RAYUDU ENT HOSPITAL

Otitis Externa: Commonly known as "swimmer's ear," this condition results from frequent exposure to water. It leads to symptoms such as discharge of liquid or pus from the ear, itching in the ear canal, ear pain, and temporary hearing loss. Factors such as swimming, sweating, and exposure to moist environments increase the risk.
Otomycosis: A fungal infection of the ear, often affecting individuals who swim regularly, have diabetes, or suffer from skin conditions like eczema. Symptoms include discharge, pain, itching, inflammation, swelling, redness, flaky skin, hearing issues, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and ringing in the ear. This condition is more prevalent in tropical climates.
Otitis Media: An infection of the middle ear, causing inflammation and infection behind the eardrum. It most commonly affects infants between six and 15 months old. Symptoms include ear pain, fever, low energy, a ruptured eardrum, pus discharge, and slight hearing loss. Infants may also show irritability, diarrhea, runny nose, cough, inattentiveness, and balance issues.

If you have otitis externa (swimmer's ear), avoid using earbuds, safety pins, or hairpins to clean the ear canal.
To prevent further complications with otomycosis (fungal infection), avoid swimming in lakes or ponds to prevent water from entering the ears.
Chronic otitis media (COM) may require surgical intervention, such as myringoplasty (eardrum repair) or cortical mastoidectomy (removal of mastoid air cells while preserving the middle ear).
If there is a risk of developing a hole in the ear, nasal surgery (adenotonsillectomy) may be recommended for long-term relief.
For serious cases like cholesteatoma (a type of chronic otitis media that causes ear bone damage), emergency surgery may be necessary. A procedure called ossiculoplasty can help repair the damage to the ear bones and prevent further complications like facial paralysis.