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Ear Conditions

Ear conditions that go beyond minor ear pain or that linger for more than a couple days should be checked by your doctor. While minor ear congestion or pressure often resolve on their own, infections involving the outer and middle ear can become severe or chronic and may require treatment to avoid issues that can lead to hearing loss, dizziness and speech problems.

Ear tubes and your child

Otitis media is the most common middle ear infection in children, occurring at least once in virtually every child by the time he or she is five. The fluid that accumulates in the middle ear – sometimes due to a cold or allergies – becomes infected, causing pressure and pain.

Antibiotics are effective in treating bacterial infections in the middle ear, and viral infections will clear up on their own. However, some children will develop acute otitis media, in which chronic ear infections lead to severe pain and cause fluid to persist in the middle ear, interfering with hearing and speech, and in some cases causing hearing loss.

For chronic cases, treatment is the insertion of ventilating ear tubes, tiny plastic cylinders that are surgically placed through the eardrum. These tubes allow for drainage and air to the middle ear, alleviating pressure and preventing infection. The tubes are inserted during outpatient surgery and usually fall out on their own in about six months, at which time the eardrum heals.

Keeping the ear dry is important following insertion of tubes.

Meniere’s Disease

Adults experiencing inner ear fluid are suffering from an inner ear disorder called Meniere’s disease, or idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops. Usually, the condition affects only one ear, but it can affect both. Most commonly the disease occurs in adults between 20 and 50.

Common symptoms:

  • Vertigo – dizziness, spinning feeling
  • Tinnitus – ringing, buzzing or roaring sound in the ear
  • A blocked or full feeling in the ear
  • Hearing loss
Vertigo is reported as the most common and most debilitating of the symptoms of this disease. Attacks can last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours and can leave one feeling dizzy, off-balance and exhausted for days.

Your doctor will perform tests and a complete medical history to determine a diagnosis. While the cause of Meniere’s disease is not known, medication, reduced stress, and a low salt diet have been effective in treating symptoms.

Swimmer’s ear

Swimmer’s ear, so named because it frequently occurs in swimmers whose ears are consistently submerged, is not only a swimmer’s problem. This outer ear infection occurs when water gets trapped in the ear canal and becomes a breeding ground for the bacteria carried in the water or ear canal. Since water can enter the ear canal while showering or washing hair, prevention is important for everyone, not just swimmers.

Common symptoms:

  • A blocked or full feeling in the ear
  • Mild or moderate pain when pushing or tugging the outer ear
  • An itchy feeling in the ear
Treatment is usually careful cleaning and eardrops that stop the bacteria growth in the ear canal and reduce the inflammation. More severe cases of swimmer’s ear –symptoms may be drainage, fever or intense pain that radiates into the neck – can be treated with antibiotics.

The best prevention for swimmer’s ear is to make sure the ears are dry after being submerged or exposed to water. Run a hair dryer past both ears several times to dry the canal, or, if approved by your doctor, use a 50-50 solution of alcohol and vinegar and instill one drop in each ear to help excess water to evaporate.

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