There are many reasons leading to ear swelling. Symptom is swelling inside or outside the ear, auditory canal. The complexity of treatment lies in the proximity of the brain tissue. With a strong inflammatory process, head sections may be affected.
Ear edema
Edema is not an individual diagnosis. Often he accompanies otitis. With it, fluid retention and redistribution of sodium chloride occur.
As the pressure in the vessels increases, the fluid quickly accumulates, causing a similar symptom. If the problem is caused by damage to the network of lymphatic vessels, the fluid enters the tissue.
Swelling of the ear shell can be observed with othematomes, perihondritis of the external ear. Often preconditions are mechanical injuries, bumps and bruises.
Swelling of the auditory tube leads to a violation of ventilation and the formation of purulent processes. The tube itself becomes narrower, which leads to a violation of audibility on the affected side.
Reasons for
The causes of edema include:
- injury,
- foreign bodies,
- infection,
- allergies,
- neoplasm.
Injuries and foreign bodies
Trauma can be external, middle, inner ear. The cause is determined to determine the treatment regimen. Almost always puffiness arises from the puncture of the lobe or cartilage. It can appear because of cosmetic procedure or because of sloppy actions. Edema of the outer ear occurs due to:
- stroke,
- fall from a height,
- by an animal or insect bite.
Additionally, redness, bruising, bruising may appear.
Middle ear edema is often associated with a pressure drop inside the ear canal that causes barotrauma. Sometimes puffiness appears with a loud kiss in the ear. Despite the harmlessness of many reasons, they can cause significant harm to the tympanic membrane.
Pathology often occurs in athletes. Especially among fans of scuba diving. If a person's profession is associated with getting injuries, regular hemorrhages and blockage of subcutaneous vessels occur. Often such deformations are irreversible.
How to remove a foreign body from the ear, see in our video:
Viral and inflammatory diseases
This reason is one of the most common. Microbes and viruses can lead to inflammation. This is accompanied by hearing loss, pain. To aggravate the situation may be weak immunity, insufficient amount of vitamins in the body, chronic diseases.
The usual precondition is acute respiratory infections that affect the nose and throat. When the inflammation passes into the ear cavity, inflammation and swelling begin. First there is pain, then overall health worsens.
With otitis in diffuse form, an insignificant narrowing of the passage is detected. Then the swelling is detected already during the examination. With limited otitis inflammation of the hair follicle occurs. In addition to puffiness, there is a lot of pain, which increases during the conversation.
Allergies
Allergy may become a cause of swelling of the auricle. Patients may develop Quincke's edema, which manifests itself as an increase in the entire face, cheekbone or neck. In this case, edema can be:
- hereditary,
- acquired,
- medication,
- allergic.
Sometimes there is a slight swelling of pale pink shade. This indicates the appearance of dermatitis. The duration of such a reaction usually does not exceed 2 days.
Tumors and neoplasms
If there is a tumor or an oncological disease, swelling may be accompanied by nausea, weakness, or bleeding from the ear. The most commonly found cancer of the auricle. With it, the symptoms and swelling depend on the prevalence zone. The main symptoms are: hearing loss, pain and noise, vestibular disorders.
Swelling in the neoplasm can be painful or not.
How does a middle ear tumor with otoscopy:
Other causes of
Swelling may appear due to perichondritis. When the disease affects the cartilaginous tissue, so the lobe is not affected. Inflammation is diffuse, accompanied by reddening of the skin. In addition, there is a glossy gloss, redness, an increase in temperature at the site of infection.
Another reason is the formation of a hematoma. Inflammatory process occurs because of hemorrhage and blood accumulation between the membrane and the cartilage itself. Accumulating in the upper part of the ear, blood leads to a change in the contours of the ear.
On photo edema of the ear of different pathogenesis
Provoking factors
The provoking factors are internal and external. The first include diseases. For example, with nasopharyngeal disease, bacteria enter the child's ear, causing it to swell. External factors include sports, mechanical, chemical and other injuries.
Edema resulting from exposure to one of the factors causes pain, and sometimes, with improper treatment, the situation can become more complicated. Then more serious impact will be required.
Diagnosis and necessary examination
If swelling occurs, seek medical attention. He will conduct a visual inspection of the external ear and surrounding tissues. The correctness of the anatomical structure is assessed. This may reveal puffiness and behind the ear.
The second method is otoscopy. By means of a special device, a beam of light is directed to the middle sections. This makes it possible to reveal the locality of the lesion. Sometimes palpation is carried out using a special button probe.
The latter is similar to a metal rod that is bent at both ends. In rare cases, the radiation method of diagnosis is assigned. It allows you to see the damage to the inner ear, brain, and also to reveal the nature of the development of puffiness.
Treatment
Ear edema can be removed:
- medically,
- physiotherapy,
- folk remedies.
Medication
The course of exposure depends on the cause of the disease. Used:
- Antibacterial drugs.
- Antifungal drugs.
- Anti-inflammatory ointments.
The introduction of liquid preparations can occur using the catheterization method through the nasal cavity or with the administration of medication through the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube. Simultaneously, the treatment of nasopharyngeal diseases is carried out in order to avoid re-entry of the infection spreading it in the ear.
Physiotherapy
Electrophoresis is used for symptomatic relief. Due to the current, the active components of the preparations penetrate into the deepest tissues, causing the cells to regenerate faster. Positive dynamics is observed with UHF, UHF and with the use of various inhalations.
Physiotherapy has anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory process. The penetration rate of pathogenic microorganisms decreases, various blood parameters improve. When treated in such ways, recovery is faster.
Folk remedies
Many doctors recommend using propolis. The tincture is made: 1 tbsp.l.propolis is filled with 100 ml of alcohol. The mixture must be infused for several days in a dark and cool room. Then it remains to moisten the gauze and insert it into the ear. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
Compresses based on camphor oil and boric alcohol can be used. These components are mandatory only after receiving a doctor's consultation. This is due to the fact that in some diseases their use is unacceptable.
If the swelling has just appeared, then warm salt will help. She warms up in a frying pan, after which she wraps herself in gauze. The compress lasts until the salt cools. The procedure should be carried out several times a day.
More information about medical and folk methods of treating inflammation and edema of the ear, see in our video:
Possible complications of
If there is swelling of the ear, you should immediately consult a doctor. In some cases, for example, with Quincke's edema, it can lead to a fatal outcome. Among the popular complications is the development of hearing loss, deformation of cartilage or tissues.
Forecast
With a timely begun treatment, the prognosis is favorable. With the correct establishment of the prerequisites that caused edema, properly prescribed treatment, you can forever forget about the problem. Independent attempts to get rid of this sign can lead to the formation of an abscess, as well as purulent inflammation.