In uncomplicated otitis media secretions may be mucoid and sticky, without purulent exudate. Therefore, exudative otitis media is sometimes called "glue-ear". "Ear with glue", due to periodic regression of the disease and the propensity to relapse can be considered as an intermediate between acute and chronic otitis media. It is estimated that in early childhood - mainly at the age of 4-7 years - this condition goes through every 3 children. We rarely see it in older children and sometimes in adults. In adults, the cause is an obstruction of the auditory tube connecting the tympanic tumors with the throat.
Bacteria cause swelling of the eardrum and severe pain. The microbes cause swelling of the eardrum (2) and severe pain.
Collecting in the middle ear (brown color), the serous and purulent fluid emphasizes the eardrum separating the middle ear from the external ear. As the exudation increases, its chronicity and other complications, conductive hearing disorder appears. An increasing amount of exudative fluid that exudates the eardrum may eventually cause its disruption and formation of the opening - the so-called perforations. A secretion starts to drain from the ear, but painful pain disappears.
Otitis media in children - causes and diagnosis
What causes a sticky exudate from the ear?
Among the factors conducive to the formation of exudate are mentioned above all those that impair the normal activity of the auditory tube. These include: hypertrophy of the pharyngeal and nasopharyngeal tumors, facial craniofacial defects, including cleft palate, nasal septum deflection, polyps and nasal cavity tumors, recurrent viral infections of the respiratory tract and middle ear, food allergy and inhalation allergy.
What are the effects of exudate?
Prolonged retention of fluid exudate in the middle ear, its thickening, up to the consistency of sticky secretion, adhesion formation, deposition of deposits on the tympanic membrane and auditory ossicles, etc. causes damage to the inner structures of the ear and gradual worsening of hearing. Untreated exudates can cause irreversible damage to the tympanic membrane and the auditory ossicles, adhesions and permanent hearing defects.
When the disease goes backwards
Periodically, the disease may recede - enter the so-called a period of calm in which the ear is dry and there is no exudate. During the regression of the disease, spontaneous occlusion of the hole in the tympanic membrane can occur. Despite this, the period with secretion causes hearing impairment. Fortunately, it is reversible, and after the liquid disappears, hearing returns to normal.
As noted, exudative otitis media
Gradual, slow deterioration of hearing and regression of the disease makes diagnosis difficult. The most noticeable symptom is hearing-impaired. With unilateral hearing loss, these disorders are elusive and harder to notice. The effect of hearing can be delay in speech development, lack of progress in learning or too loud speaking. Children usually do not usually hear the mother's parents, teachers and children's surroundings.
Treatment of exudative otitis media
The aim of treatment is to prevent pathological changes in the tympanic cavity and eradicate hearing loss. The path to this leads through the opening of the eustachian tube and the removal of exudative fluid. So the so-called conservative treatment consisting in combating viral and bacterial infection in the upper respiratory tract with the help of vaccines and antibiotics, which will avoid complications of the disease.In addition, drugs that reduce swelling of the mucous membrane, occult drugs, mucolytics (to reduce the production of mucus) and antihistamines. The latter, when the cause of exudate is allergy. In addition to pharmacological treatment, the healing effect of the Politzer's method is purging the auditory tubes, etc. Treatment under the supervision of an ENT specialist should last no longer than 3 months.
Surgical treatment - elimination of causes of exudate
If 3 months of pharmacological treatment turns out to be ineffective - the goal of the first treatment should be to remove the exudate from the middle ear. The method used is suction drainage of the tympanic cavity.
ed. RED
1. The inflammation of the middle ear in children by prof. dr hab. n. med. Grażyna Niedzielska from the Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Medical University in Lublin; Medycyna Rodzinna - 9 (1/2000)
2. Advances in the therapy of ACUTE CENTRAL ELASTANCE (AU) 2005 MP ONLINE
3. Medical encyclopedias, Internet.
