How to drain fluid from otitis media

Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
Updated on September 06, 2024
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Otitis media with effusion refers to the fluid in the tympanic cavity of secretory otitis media. Clinically, the methods for draining or reducing the effusion mainly include the following:

First is pharmacological treatment, which primarily involves antibiotics, steroids, and medications that promote the secretion of fluids. This is the pharmaceutical approach to treatment.

There is also invasive treatment, which includes procedures such as tympanocentesis, tympanostomy tube placement, and eustachian tube balloon dilation, with the aim of draining or extracting these fluids.

Clinically, treatment generally begins with pharmacological approaches, followed by invasive procedures.

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Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
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Can you swim with otitis media?

Patients with otitis media should not swim, whether it is acute or chronic otitis media. This is because water can enter the ear during swimming. Once dirty water enters the ear, especially in cases of chronic otitis media, it can lead to an acute episode of chronic otitis media. Many patients with chronic otitis media have a perforated eardrum. Without the protection of the eardrum, dirty water can directly enter the middle ear, causing an acute episode of otitis media. This can result in suppuration, ear discharge, and further deep infections, such as infections reaching the deep bone tissue of the mastoid, which requires a long time to treat and might even necessitate surgical intervention. If it is the acute phase of otitis media, the entry of water can irritate the eardrum or cause the pus in the middle ear to worsen, further hindering recovery and exacerbating the condition.

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Written by Cheng Fu Wei
Otolaryngology
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What are the symptoms of otitis media?

Otitis media comes in several types, with most cases of acute otitis media involving ear pain, typically throbbing or stabbing pain, followed by decreased hearing, or tinnitus. There may also be ear discharge or pus; using a cotton swab, one might notice an unusual smell from the ear secretions. Systemic symptoms such as fever and chills are less common, with the primary symptoms being localized, mainly consisting of ear pain, reduced hearing, and discharge.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Does otitis media spread?

Otitis media is a common and frequent disease in the field of otorhinolaryngology, mainly caused by bacterial infections, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, otitis media is generally not contagious. In certain situations where families live closely together, it is possible for two children to be sick at the same time; however, this is often related to the living environment or other upper respiratory infections, which does not indicate that otitis media is contagious. On the other hand, some specific infections may be contagious, such as tuberculous otitis media. The secretions from tuberculous otitis media are contagious, so it is important to differentiate between types of otitis media to determine whether they are contagious. Generally, otitis media is not contagious.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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How to medicate for secretory otitis media?

Secretory otitis media refers to a type of sterile otitis media caused by the negative pressure in the middle ear cavity due to blockage of the Eustachian tube, leading to the exudation and accumulation of fluid in the middle ear cavity. The treatment of secretory otitis media includes both pharmacological and surgical interventions. Pharmacologically, corticosteroids such as dexamethasone and prednisone are mainly used. Some antibiotics, like cephalosporin antibiotics, may also be used. Nasal treatments, such as mometasone furoate nasal spray, are also necessary. Additionally, medications that facilitate the drainage of secretions from the middle ear, such as Mucosolvan, can be used. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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How to check for otitis media

Otitis media is a common and frequently occurring disease in our department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery. It is an inflammatory disease of the middle ear. There are many clinical examination methods, mainly the following: First, we use our forehead mirror to directly visualize the external auditory canal, tympanic membrane, and tympanic cavity. That's one method. Next, we can examine our middle ear using instruments such as an otoscope or an endoscope, which allow direct observation of the middle ear structure and the tympanic membrane. The third examination focuses on the auditory function in otitis media. We can conduct pure tone audiometry and check acoustic impedance to assess the condition of our hearing function. Additionally, we perform imaging studies, such as a CT scan of the temporal bone or mastoid to observe the condition of our middle ear cavity.