What are the symptoms of otitis media? The most common symptoms of otitis media are a feeling of fullness or blockage in the ear, decreased hearing, and tinnitus. Sometimes, changing the position of the head can make hearing improve. There may be increased autophony, and some patients may experience mild ear pain. Let's take a look at the following introduction.
What are the symptoms of otitis media?
1. Hearing loss: Decreased hearing and increased autophony. When the head is tilted forward or toward the healthy side, due to the fluid moving away from the cochlear duct, hearing may temporarily improve (positional hearing improvement). When the fluid is viscous, the hearing may not change with head position. Children often react slowly to sounds, have difficulty concentrating, and their academic performance may decline, leading parents to seek medical attention. If one ear is affected while the other ear has normal hearing, it may go unnoticed for a long time and only be discovered during a physical examination.
2. Ear pain: Acute cases may have a dull earache, often the first symptom reported by patients, which can be continuous or intermittent. Chronic cases may have less noticeable ear pain. This condition is often accompanied by a feeling of blockage or fullness in the ear, which can be temporarily relieved by pressing on the earlobe.
3. Tinnitus: Often low-pitched and intermittent, such as [cracking] sounds, buzzing, and water flow sounds. When the head moves or when yawning or blowing the nose, a sound like air passing through water may occur in the ear.
How to prevent otitis media?
1. Since purulent otitis media will inevitably cause perforation of the eardrum, dirty water should not enter the external auditory canal when washing face, hair, or taking a bath. Patients with purulent otitis media should not swim, as the pus in the ear can pollute the swimming pool water, affecting public health, and dirty water entering the ear can also worsen the condition. Even if the ear is no longer discharging pus, a doctor must confirm that the eardrum has fully healed before swimming, otherwise, water entering the ear can easily cause a recurrence.
2. It is hard to avoid catching a cold and developing acute rhinitis. Proper nasal blowing techniques should be used, i.e., pressing one nostril with a finger and gently blowing out the mucus from the other. After one side is cleared, repeat for the other side. Alternatively, place a handkerchief or tissue in front of the nose without pressing the nostrils, gently supporting the sides of the nose, and just blow outward. Place the mucus into the tissue or handkerchief. If the mucus is too thick and difficult to clear, ephedrine drops can be used to constrict the nasal mucosal vessels and widen the nasal passage, making it easier to clear the mucus.
3. Regular physical exercise should be done to strengthen the body's resistance. Avoid catching colds and overworking. Excessive smoking and drinking can also be a cause of recurrence.
What are the symptoms of otitis media? How to prevent otitis media? Do you still have any questions after the above introduction? Hopefully, the above content will be helpful to you. Take preventive measures and seek timely treatment if symptoms of otitis media appear.
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