Acute Otitis Externa

Acute Otitis Externa – General Information

Acute Otitis Externa – Symptoms

Acute Otitis Externa – Treatment

The treatment used to treat Acute Otitis Externa not only consists in antibiotics, and there can be also considered medicines like acidifying solutions and these include aluminum acetate, acetic hydrocortisone, boric acid, glycerine-ichthammol, and after have been used over the years, they developed fast improvement. These agents are cheap and can not cause any bacterial resistance.Some of the topical solutions in treating Acute Otitis Externa are antibiotics, and here can include antibacterial, antifungal or simply to stop bacterial growth. Some doctors can also prescribe steroids, usually anti inflammatory, which can cure the swellings or itching, but they only reduce the time and the length of the treatment, and an overdose of steroids can provoke the apparition of otomycosis (fungal otitis).The prevailing treatment for Acute Otitis Externa is still the one with the use of antibiotics, and this treatment can be administered directly to the infected site, with high concentrations, and are called bactericidal, which help by a fast cure, preventing any secondary complications like cellulitis or middle ear and mastoid involvement. To remove the debris, like wax, shed skin or pus, from the ear canal, it is necessary a direct contact of the medication whit the skin, which can lead to a shorten recovery time, and it is made by using a binocular microscope.  Drops can not penetrate far enough into the ear because the canal swelling has progressed to the point where the ear canal is blocked, making them ineffective, that’s why it is needed to carefully insert a wick of cotton, or any absorbent material called an ear wick and then saturate that with the medication. To open the canal as much as the drops can penetrate, a wick is kept saturated with medication and can be removed easily.

Ear drop antibiotics are dosed and prescribed for 4 to 7 days, for allowing coating the most of the ear canal and the ear have to be left open. There are some types of antibiotics that can lead to the appearing of Acute Otitis Externa, and here can be added neomycin, which can cause high contact sensitivity. The pain provoked by Acute Otitis Externa is usually severe enough to interfere with sleep. Most of the times, analgesic drops are prescribed by primary care providers for to relief the pain, but they are not really adequate and the patient should not rely on them. That’s why is recommended to follow a trial of oral narcotic pain medication, which is necessary to maintain comfort while the antibiotic drops are working. Using some medications which have a ruptured tympanic membrane can cause tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo and hearing loss in some cases. By using the related treatment, like cleaning the canal, wick insertion and antibiotic drops there will be a rapid improvement, and pain relieve in just one day, and resolution within 2 to 4 days. Heat application using a heating pad is also recommended, and it is considered a pain relief. If the otitis is in a mild stage, the refraining from washing your hair or swimming is usually effective and that’s why this disease is called a self limiting condition.