Otitis Externa: Prevention and Complications

Prevention Tips

  • Keep ears dry
  • If you are a regular swimmer wear a swimming cap
  • Avoid polluted area and water for swimming
  • Do not use foreign objects in your ear (pins, fingers, swabs etc.)
  • Avoid allergens like hair sprays and hair dyes
  • Do not use over-the-counter ear drops for more than one week
  • Always see a physician if symptoms do not resolve

Others

  • It happens more in summer and humid months
  • People with asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis are 3 times more likely to develop external otitis 
  • All ages are affected
  • Occurs equally in males and females

Watch Out

  • Absence of cerumen
  • Retained water in ear canal
  • Increased temperature
  • Severe ear pain
  • Itching sensation in the ear

When to See Doctor

Consult your doctor if
  • Pain in an ear with or without fever
  • Persistent itching of the ear or in the ear canal
  • Loss of hearing or decreased hearing in one or both ears
  • Discharge from an ear, especially if it is thick, discoloured, bloody, or bad-smelling




external ear, swimmers ear, ear inflammation, inflammation of outer ear, OE, ear pain, earache, ear canal, hearing loss, ear wax, acute otitis externa, chronic otitis externa, auditoryl loss, swim ear, swimming ear, otitis externa, Otitis Externa when to go to hospital, Otitis Externa when to seek medical care, Otitis Externa when to get help,

2 thoughts on “Otitis Externa: Prevention and Complications

Comments are closed.