What to do if your child has a lot of wax in his ears?


Yellow fluid from ear

Yellow or clear fluid from the ear should not be taken as a separate problem. This symptom is a direct signal indicating that an inflammatory process is occurring in the body.

If the discharge is scanty and the person is not bothered by additional symptoms - fever, weakness, ear pain, chills, then it is likely that the problem of the discharge could be an ordinary sulfur plug, which melted under the influence of high temperature. This can happen due to the heat outside or after visiting the sauna.

Clear, black, yellow, brown, bloody fluid, pus flows from the ear: causes

Causes:

  • A clear or colorless substance is a symptom of inflammation and injury. There is no infection in the ear canals. Usually observed in allergic otitis, when there are transparent bubbles inside that appear as a result of exposure to the allergen. Over time, they open and the transparent contents flow out. In addition, clear discharge can cause a skull fracture in which there is a leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.
  • It is necessary to treat the disease so as not to provoke a secondary infection. That is why patients with traumatic brain injuries are often prescribed antimicrobial drugs to prevent this type of illness.
  • Most often, this is one of the most alarming signals, which indicates that there is an infection. A yellow substance appears in the presence of fungi and bacteria. This kind of illness is caused by streptococci and staphylococci. They are released during purulent otitis, rupture of the diaphragm is possible, and additional symptoms are observed.
  • Most often this is caused by a violation of the integrity of the vessels and small capillaries located in the auditory canals. Typically, bleeding is caused by the presence of microbes, there may be tumors, as well as damage to the diaphragm. Blood can also be released with bullous otitis media. If pus is discharged along with blood, this indicates that there are polyps in the ears and a bacterial infection is developing. Blood can also appear due to an insect entering an organ or after an injury. You may find bloody crusts in your ear during cleaning.
  • Most often, a dark brown, gray or black substance is associated with the presence of otomycosis, that is, a fungal disease provoked by the reproduction and growth of mold and yeast-like fungi. Typically, the disease causes severe itching and pain. Please note that if you do not treat the ailments that caused the leakage of the substance, this can cause hearing loss and serious hearing damage.


Signs of illness

What does discharge mean?

Ear discharge that has a distinct yellowish tint can indicate the presence of a variety of infectious diseases. Most often, purulent and acute otitis media are suspected. Each of the ailments can exhibit its own degree of activity and be characterized by certain symptoms:

  • ear pressure;
  • dull pain inside;
  • hearing impairment;
  • discomfort;
  • temperature increase;
  • headache.

In some cases, symptoms may disappear almost completely. For this reason, a sick person may decide that he is healthy, which always leads to a refusal to visit an ENT specialist. However, almost always the symptoms worsen with greater force, which leads to a sharp destabilization of the condition.

Types of yellow discharge from the ear

Additional symptoms

Otitis of the external ear is a disease that is most often diagnosed by those who come with complaints of discharge. Those who have the stupid habit of constantly violating the integrity of the protective shell of the ear by inserting various foreign objects into the passage also suffer from the disease of a lover of swimming.

In addition to discharge, otitis externa may be accompanied by redness around the ear canal, itching and burning, as well as a feeling of warmth inside the canal.

With otitis media of the middle ear, several important components of the ear canal are simultaneously damaged. Thus, damage occurs to the area located directly behind the eardrum, the ear bones and subsequently the brain.

This disease is infectious in nature. Therefore, pathogenic microorganisms, with constant reproduction, provoke the appearance of purulent discharge and tissue death.

Mastoiditis is a complication of otitis media, which manifests itself more aggressively, but has virtually identical symptoms. So, with mastoiditis, abundant purulent discharge from the ear, high fever, and headache are observed.

Cholesteatoma is a dangerous disease that can affect the vestibular and visual apparatus of a person. A cyst-like formation appears immediately behind the eardrum. The proliferation of tissue leads to the release of a characteristic fluid with an unpleasant odor, constant headaches, and a feeling of tightness inside.

What are the main reasons

If an adult suddenly begins to leak yellow liquid from the ear, then the following reasons may affect this:

  1. Acute respiratory infections, sinusitis, which cause swelling of the auditory tube and infection in the middle ear.
  2. Injury to the eardrum.
  3. Prolonged exposure to the cold.
  4. Penetration of dirty water. This occurs most often among swimmers. Microbes penetrate through the mucous membrane of the ear canal, which leads to the development of otitis media.
  5. Injury to the outer ear during improper sanitation.
  6. Wearing hearing aids.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic measures are carried out exclusively by a specialist. So, after collecting anamnesis and examination, the doctor can make the first conclusions regarding the general condition of the patient.

To identify a more effective treatment method, the doctor prescribes a number of procedures and tests that will speed up the healing process:

  • bacterial culture of secretions;
  • general blood analysis;
  • otoscopy;
  • audiometry;
  • tympanometry;
  • tomography;
  • radiography.

