Outer Ear Infection Facts
The Outer Ear In Relation to Tinnitus
Author: earllandrum927
To understand tinnitus better, what causes it, and what can be done to stop ringing ears, it helps to know something about our hearing and how it works. This article is the first of a three article series that deals with tinnitus and the three major parts of the human ear, the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. This first part focuses on the outer ear, how it works, what can go wrong to engender tinnitus, and what can be done to resolve it. With no further ado, let's get a look at the outer ear.
When someone mentions ears, we usually think of the outer ear, the external part that we can see, which is called the pinna or auricle. Pinnae or auricles come in all manner of shapes and sizes, but certain characteristics are shared by them all. Consisting of cartilage, they all have curves and folds that function to collect sound waves and channel them into the auditory or ear canal. Before going further, let's review the basic mechanism of sound.
Sound, as we hear it, is provided by vibrations of air molecules that travel as small waves of pressure through the air at approximately 740 miles per hour. The waves of sound act something like ripples on the surface of a pond spreading out after a stone has been thrown in. When the sound waves reach the outer ear, the energy is funneled through the ear canal to the ear drum which vibrates according to the energy of the wave. The vibrations of the eardrum are transferred to the middle ear and the inner ear, and finally to the brain for interpretation. With that big picture in mind, let's go back to pick up more details.
After the outer ear gathers the energy of the sound wave, it is funneled through the auditory canal. The auditory canal, which measures about 1 inch long by 1/4 inch in diameter, channels the sound energy gathered by the outer ear to the ear drum or tympanic membrane. There the pressure of the sound wave will press upon the eardrum according to the intensity of the vibration. The auditory canal is cleverly shaped as a funnel to focus the wave vibrations. Shaped well for sound transmission, the auditory canal also slopes to keep water from settling against the tympanic membrane under usual circumstances. The form and dimensions of the auditory canal are just right for transmitting sound and for keeping outer ear infections to a minimum.
The inner boundary of the outer ear is the external side of the tympanic membrane. This ear drum is a thin, skin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. It is shaped like a flat cone, and it functions to transmit sound vibrations from the air to the ossicles of the middle ear. The tympanic membrane has amazing sensitivity. The energy of the slightest detectable sound moves the ear drum only about 1 millionth of an inch. Try to imagine dividing an inch into 1 million equal parts, and you'll begin to imagine just how amazing, how marvelous, our sense of hearing really is.
Cerumen or earwax plays a vital role within the outer ear. Cerumen is produced in the external auditory canal by wax producing glands. Cerumen lubricates and cleans the interior auditory canal, and provides a protective coating that helps to keep the canal from becoming infected. Caution should be observed when using cotton swabs or other tools around the ears. Neither should be inserted deeply into the ear canals. Earwax can become impacted when swabs are pushed deeply into the ear canals, while other objects can abrade the thin layer of skin that lines the canals, exposing them to inflammation or infection. Generally, it is best to leave earwax inside the ear canal to serve its purpose. It is there for good reasons, and for most people cerumen migrates continually toward the ear opening, sweeping the ear clean of dirt and dead skin cells.
For some people, however, this self-cleaning function of the cerumen fails, especially in later life. In that case, periodic cleaning by a physician may be necessary. But, for most of us, most of the time, only the outermost part of the canal needs cleaning. If you are using cotton swabs to clean your ears, please exercise caution.
At least two common causes of ringing in ears can arise within the outer ears: impacted earwax and otitis externa, or inflammation or infection of the outer ear, sometimes referred to as swimmer's ear. Both of these tinnitus causes can be identified easily and can be treated by the methods of conventional tinnitus treatment. For tinnitus that arises from other causes, a good holistic regimen such as Tinnitus Miracle is recommended.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/the-outer-ear-in-relation-to-tinnitus-2790280.html
About the Author
To learn more about how to stop ringing ears, you may visit http://vanquishtinnitus.com, and please take advantage of our free 7-part video, Tinnitus Cure Companion, for more information about our human ears and hearing, and more tinnitus help.
Is it ok for a baby with outer ear infection (otitis externa) that is under treatment to travel by plane?
