symptoms of ear disorders
ear, nose, and throat disorders
Ear Discharge
Treatment for ear discharge is directed at the cause. Some infections are treated with antibiotics given by mouth. Sometimes a piece of gauze (called a wick) is placed to allow antibiotics to get into a very swollen ear canal (for example, people with severe Malignant External Otitis ). People who have a large perforation of the eardrum are advised to keep water out of the ear. People can keep water out of the ear while showering or washing their hair by coating a cotton ball with petroleum jelly and placing it at the opening of the ear canal. Doctors can also make plugs out of silicone and place them in the canal. Such plugs are carefully sized and shaped so that they do not get lodged deep in the ear canal and cannot be removed. People who have a small perforation, such as that caused by a ventilation tube, should ask a doctor whether they need to keep water out of the ear. A cholesteatoma is treated surgically. 