ear discharge Archives - Healthhype

Itchy Ear (Inside Canal) Causes. Remedies and Treatment

Dr. Chris — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 23:31:53 +0000

Itching of the ear is a common problem and can be very annoying when it persists despite your best efforts to scratch the area. It is often not due to anything serious but remedying an itchy ear can at times be quite difficult. The skin of the ear canal is continuous with the skin around the ear. However, this ear canal skin is often more delicate and can be easily injured, irritated or infected which may lead to a host of symptoms such as itchy ears. An itchy ear should always be examined by a medical professional. Never try to scratch or clean the ear with any object as it can damage the skin of the ear canal and even tear the eardrum. Causes of an Itchy Ear There are a number of possible causes of an itchy ear. Sometimes it may be as simple as climatic conditions such as wind or sun that causes drying of the ear canal which can then lead to itching. However, itching is also a symptom of many possible diseases and these underlying diseases should be diagnosed and treated. Otitis Externa Otitis externa is one of the more common causes of an itchy ear. [...]

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Dry Ears (Low Earwax) Causes of Dryness in the Ear Canal

Dr. Chris — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 23:34:44 +0000

The outer ear, and specifically the ear canal, is a delicate environment that the body has to maintain to prevent bugs and infection while facilitating the sense of hearing. With constant exposure to the external environment, a host of different problems can arise and lead to symptoms like an itchy ear, moisture in the ears and even dryness within the ear canal. Often the latter is caused by our own doing, especially with unecessary and excessive cleaning of the ears. Moist and Dry Ear Canal The ear canal may not be overtly moist like the eyes when there is tearing. Instead it is kept moist by wax produced by the cells lining the canal. This earwax is also known as cerumen. It has several purposes apart from keeping the skin of the ear canal moist. Cerumen also traps dust and other particles and has an unappealing taste that helps to ensure that bugs do not inhabit the ear canal. It also protects the ear canal lining from water. Earwax is produced by both sebaceous and sweat glands. Collectively this creates a thick waxy secretion which is usually brown to honey-colored although it can at times be slightly grayish. There is [...]

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Bleeding from Ear (Bloody Fluid, Wax) Causes, Warning Signs

Dr. Chris — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 23:34:01 +0000

We expect to see a brown colored wax from the ear when using a cotton ear swab, but the sight of blood often worries most people. It is an obvious cause for concern but may not always mean something is seriously wrong with the ear. In fact bleeding from the ears may not always mean that the blood is originating from the ear. On its own, a few drops may not be serious but when accompanied by other symptoms like pain, hearing loss and dizziness, then it could be due to very serious and even life-threatening conditions. Blood Discharge From Ear It is important to have a basic understanding of the human ear anatomy. The ear can be divided into three sections – the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The ear canal of the outer ear transmits sound waves to the eardrum. It transmits the mechanical force to the three small bones (ossicles – malleus, incus, stapes) in the middle ear. This forces is then transmitted to the oval window of the inner ear. From here the mechanical force is converted into nerve signals by the cochlea and relayed to the brain where it is perceived [...]

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Ear Discharge – Causes of Ear Secretions (Blood, Mucus, Fluid)

Dr. Chris — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:09:14 +0000

Blood, fluid and other secretions from the ear are known as otorrhea or commonly referred to as ear discharge. In otorrhea, the discharge exits through the ear and should not be confused with natural ear wax (cerumen) that occurs within the ear canal. Ear discharge should not be ignored, especially if there is constant secretions of blood, discharges stained with blood or clear, thin or sticky fluid that may be cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Types of Ear Discharge There are different types of ear discharge that can often be identified by the color, viscosity (fluid ‘thickness’) and odor. Broadly, ear discharge could be characterized as serous discharge that is clear and thin which may be the tissue fluid, bloody discharge or purulent discharge due to infection, which may vary from yellow to brown. Foul smelling discharge from the ear is usually a sign of infection or cholesteatoma. Refer to smelly ear. Yellow or brown fluid is also a sign of infection and in persistent infections, the discharge may be stained with blood and is usually thick and sticky. In acute infections, the ear secretion may appear white. Bloody discharge, especially of ‘fresh’ blood, indicates a rupture of microvessels of the middle [...]

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Smelly Ears – Causes of Foul Ear Odor, Bad Earwax Smell

Dr. Chris — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:18:55 +0000

An offensive smelling odor from the ear is often assumed to be a sign of infection but there are other non-infectious causes that also need to be considered. The odor may be associated with an ear discharge, ear wax or occur on its own for no clearly identifiable reason. Due to the rather small entrance to the ear canal, an odor emanating from the ear without any discharge is not easily detectable unless there is close contact. Normal Ear Wax The lining of the outer ear has sebaceous and ceruminous glands that secrete sebum and cerumen respectively. It mixes with dead skin cells that sloughs off from the lining and outer surface of the ear drum to form a more solid consistency that is known as earwax. Also known as cerumen, earwax has a host of functions including : trapping dust and dirt that may enter the ear canal expelling sloughed off cells, debris, dust and dirt from the canal lubricating the sensitive canal lining which is exposed to the environment inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi that enter the ear canal repelling insects and other small organisms that may enter the ear Earwax is often bitter tasting due [...]

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