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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Ear Drainage, Bad Smell. Started After Removing Ear Tubes Put 9 Years Ago. Suggestions?

My ear drains all time and has a bad smell to it. The drainage runs out of my ear and runs down on my lobes. I am a 78 year old woman. About 9 years ago the doctor put ear tubes in they didn't come out so he took them out.. It was very painful when he removed them. I have had trouble with them ever since. I try to keep water out . I would love to go swimming but don't want to to get water in my ears. HELP
Shirley
I don't have the ,money
Thu, 10 Oct 2013
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ENT Specialist,  's  Response
Your ear drums seem to have perforations and that is leading to infection in your middle ears. The tube which are put in ears are usually self extruding and the perforation heals on its own. If they need to be removed, the ear drum can have a persisting perforation. The foul smell can be because of super added infection but can also be because of infection involving the bone of ear or certain specific pathologies (unsafe CSOM) which needs to be ruled out by an ENT examination. If it is simple perforation, you need to take antibiotics for some time to dry the discharge and after that you can undergo surgery (myringoplasty) for repair of ear drums. After that surgery you can do swimming as in a normal ear. Regards
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Ear Drainage, Bad Smell. Started After Removing Ear Tubes Put 9 Years Ago. Suggestions?

Your ear drums seem to have perforations and that is leading to infection in your middle ears. The tube which are put in ears are usually self extruding and the perforation heals on its own. If they need to be removed, the ear drum can have a persisting perforation. The foul smell can be because of super added infection but can also be because of infection involving the bone of ear or certain specific pathologies (unsafe CSOM) which needs to be ruled out by an ENT examination. If it is simple perforation, you need to take antibiotics for some time to dry the discharge and after that you can undergo surgery (myringoplasty) for repair of ear drums. After that surgery you can do swimming as in a normal ear. Regards