Otitis media is a common clinical disease, which can be divided into acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, and secretory otitis media. This disease is more common in children, patients with rhinitis, and those with a family history. How much do you know about the 5 major misconceptions about otitis media? How to treat otitis media?
1、 5 misconceptions about otitis media
(1) Otitis media cannot be cured
Due to the high recurrence rate of otitis media, some people mistakenly believe that the disease cannot be cured. However, with the current level of medical technology, there are many treatment methods for this disease. If appropriate treatment methods are chosen and treated properly, there is a possibility that the disease can be cured.
（2） Discharge from the ear canal is otitis media
Some people mistakenly believe that discharge from the ear canal is otitis media, but in fact, there are many other diseases besides otitis media that may also cause the above symptoms, such as otitis media and bacterial infection in external ear canal tumors. At this time, it is recommended that patients seek medical attention immediately, undergo timely examination, and receive targeted treatment as soon as possible. In addition, folliculitis of the external auditory canal can lead to furuncle and rupture, which can also cause pus discharge symptoms. Ear examination and follow-up medical history can often distinguish it from otitis media.
（3） Antibiotics can be used to treat otitis media. Different types of otitis media require different treatment methods, such as conservative treatment for those with long intervals between attacks, mild hearing loss, and mild otomastoid lesions. Patients with acute otitis media and secretory otitis media should use ear drops while taking antibiotics. Patients with cholesteatoma otitis media, chronic otitis media and mastoiditis, occasional pus discharge but significant conductive hearing loss, and large tympanic membrane perforation should undergo surgical treatment.
（4） Preventing water ingress into the ear canal can prevent otitis media. Although preventing water ingress into the ear canal can help prevent tympanic membrane perforation and chronic otitis media, it cannot prevent other types of otitis media, such as secretory or bacterial otitis media, because these types of otitis media are related to obstruction of the Eustachian tube. Therefore, timely intervention and treatment of diseases related to the Eustachian tube, such as nasal and nasopharyngeal tumors, acute upper respiratory tract infections, etc., should be carried out. If drug treatment is ineffective, it is recommended to undergo surgery as soon as possible to prevent the transformation into chronic otitis media or cholesteatoma type otitis media.
（5） If there is no ear pain or ear canal discharge, it is not otitis media. There are many types of otitis media, but only suppurative otitis media can cause ear canal discharge, which only occurs in the acute phase. In addition, due to the non bacterial nature of the exudate, patients generally do not experience ear pain or suppuration, which makes the disease easy to be missed or misdiagnosed, especially for children who do not complain of symptoms and are prone to delayed treatment. Therefore, it is recommended that parents pay attention to observing whether their children have situations such as increasing their voice when speaking or making their voices too loud when watching TV in their daily lives. If such situations exist, parents are advised to be alert to otitis media.
2、 Treatment methods for otitis media
(1) Drug therapy
Firstly, antibiotics or other antibacterial drugs are used for treatment. There are cephalosporins, ofloxacin ear drops, etc. These drugs are suitable for patients with acute suppurative otitis media, but it should be noted that the treatment course should not be too long.
Secondly, glucocorticoids. There are drugs such as prednisone and dexamethasone, which can alleviate local edema.
（2） Surgical treatment
The choice of surgery varies depending on the type of otitis media. The specific analysis is as follows:
Firstly, chronic otitis media. This type of otitis media can be treated with the following surgeries, including: (1) tympanoplasty, which is suitable for patients with simple chronic suppurative otitis media and can improve hearing; (2) Mastoidectomy, which can remove lesions, preserve residual hearing, and effectively control complications.
Secondly, secretory otitis media. This type of otitis media can be treated with the following surgeries, including: (1) tympanic membrane puncture; (2) Tympanotomy is suitable for situations where there is a recurrence of fluid accumulation in the short term after puncture and aspiration, and the fluid in the tympanic cavity is viscous and difficult to clear through tympanic membrane puncture; (3) Tympanotomy with tube placement is suitable for patients with recurrent chronic secretory otitis media.
In short, otitis media is a common condition that can easily cause intracranial and extracranial complications such as peripheral facial paralysis, neck abscess, brain abscess, meningitis, etc. Therefore, active treatment is necessary. In order to avoid serious complications that may occur in patients due to lack of timely and effective treatment, it is necessary to understand the above misconceptions and stay away from them in a timely manner.