She is being given ear drops for the infection. In fact we are travelling across the continent from Asia to America in a 14 hour flight. Anyways, is it ok to travel with her? I know about feeding her during take off and landing, so I’m going to do that as well. In fact, we still have 12 more days until departure from Asia, and she is on ear drops for these five days. I am hoping it will clear by then. It’s just that it took a long time, first started as a middle ear infection, and now it is outer ear infection. Is one the cause of the other? Or unrelated? She generally seems to be having some allergy, and she is on zyrtec for that. She has been also on Zantac since she was born due to her reflex condition. thanks.
Otits Externa (outer ear infection) and neomycin drops?
I was recently diagnosed with otitis externa. The entire side of my face and ear hurt and I had fluid on the ear canal/tympanic membrane, although I don’t think it was ‘trapped’ fluid. My Dr. prescribed ‘neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and hydrocortisone otic solution’ drops. I have read COUNTLESS dire warnings about the effects of neomycin and cochlear damage. Now, I am putting this stuff in my ear. This sounds odd (no pun intended). After a day of use, (3 applications 4 drops each) my entire ear swelled up, turned red, and I got some sort of freaky red rash with clear blisters on my outer ear, ear lobe, and other areas the medication touched. I called my Dr. and he switched my drops to a quinalone solution. I’m not totally convinced my Dr. checked for tympanic perforation when he examined my ear with the otoscope. He just merely claimed he saw fluid. What are my REAL risks of hearing loss with one days worth of application of this stuff? Also, why was his first choice not a quinalone otic solution or derivative thereof? If you are a nurse, Dr., or know someone who is, please let me know the answer to these questions. The answer to these will give warning to other folks too. Let’s not have a world of deaf people.
P.S.
(I have already googled and yahoo’d this to death, and read that the pill form is more common for this type of reaction. Also, I read that the ear drop solution would have to be used for more than 10 days for something like this to happen. I would prefer hearing it from a medical professional who knows the facts. There are some sites that say one treatment can cause problems.)
P.P.S. (Also, I don’t want endless home remedies as replies as I already know most these…..alcohol, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, etc. My condition was too severe for these things, that’s why I went to the Doc. My question is STRICTLY about the neomycin issue.)
**I should also add that the medication i was switched to was ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone ( and quinalone derivative and also a cortisone). Wondering if this is a better solution? No word of possible ear damage on this one.
Some interesting reading on this:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=5AE036486DA741FF5A590B490E316244.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=403398
…and the list goes on and on
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1937191
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/546320_8
seems like the quinolone route is uch safer. Now I know…..
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0999/is_/ai_63856612
Ear infection??… Please read my symptoms..? Am I in Danger??
(?
Im a guy. 28. having a bad ear problem.
A little while ago my ear became blocked – wax build up im guessing…
The other day it was REALLY bugging me so I (stupidly) put a cotton swab in there and gave it a little wiggle, just to try to dislodge some wax.It wasnt in there long.
Then I gave the back of my ear a rub (I was once told this helps to loosen up the build up of wax?). Instead of hearing/feeling wax squelching around, I felt some sort of liquid being released?
No liquid drained out of my ear, so I stuck another cotton stick in there to see what the liquid was. When I pulled it, on the tip, there was a small amount of blood. Not a lot. In fact I wouldnt have known there was blood present if I didnt stick the 2nd tip in there.
Well anyway, I put some drops in for a day or so, and that seemed to loosen the wax a little but:
my ear is still blocked
my outer ear is red, a little swallen, itchy.
I feel tired
face feels tight/tired
feels like an elastic band around my head
no pain in the ear
ever so slight head ache on and off
In the past, I have been a bit of a hypercodriact and have worried about silly little things. Am I right to be worrying about this? Ive been told I can die and now Im scared.
x
;*o(
Bouts of nausea? Please help!?
I have been having episodes of vertigo for the past month. Within the last two weeks I have become extremely nauseous but with no vomiting. I went to the Doc and she said I had an outer ear infection and fluid in both of my middle ears, which could be causing the nausea/dizziness. She gave me ear drops and told me to take Sudafed religiously for a week. I have been doing that for 4 days now and yesterday thought I was getting better. My dizziness is pretty much gone but now the nausea is HORRIBLE. It feels like i have tons of phlegm in the back of my throat but there is none. Everytime I swallow it feels like something is stuck back there. I constantly feel like I’m going to vomit. And I keep getting these sizzling sounds coming from my throat. Anyone know what this could be? I know 100% fact that I am not pregnant due to abstinence.
