Ear Pathologies

Otitis media is an infection of the mucosa of the middle ear and is most common in children. This often occurs as a result of sore throat, respiratory inflections, or colds because there is a congestion due to fluid being trapped behind the ear drum. Otitis media may also come with effusion or “luga” which has an unpleasant smell that would make one puke. Moreover, otitis media almost always occurs when the eustachian tube does not open wide enough or does not open at all to ventilate the middle ear. If the eustachian tube does not evacuate the fluids and other particles in the middle ear cavity, swelling and infection will occur. There are three stages of otitis media –(1)acute, which happens because of exposure to pathogen; (2) otitis media with effusion; and (3) otitis media with tympanic membrane perforation, where the tympanic membrane experiences a hole or tear instead of being airtight sealed.

Cholesteatoma is another ear problem, but this is less common than the otitis externa as this cyst only occurs in 6 in 100,000 persons each year. However, this is more severe than the otitis externa since this is an epidermal cyst which may later on result to a rapidly expanding tumor. This usually happens in the middle ear, but it occasionally happens in the external auditory meatus as well. Cholesteatoma formation often happens to patients with history of chronic or acute otitis media. If left untreated, cholesteatoma may progress to hear loss, vertigo, facial nerve paresis or paralysis, or intracranial infection. Once evaluated, physicians may opt to remove the cyst and associated necrotic bone. After the operation, the physicians would closely monitor this for signs of recurrence (Ostrowski & Wiet, 1996).

Otosclerosis is a rare middle ear infection wherein one of the three tiny bones or ossicles, usually the stapes, gets stuck in place because a spongy bone growth interferes with the stapes’s formation. This disease usually happens when a normal bone is replaced by spongy bone growth which causes the bone to break and a brittle bone replaces it. Unlike the other disorders, otosclerosis is not painful and the patient rarely notices this unless a progression of hearing loss occurs already. As an intervention, professionals may opt to do a stapedectomy, which is the stapes’s surgical removal and insertion of a prosthesis.

Mastoiditis is a serious condition of the middle ear which usually presents itself as a postauricular swelling with tenderness, otorrhea, erythema, and protrusion of the ear. During an otoscopic examination, the professionals may see that the mastoiditis is accompanied with otitis media. Furthermore, when the professionals administer a temporal bone CT, they may see an opacification of the mastoid air cells with possible evidence of abscess. Mastoiditis needs immediate intervention to avoid intracranial complications including brain abscess, meningitis, and venous sinus thrombosis, which often occurs when mastoiditis is not treated (Ostrowski & Wiet, 1996).