Based on the results of the analysis, appointments are made. Most often they include conservative therapy.

Treatment

The acute form of the disease, when yellowish fluid leaks from the ear, may indicate a serious illness. This sign is especially dangerous if it is accompanied by pain and increased body temperature of the patient. When faced with such signs, you should under no circumstances take any action to independently treat the disease.

You should definitely contact an otolaryngologist. The ban on self-medication is due to the fact that different ear diseases require different therapeutic approaches. So, if the cause of the yellowish discharge is furunculosis, then warming up perfectly speeds up the healing process (especially if you combine warm compresses with antibiotics). But in the case of other diseases, warming the ears can lead to a deterioration in the person’s condition and an increase in body temperature.

Ear diseases do not go away on their own. If the patient does not have a temperature, the disease can develop very slowly and gradually. Symptoms may go away and return again after a certain time.

Yellow fluid from the ear can be treated with various methods. Therapy is prescribed directly by the attending physician.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of ear disease

Medication

This type of therapy is used in the initial stages of ear disease. It is the most harmless for the patient and does not require hospitalization.

Medicines suppress inflammatory processes, and in especially advanced cases of the disease, the patient is additionally prescribed multiple daily ear canal cleanings. Also, the doctor often prescribes physiotherapy. These include ultraviolet heating, compresses and high-frequency radiation treatment.

Ear infections are treated with antibiotics. One drug may be prescribed or several at the same time. Most often, doctors prescribe Suprax, Levofloxacin and Cefuroxime axetil. Any antibiotics are used for at least 10 days in a row. For infection, antibacterial ear drops such as Normax and others are also prescribed.

It is important to know that if any alarming symptoms appear, be sure to consult a doctor and report them. Dangerous signs of deterioration include vomiting, nausea, loss of coordination and headaches. These symptoms may indicate that the disease has come very close to the brain and poses an immediate threat to the patient’s life.

What not to do if yellow liquid is flowing from your ear:

Folk remedies

Some traditional methods of therapy are recommended by doctors themselves. But it is important to remember that this is only an additional measure to combat ear discharge. Under no circumstances should you give up medications in favor of folk remedies. However, you can combine both methods for faster recovery.

The most common and safest methods of traditional therapy for ear health are the following simple recipes:

  1. Flax oil and onion oil should be mixed in equal quantities. Afterwards, you need to moisten a piece of cotton wool in this solution and insert it into your ear for 2.5 hours.
  2. If the doctor has authorized warming, you can use salt for this. A glass of salt needs to be heated well in a frying pan, and then poured into a thick cloth folded in several layers (it is advisable to make a bag or use a clean sock wrapped in a towel). You need to apply salt to the sore ear before going to bed.
  3. Chamomile infusion copes well with inflammation and soothes the mucous membranes. A teaspoon of dry chamomile should be poured with a glass of strong boiling water. After the infusion has cooled, you can wipe both ears with it. You need to use a soft cloth or cotton wool

Description of the problem

It should be noted that the production of a small amount of sulfur secretion is a necessary condition for healthy hearing organs. But when the amount of this substance exceeds the permissible limits, this can already indicate disorders and even pathological, inflammatory processes in the auditory organs.

Sulfur glands are also sweat glands, but modified. And they form their own secret, characteristic only for them. Sulfur contains substances with a bactericidal effect that cleanse the internal cavity of the ear canals and protect them from germs.

Sulfur is, in fact, an organic mass consisting of the secretion of the auditory glands, sebum and dead epidermal cells. There is usually less wax in children's ears than in adults. Although recent research in this area has led scientists to the following conclusion: the amount of ear secretion produced depends more on the individual properties of the body than on age. That is, sometimes the same amount of sulfur can be considered normal for a child as for an adult. If this is typical for his body.

Sulfur begins to be produced a few days after the birth of the baby, and then its formation does not stop throughout the entire period of a person’s life. The function of sulfur secretion is to protect the delicate and delicate internal auditory organs from aggressive external influences.

Sulfur cleanses the ear canals and at the same time prevents pathogenic microbes and infections from penetrating inside.

The consistency of sulfur resembles ordinary ointment and has a reddish, “honey” tint. Over the course of a person’s life, the consistency, color, quantity and even smell of sulfur can change depending on health, external conditions, and internal reasons. Its dark shade may indicate that the child does not spend much time outdoors, and its too thick consistency may indicate that the baby’s lipid synthesis is impaired.

Excessively liquid sulfur often indicates that the child’s mother has overdone it with hygiene procedures - and sulfur is formed at an accelerated pace, without having time to acquire its typical consistency. By the way, liquid sulfur sometimes also arouses suspicion among parents: they think there is too much secretion. But in fact, this is the usual amount, just very “diluted”.

