What Are the Most Common Symptoms of a Fungal Infection in the Ear?

Otomycosis is a conditional pathogenic fungus that invades the outer ear canal or inside the ear canal. Subacute or chronic inflammatory lesions of the outer ear canal caused by reproduction under appropriate conditions can be combined with bacterial infection. Fungal infections of the external ear canal are sometimes asymptomatic, and the common symptoms are mainly external ear canal discomfort, tenderness or itching, external ear canal obstruction, and hearing impairment. Secretion smears and fungal cultures can help determine the type of pathogenic bacteria, and if necessary, histological examinations are needed to help differential diagnosis and treatment.

Basic Information

nickname: External ear canal mycosis
Visiting department: ENT
Common locations: External auditory canal

Common causes: Swimming, bathing, ear-cutting injuries, etc. are all important triggers
Common symptoms: Itching and stuffiness in the ears, hearing loss and tinnitus, swelling, pain and pus, etc.

Causes of ear fungus

The disease is caused by a direct fungal infection. Incentives:

(1) The temperature and humidity of the environment increase, which changes the pH of the external auditory canal.

(2) lack.

(3) Long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the ear.

(4) Inflammation of the external auditory canal caused by swimming and ear cutting.

(5) Chronic systemic diseases, decreased body resistance, or long-term large-scale application of antibiotics throughout the body provide conditions for the growth of fungi.

Clinical manifestations of otomycosis

Common symptoms of fungal infections of the external ear canal include:

External ear canal discomfort

External ear canal discomfort, soreness or strange itching.

2. feeling of blocking

Due to the large number of fungi multiplying, clumps can form to block the external auditory canal and cause a sense of obstruction.

3. Wet external auditory canal

Fungal clumps are irritated, there may be a small amount of secretions in the external ear canal, and the patient feels that the external ear canal is humid.

4. Hearing impaired

The external ear canal is blocked, the tympanic membrane is invaded, and the patient may have hearing impairment, tinnitus, and even dizziness.

5. Pain

If the lesion is large or deep, there may be local pain.

6. infection

Some of the changes caused by fungi are mainly purulent and granulomas.

7. Other

Severe can cause facial paralysis, fungi can cause necrotizing external auditory canalitis, and some fungal infections can cause low to moderate fever throughout the body.

Otomycosis

Candidiasis infected the outer ear canal with flushing and erosion, with well-defined boundaries and covered with white or cream-like deposits. Aspergillus or yeast infections have hyphae in the external auditory canal. The color of the hyphae can be white, grayish yellow, gray, or brown. In the early stage of bacterial infection, papules or small pustules were scattered on the external auditory canal skin. Later, it developed into a shallow red ulcer with irregular red edges, granulation growth, and purulent discharge on the surface. Mucor infection pus infection, such as facial paralysis can cause various manifestations of facial paralysis.

1. Secretion smear, fungal culture

Secretion smears and fungal cultures can help determine the type of pathogenic bacteria, and if necessary, histological examination is needed to help differential diagnosis and treatment.

Hearing test

Hearing tests can tell you how much your hearing loss is.

Otomycosis diagnosis

Fungal people have blue smoke, black or yellow-white mold on the external ear canal, hyphae can be seen, and the contact with the skin is like.

Differential diagnosis of otomycosis

Differentiated from chronic external auditory canalitis. The main symptoms of chronic external ear canalitis are ear itch, ear tightness, ear leak, hearing loss, etc. It is a chronic or recurrent inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the external ear canal.

Ear fungus treatment

Use normal saline or 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean the fungal clumps and crusts. After wiping with a dry cotton swab, apply antifungal drugs such as daconin. When the external ear canal swells and oozes, put a small cotton tampon of 5% lead acetate solution into the external ear canal and replace it once or twice a day. Keep the external auditory canal dry and abstain from ear digging. In severe cases, antifungal drugs should be given intravenously.