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Otitis media - chronic

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Middle ear infection - chronic; Ear infection - chronic; Chronic otitis media; Chronic ear infection

Symptoms:

• Ear pain or discomfort, earache
  • Usually mild
  • May feel like pressure in the ear
• Pus-like drainage from the ear
• Hearing loss

Note: Symptoms may be continuous or intermittent, and may occur in one or both ears.

Signs and tests:

An examination of the ear may show dullness, redness, air bubbles, or fluid behind the eardrum. The eardrum may show drainage or perforation (a hole in the eardrum). The eardrum may bulge out or retract inward.

Cultures of drainage may show bacteria. These bacteria may be resistant or harder to treat than the bacteria commonly involved in acute ear infection.

Mastoid x-rays or a CT scan of the head or mastoids may show spreading of the infection beyond the middle ear.

• Review Date: 4/28/2006
• Reviewed By: Alden J. Pearl M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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