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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Drainage From Ear

I have had drainage from my left ear some quite some time. I was never told but it was mentioned by the ENT specialist to my PCP that it could be a cholestoma. method of treatment has been antibiotic for ears (Cipro), draining, a purple stain. I can t stand the drainage. ..any suggestion?
Thu, 18 Sep 2014
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ENT Specialist,  's  Response
Hi. Treatment for drainage from the ear has a step-by-step approach. If I were your treating physician I would recommend you the following steps to manage your ear drainage.

1. To identify if the ear drainage due to a cholesteatoma disease - If your discharge is scanty, blood tinged, foul smelling and sticky then it is suggestive of cholesteatoma. If you have profuse, sticky, clear or yellowish discharge which is not bad smelling then it is due to some other middle ear disease.

2. Get a hearing test (Pure Tone Audiogram) - If there is a conductive hearing loss of more than 30% it means that there is involvement of the bony ossicles within the ear and suggestive of cholesteatoma. If it is less than 30% then it only means that the eardrum has a perforation with some middle ear disease.

3. Get a high resolution CT scan of the temporal bone - If cholesteatoma is there then it will be seen (sac) and associated bony erosion will also be seen.

4. Management - If it is confirmed that this is cholesteatoma then the only suggested management is surgery - Modified radical mastoidectomy. Medicines cannot cure cholesteatoma.

If it is not cholesteatoma and if there is ear discharge due to chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM - Mucosal) then it is advised that the ear is kept dry, especially during a bath. A cotton wick soaked in vaseline or petroleum jelly can be placed in the ear during a bath to prevent water from entering in the ears. A course of oral antibiotics can help resolve the disease. The ear drum perforation may heal in 6-8 weeks if the ear is kept dry or else it can be surgically repaired.

For any type of ear discharge, any nasal allergies or sinus diseases must be kept under control since they can worsen the ear disease due to the natural connection created by the Eustachian Tube.

It is recommended that you see your ENT specialist soon and discuss this protocol for management and achieve complete remission from the disease. Any ear discharge will take atleast a week or two to stop. You will need to be patient during the process.

Hope this helps. Do let me know if you need any further assistance.
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Suggest Treatment For Drainage From Ear

Hi. Treatment for drainage from the ear has a step-by-step approach. If I were your treating physician I would recommend you the following steps to manage your ear drainage. 1. To identify if the ear drainage due to a cholesteatoma disease - If your discharge is scanty, blood tinged, foul smelling and sticky then it is suggestive of cholesteatoma. If you have profuse, sticky, clear or yellowish discharge which is not bad smelling then it is due to some other middle ear disease. 2. Get a hearing test (Pure Tone Audiogram) - If there is a conductive hearing loss of more than 30% it means that there is involvement of the bony ossicles within the ear and suggestive of cholesteatoma. If it is less than 30% then it only means that the eardrum has a perforation with some middle ear disease. 3. Get a high resolution CT scan of the temporal bone - If cholesteatoma is there then it will be seen (sac) and associated bony erosion will also be seen. 4. Management - If it is confirmed that this is cholesteatoma then the only suggested management is surgery - Modified radical mastoidectomy. Medicines cannot cure cholesteatoma. If it is not cholesteatoma and if there is ear discharge due to chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM - Mucosal) then it is advised that the ear is kept dry, especially during a bath. A cotton wick soaked in vaseline or petroleum jelly can be placed in the ear during a bath to prevent water from entering in the ears. A course of oral antibiotics can help resolve the disease. The ear drum perforation may heal in 6-8 weeks if the ear is kept dry or else it can be surgically repaired. For any type of ear discharge, any nasal allergies or sinus diseases must be kept under control since they can worsen the ear disease due to the natural connection created by the Eustachian Tube. It is recommended that you see your ENT specialist soon and discuss this protocol for management and achieve complete remission from the disease. Any ear discharge will take atleast a week or two to stop. You will need to be patient during the process. Hope this helps. Do let me know if you need any further assistance.