Ear Infections

How otitis externa is treated

• Otitis externa sometimes gets better without treatment, but it can take several weeks. Your GP can prescribe ear drop medication that usually improves the symptoms within a few days.
• Antibiotic ear drop that may be used several times a day for about a week to treat otitis externa.
• Your doctor may refer you to a specialist for further treatment and advice if symptoms are severe or they fail to respond to treatment.

Preventing otitis externa

• To help reduce your chances of developing otitis externa, you should avoid inserting cotton wool buds and other things into your ears (including your fingers), as this can damage the sensitive skin in your ear canal.
• If you’re a regular swimmer, consider using ear swimming or wearing a swimming cap to cover your ears and protect them from water. You should also try to avoid getting water, soap or shampoo into your ears when you have a shower or bath.

Cellulitis ear lobe

• The cartilage of the upper ear has thin skin and little blood, but it can become infected.
• Cellulitis is most suspected when the fleshy lobe, which has no cartilage or bone and minimal secretions, is inflamed along with the skin in other areas of the ear

Allergic Cellulitis of the Ear

Cellulitis is formally an infectious process in the deep layers of the skin. A virus or, more commonly, a bacterium such as Staphylococcus aureus can get into the skin because of irritation caused by an allergic reaction. An ear is fairly resistant to such irritations, but every time you put an object or substance in, on, or through your ear, you risk breaking down that resistance. Only in the most severe cases is an auricular infection dangerous, however

Piercings

Family-practice physicians have faced rising rates of infections and allergic contact dermatitis as body piercings proliferate on the ear. As early as 1998, as many as 35 percent of people with pierced ears suffered infections, allergic reactions to their earrings or other complications. The lack of blood supply in the cartilage can make “high” piercings heal slowly. Nickel is the most commonly allergenic metal in earrings, though some people are sensitive to even gold and silver. In any case, broken skin is open to infection, and infected cartilage may not be repairable.

Swimmer’s Ear

The ear canal slopes slightly down to drain moisture and the waxy cerumen secreted by some of its skin cells to protect against moisture. If the canal gets blocked, which can stem from an allergic reaction to chemicals in pool water or shampoo, or excessive cleaning with a scratchy object, materials that harbor infection can build up in the ear canal. When the material does drain, it can further irritate the skin outside the ear, or infection can travel out under the surface of the skin. The worst cases may call for systemic treatment, such as with oral antibiotics.

Contact Encino Town Medical / Encino Commons Urgent Care to get rid of that ear infection