Symptoms:

• Drainage from the ear - yellow, yellow-green, foul smelling, persistent
• Ear pain - felt deep inside the ear and may get worse when moving head
• Hearing loss
• Itching of the ear or ear canal
• Fever
• Trouble swallowing
• Weakness in the face
• Voice loss

Signs and tests:

A doctor will look into your ear for signs of an outer ear infection (otitis externa). The head around and behind the ear may be tender to touch. A nervous system (neurological) examination may show that the cranial nerves are affected.

If there is any drainage, the doctor may send it to the lab for a culture. The purpose of the culture is to look for bacteria or fungi, usually the bacteria Pseudomonas.

To look for signs of a bone infection next to the ear canal, the following tests may be performed:

• CT scan of the head
• MRI scan of the head
• Radionuclide scan