I think I’ve got an ear infection, what should I do now?
Hi,
So I used cotton swabs about one and a half weeks ago and I also use headphones. My hearing suddenly went one day and it was muffled for a few days until I flushed out all my deep ear earwax with one of those ear drop things that you use for 3 days. My ear still hurt but I just put it down to the fact that I had a pea sized lump of wax come out of my ear. The earache and discomfort settled down a little but now it’s flared up again, and it seems to be worse at night. I get stabbing pains in my ear, and it hurts and itches when I pull on my outer ear. Also the skin inside appeared to be flaking a little a few days ago, and I’ve been getting lots of watery yellow wax/discharge. My ear canal is a little swollen too.
I’m pretty sure that I’ve got swimmers ear, but I’m unsure as to whether it’s acute or what I can do about it. So what should I do now? Is there anything I can do to reduce the swelling? Should I see a doctor for antibiotics or will it go down on its own?
Thanks
An outer ear infection can become an inner ear infection, not the other way around. I would ask the doctor if he thought is would be ok.
It’s really hard to miss a tympanic rupture, and for there to be fluid behind the tympanic membrane the eardrum had to be intact. So yes, your doctor checked and verified it was intact before he gave you the prescription. Your risk of hearing loss due to the medication are really low, much less than the risk of loss due to an untreated, or unresolved inner ear infection. His first choice was the neomycin otic drops because that is the most effective treatment available, and one that is most easily tolerated by the greatest number of people. It also contains hydrocortisone, which helps with inflammation and pain. You may have reacted to the medication, you may also have reacted to the carrier base. They assume first it is a reaction to the medication, and since there is not neomycin otic prep in a different base, it means swapping to a second choice medication. That’s what your doctor did. If you have ever used Bacitracin on a skin wound, and didn’t have a problem, chances are it was a reaction to the carrier- however, you did react, you got switched, and should be just fine. If you were going to go deaf, statistically speaking it would be more likely due to excessive noise exposure from your earbuds, not the ear drops. If the doctor said you had fluid behind the eardrum, your tympanic membrane was intact, and you can relax on that score. And by the way, if you do own and use earbuds, and they have a spongy wrap- you need new ones because the bacteria that gave you the infection are probably living in that sponge. Otherwise, you can just clean them off with soap and water, carefully.
Edit- Relax, here. Your Ciprodex drops will do just fine. You will be a lot calmer if you quit googling and second guessing your doctor. The companies are required by law to list all those possible side effects, complications and what not. All medications come with possible problems, everything you eat or drink does as well. The thing is you have to pose the risk of one against the risk of the other. In your case, you have an active ear infection which is too far advanced for the usual less agressive treatments- like the vinegar, etc. An infection anywhere in the body needs to be eliminated, and it’s obvious your body isn’t able to do this on its own. The cipro part will interfere with the bacteria’s ability to produce proteins they need to survive. Some of it will be absorbed by your body, which will also deal with anything going on inside your ear as well. The dexamethasone is just a different type of steroid, which will help with the inflammation inside your ear canal. That will help with the discomfort as well. It’s not necessarily the first choice treatment, but it works well and in your case is the choice treatment because you reacted to the neomycin. Again, your risk of hearing loss due to the medication is still less than the risk if it remains untreated. It really just comes down to a matter of whether you trust your doctor or not. You went to him for his expertise, and now you must decide to follow the advice or not. I would recommend you relax and trust the medicine. That is your best shot at preserving your hearing.
Sorry you are dealing with this. Hope you feel better soon.
Yes, you should see a doctor when you get a chance.
However, in the meantime, try putting a few drops of apple cider vinegar in the ear. Or, you could use garlic oil or mullein oil. You could even use a few drops of tea tree oil (diluted in olive oil). All these home remedies will help kill the infection until you are able to get to a doctor.
For more information on using these, visit http://www.my-home-remedies.com/home-remedies-for-earache.html
Best wishes
take some Mucinex, that will clear up any phlegm in your throat/chest. If you get dizzy again, take some Bonine, it’s for motion sickness, but it’s Meclizine and will help with nausea/dizziness.
nice video…!
that's CUTE!!! i must star it!
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