In the video - what to do when a child has a lot of wax in the ears:

Therefore, experts do not recommend being too zealous when cleaning your baby’s ears. The more thoroughly you remove all sulfur without leaving a trace, the more rapidly it will form again.

Causes of increased sulfur secretion

The standard, normal amount of sulfur secretion for a child is 20 mg per month. If the norm is slightly exceeded, it is considered acceptable. But certainly sulfur should not form too quickly - so that you don’t even have time to clean it out. Increased formation of sulfur secretion leads to headaches. Moreover, the headache will hurt not only in the ear area, but also in the back of the head, crown, and front part. Let's find out why sometimes a child produces too much sulfur.

As we have already figured out, one of the most common reasons is too thorough hygiene procedures.

Sometimes the reason for the formation of an increased amount of sulfur is banal and simple: unfavorable atmospheric and weather conditions. Thus, dust, dirt, smog outside the window, as well as neglect to ventilate the room, often lead to increased secretion formation in the body’s attempts to protect the internal auditory organs.

This article will help you understand what are the symptoms of acute suppurative otitis media.

For those who want to understand how to get rid of buzzing in their ears, you should follow the link and read the contents of this article.

What can be done and what medications to use when a pulsating noise appears in the left ear: https://prolor.ru/u/lechenie-u/pulsiruyushhij-shum-v-ushax-prichiny-i-lechenie.html

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Complications

Among the complications that can result from ignoring ear discharge are partial and complete hearing loss, blurred vision, and loss of normal coordination of movements.

In more advanced cases, sepsis and abscess are observed, and if treatment is completely ignored, death occurs.

How to properly remove discharge from the ear, watch our video:

Treatment at home

If you experience any pain or discharge from the ear, you should consult a specialist. If fluid flows from the ear, this may be due to the need to not only cure the underlying disease, but also its complications, which may include deafness. Therapy for otitis media begins with exposure to the external auditory canal. Then the drops recommended by the doctor are used. But you should not take medications you choose yourself at the pharmacy until the patient has seen a doctor.

Medicines must have the necessary properties (only a competent specialist can select them). Some drops can only be used when the membrane is perforated; the presence of the disease can only be noticed by doctors.

If a child has yellow liquid flowing from the ear, ideally the doctor should also tell you how to treat it at home. Traditional methods are aimed at symptomatic treatment. So, if the leak is definitely not pus, you can take a cloth soaked in a solution of alcohol and water in a 1:1 ratio and moisten your ear with it. This improves blood flow to the middle ear area and stimulates rapid recovery. But if there is a suspicion that signs of pus appear in the liquid, under no circumstances should this area be heated, because bacteria begin to multiply several times faster.

The following recipe is to pour 20 g of dry chamomile herb into 200 ml of alcohol or vodka. Before you start using this product, you should rinse your ear with a water infusion of chamomile or clean it with a cotton swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Chamomile infusion is prepared according to the same recipe as above, but instead of alcohol or vodka, it uses water.

Surgery

Surgery is a last resort for ear diseases. Surgery is prescribed in very complex and advanced cases of ear disease. It is aimed at removing bone tissue that has been affected by infection. Surgery is also performed to restore the eardrum or bones of the middle ear. Surgery is also indicated for meningitis and abscess, that is, in cases where pus enters the brain.

Conservative treatment

If suppuration occurs, subsequent measures should be aimed at combating the bacterial pathogen of the disease, including the toilet of the external auditory canal. Since the use of vasoconstrictor nasal drops helps improve the outflow of pus from the middle ear cavity, their use must be continued.

The most correct method of prescribing antibiotics is to determine the sensitivity of pathogenic microflora to them. However, such research takes several days.

Antibiotic therapy should begin immediately after the diagnosis of purulent otitis media is confirmed.

As a result, the drugs of choice are antibiotics that are most active against the likely pathogens of the disease. They are drugs from the amoxicillin group:

  • Flemoxin solutab;
  • Zinnat;
  • Amoxiclav;
  • Amoxil;
  • Amosin;
  • Hiconcil;
  • Ecobol.

In addition to systemic drugs used in the form of tablets, ear drops containing an antibiotic are also used.

Prevention

Prevention methods are quite simple and do not represent anything supernatural.

  1. Not only your ears, but your entire body needs to be kept warm. ARVI, colds and flu can lead not only to cough and runny nose, but also to ear diseases.
  2. Passive smoking can lead to otitis media. Places where smokers gather should be avoided.
  3. It is necessary to monitor ear hygiene, and if alarming symptoms occur, immediately contact an otolaryngologist.

By following these simple and understandable rules, you can protect yourself from a wide variety of ear diseases and maintain your hearing and good health.

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