Diagnosis
If there are problems with the ear, the patient should consult an ear, nose and throat specialist. After a medical history in which the patient describes his or her complaints, the doctor will first look at the ear. He will first look at the pinna and then at the ear canal.
Using a small lamp and a kind of magnifying glass, he can look down to the eardrum. If there is inflammation in the auditory canal, this examination can be slightly painful and especially with children, an examination is more difficult because they are often afraid of doctors. Since inflammations can be caused by different bacteria, the doctor has the possibility to identify these germs specifically.
To do this, he takes a smear with a cotton swab from the inflamed skin area or pus or discharge. In many cases, a pathogen detection determines the subsequent treatment.If the ear is so inflamed that a hearing loss has occurred, in some cases a hearing test is even carried out. This also helps to determine which parts of the ear are causing the complaints. In this way, a distinction can be made between internal and external ear canal inflammation.
Therapy
Depending on the cause, an appropriate therapy is initiated by a specialist. In many mild cases, the ear pain disappears by itself after a few days. This can be the case with a cold.
However, if it is a stronger bacterial infection, it may be necessary for the patient to take an antibiotic for several days so that the inflammation does not progress and heals better. In some cases and depending on the doctor, the administration of the antibiotic depends on the pathogen identified. Antibiotics are mostly taken orally, but there are also some ear drops containing antibiotics.
Pain-relieving drugs such as Ibuprofen can also be taken to relieve severe pain. Furthermore, if the skin is inflamed, dry and itchy, appropriate ointments or ear drops containing antibiotics can be administered. Only in rare cases, such as necrotizing inflammation, surgery to remove the inflamed skin may be indicated.
