Specialist Doctor Ear - Nose - Throat Doctor - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International Hospital.

The condition of the ear canal with fluid or pus can be a sign of dangerous ear diseases such as ear eczema, ear cellulitis, otitis externa and most commonly acute otitis externa. Let's learn about the causes and treatment of watery earlobes through the article below.

The discharge of pus and yellow water in the ear canal often occurs due to the following causes:
1.1. Eczema Ear Eczema causes symptoms for patients such as a red rash, discharge, itchy skin due to contact with allergens. In case the patient has a superinfection, the earlobe will have a lot of fluid or pus. Eczema belongs to the type of skin disease and does not affect the hearing as well as the organs inside the ear structure. However, the symptoms of the disease can cause discomfort, itching and discomfort if the patient does not receive the right and appropriate treatment.
1.2. Ear Cellulitis Ear cellulitis occurs as a result of an infection in the deepest layer of the skin structure. The disease is serious and has the potential to lead to dangerous complications. Patients often have symptoms such as blistering, pain, burning... accompanied by discharge, swelling.
1.3. Otolaryngitis Cartilaginitis is an infection secondary to severe trauma. The impact from physical trauma can damage blood vessels in the ear canal, hematoma. In case of damaged blood vessels, it will reduce the level of blood circulation to nourish the ear cartilage, thereby causing the ear lobe to appear yellow and fluid. The initial discharge is usually sterile, yellow or white, but if not treated promptly, it will lead to superinfection due to the invasion and growth of bacteria.
1.4. Acute otitis externa One of the common causes of purulent otitis externa is acute otitis externa. The disease occurs due to inflammation, infection of the opening on the outside of the ear canal. Patients with acute otitis externa often present with ear pain, hearing loss, low-grade fever, tinnitus, and yellow or fluid discharge from the ear canal.
Treatment of otitis externa has a high success rate and leaves few important sequelae. However, if the patient is subjective, the patient may experience complications such as malignant otitis externa, cellulitis, perforated eardrum and narrowing of the ear canal.

1.5. Other causes Besides the diseases that cause yellow discharge in the ear lobes listed, some other causes can lead to the above condition as follows:
People who pierced their ears but did not clean their ears properly and right way; People who are allergic to earrings as well as hair sprays; People who do not clean their ears properly and regularly create conditions for bacteria to grow; Listening to the phone a lot causes damage to the nerve of the ear; Stagnant water in the ear after bathing or swimming.

Treatment of purulent otitis media depends on the specific cause and condition. In mandatory cases, patients need to go to medical facilities for examination, diagnosis and appropriate treatment regimen.
2.1. Treatment of related diseases One of the methods to help treat purulent otitis media is to treat the diseases that lead to the above condition. Specifically as follows:
Treatment of ear eczema: Methods of pathological treatment include the use of anti-allergic drugs, oral antibiotics and topical steroids as prescribed by the doctor. At the same time, patients need to use it in combination with a suitable diet and reasonable living to reduce complications and prevent a stronger outbreak of the disease. Treatment of cellulitis: Patients may have to use antibiotics for 10-14 days as prescribed by the doctor, in addition to using a combination of pain relievers and fever reducers in case of high body temperature. accompanied by severe pain in the ear. Treatment of otitis externa: People with otitis externa, if detected early, will be treated with pain relievers, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Combined with that is the implementation of reasonable ear care and hygiene measures. In case there is an ear discharge, the patient needs to aspirate the discharge and use medication to treat it. However, for patients who have had a superinfection or gathered pus into an abscess, the doctor will extract the pus, scrape the inflamed ear cartilage, and use antibiotics to help kill the bacteria causing the infection. Treatment of acute otitis externa: The treatment methods for acute otitis externa include topical application, ear drops with acetic acid, corticosteroids and topical antibiotics in case of need. Specifically, mild acute otitis externa can be treated by changing the pH of the ear canal with 2% acetic acid, reducing inflammation with topical hydrocortisone 5 drops 3 times a day, the treatment duration is about 7 days. For moderate acute otitis externa, topical antibiotics and corticosteroids are highly effective. Before drug treatment, the patient needs to remove the cuticle and disease organization from the ear canal with a straw or cotton swab. Patients should be careful not to let water get into their ears. Most diseases are not dangerous and leave serious complications if the patient adheres to the treatment regimen. If the patient leaves the disease for a long time, it will not only cause damage and necrosis of cartilage and soft tissue, but also seriously affect hearing.

2.2. Proper ear hygiene and change bad habits In case of pus discharge and yellow water in the ear lobes due to unhealthy living habits and poor hygiene, the patient needs to perform proper ear hygiene and change habits. Bad habits are as follows:
Note when cleaning the ear:
Use a clean and damp cloth to gently wipe the earlobe and surrounding ear area; then gently twist the corner of the towel and wipe gently to help clean the outer ear canal area; Use specialized ear cleaning solution, sodium chloride to clean the ear canal;

Some habits need to be changed:
Do not use sharp and hard objects to remove earwax; Avoid triggers that lead to allergies such as using hair sprays, wearing earrings, using shampoos that cause allergies...; If there is an injury to the ear, the patient needs to go to the medical facilities for examination to detect inflammatory conditions if any and treat them early; Use earplugs when bathing or swimming to help limit water flow into the ear canal; Definitive treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases to help prevent complications on the ear. There are many causes of ear discharge, depending on the cause and symptoms, there will be different treatment regimens. Although the disease does not directly affect health, it can affect hearing in the long run. Therefore, when you see abnormalities in the ear, yellow discharge, you should go to a medical facility for examination and treatment, to avoid serious complications.
Vinmec International General Hospital is a general hospital with the function of examining and treating ear, nose and throat 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.