I believe that many people have experienced tinnitus, which may be a low, humming voice, or it may be a high-pitched voice, like a cicada.
Many people will blame this tinnitus on "fire" and do not care very much, but in fact, tinnitus is an early manifestation of many ear diseases, and even systemic diseases.
Among them is a deafening ear disease that we want to popularize today - otitis media.
The human ear is mainly divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.
The outer ear includes the pinna and external auditory canal, the inner ear includes bone labyrinths and membrane labyrinths, and the main structures include vestibular, semicircular canal, cochlea, etc.
The middle ear, between the outer ear and the inner ear, mainly includes the eardrum, ossicles, tympanic chamber, and Eustachian tube.
Therefore, the middle ear is connected to the outside world in two places: through the eardrum to the outer ear, and through the Eustachian tube to the nasopharynx.
01 There are three causes of otitis media
/ Nasopharyngeal retrograde infection (primary cause)/
When suffering from colds, rhinitis, nasal polyps, sinusitis, adenoidal hyperplasia and other diseases, it may lead to Eustachian tube infection, eustachian tube dysfunction.
Since the inner ear is connected to the nasopharynx through the Eustachian tube, when the Eustachian tube infection retrogrades to the middle ear, it may lead to otitis media.
/ Ear infection invasion /
Usually, the eardrum can separate the outer ear from the middle ear, but when the eardrum is perforated and other trauma, some pollutants, bacteria, and viruses in the external ear canal may enter the middle ear through the wound, causing otitis media.
/ Systemic infections involving the middle ear /
Otitis media can also be transmitted to the middle ear through bloodstream due to systemic infection, causing infection of the mucous membrane of the middle ear, resulting in otitis media.
But this condition is more common in children, such as children with scarlet fever. Otitis media is a common clinical disease, multiple diseases, the affected population does not have obvious age, gender differences, as long as there are the above three conditions, anyone can occur.
02 Early symptoms of earache, tightness, tinnitus
In the acute stage of otitis media, there will be symptoms of earache, which may be very serious, which can make infants and young children without the ability to express themselves cry continuously, scratch their ears, make adults also hurt and turn, and may also be accompanied by a feeling of swelling in the ears.
Otitis media can also cause tinnitus, which is muffled, such as the general hum of the machine operation and the whistling sound of the blowing wind.
If these symptoms occur and are not treated in time, purulent discharge may occur in the later stage, and the more purulent discharge accumulates, the more it may break the tympanic membrane and cause perforation of the tympanic membrane.
At first, the discharge may be yellow, thinner, and gradually it may become viscous, become yellow-green, and even smelly.
Conductive hearing loss may also occur gradually after perforation of the eardrum, which may affect the auditory nerve over time and eventually lead to deafness.
When otitis media is severe, it may also cause some complications, such as pus rupture and pus behind the ear, dizziness, headache, nausea, facial paralysis, meningitis, or some intracranial complications such as epidural abscesses and brain abscesses, but in general, the probability of complications is low.
Therefore, if suspicious symptoms are found, especially after a cold, there is ear pain and hearing loss, it is recommended that you must check the doctor as soon as possible.
03 Pay attention to the prevention of otitis media in life
Because most of the otitis media is caused by eustachian tube dysfunction, the most critical thing to avoid the onset of otitis media is to protect the function of the Eustachian tube, and the following aspects can be noted.
Avoid upper respiratory tract infections.
To prevent retrograde infection from the source, children should also pay attention to prevent adenoidal hypertrophy.
Avoid trauma causing perforation of the tympanic membrane.
For example, do not use too much force when pulling out your ears, pay attention to no interference around you; do not fight and fight, causing ear damage, etc.
Keep the Eustachian tube unobstructed.
Especially for people with poor eustachian tube function, you can do such an action before and after the plane: one hand pinches the nose, closes the mouth to inflate the ear, and feels that there is a gas in the ear to drum up, which means that the Eustachian tube is unobstructed; or pinch the nose and swallow a mouthful of water to help the Eustachian tube remain unobstructed.
Pay attention to a healthy diet, it is recommended to eat a light diet, eat less spicy, irritating, greasy food, eat more foods rich in protein and vitamins, and usually pay attention to avoid smoking and drinking.
References: Medical Microvision official website - Wang Jun Chief Physician "Otitis Media"