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What Is Ear Discharge?
Ear discharge is any fluid that comes from the ear. It is also called otorrhea. Most of the time your ears will discharge ear wax—an oil that your body naturally produces (UMMC). Ear wax’s job is to make sure that dust, bacteria, or other foreign bodies do not get into your ear. However, other conditions—such as a ruptured eardrum—can cause blood or other fluids to drain from your ear. This is a sign that your ear has been injured or infected and requires medical attention.
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What are some less common causes of this symptom?
Malignant otitis externa: a complication of swimmer’s ear that causes damage to the cartilage and bones in the base of the skull. Mastoiditis: an infection of the bone behind your ear, called the mastoid bone. Skull fracture: a break in any of the bones in the skull.
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Ways to Prevent ear discharge
To avoid ear infections, try to stay away from people who are sick, Breastfeeding provides infants with protection from ear infections, since they receive their mothers antibodies in the milk.If you bottle feeds your baby, try to hold the infant in an upright position to prevent ear infections. Keep foreign objects out of your ears to avoid rupturing your eardrum.If you know you will be in an area with excessive noise, bring earplugs or muffs to protect your eardrums. You can prevent swimmer’s ear by making sure to dry your ears after being in the water.Also, try to drain out any water by turning your head to the opposite side.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Ear Discharge?
In most cases, discharge from your ear is simply ear wax making its way out of your body. This is natural. Other conditions that can cause discharge include infection or injury.
Ear Infection
Ear infections are one of the most common causes of discharge from the ear.An ear infection occurs when bacteria or viruses make their way into the middle ear.The middle ear is located behind the eardrum.It contains three bones-called ossicles-that are vital to hearing.Ear infections cause fluid to build up in the ear, which can lead to ear discharge.
Trauma
Trauma to the ear canal can also cause discharge.Such trauma can occur while cleaning your ear with a cotton bud, hairpins, safety pins, vehicle keys etc.- if you push it too deep. An increase in pressure, such as when you are flying in an airplane or scuba diving, can result in trauma to your ear.These situations may cause your eardrum to rupture or tear. Acoustic trauma- or damage to the ear due to extremely loud noises-can also cause your eardrum to rupture.However, these causes are not as common.
Swimmer’s Ear
Otitis externa-commonly called as swimmer’s ear-occurs when your ear canal becomes infected with bacteria or fungus.It usually occurs when you spend long periods of time in the water, since having too much moisture inside your ear canal.This allows bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection. However, swimmer’s ear is no exclusive to swimmer’s.It can result whenever there is break in the ear canal’s skin.This might occur if the skin is irritated as a result of eczema or if foreign objects are inserted into the ear.It is infrequently seen in the prevalent hot and humid climatic condition as of Mumbai and gets accompanied with Otomycosis which is a fungal infection of the ear.Any damage to your ear canal makes it more susceptible to infection.
You should call your doctor if
- The discharge from your ear is white, yellow, or bloody.
- You have had discharge for more than five days.
- You are experiencing severe pain.
- You have a loss of hearing.
- If the discharge from your ears is accompanied by other symptoms, like a fever.
- Your ear is also swollen or red.
- You received an injury to the ear that caused the discharge.