Earache Otitis Externa

Otitis externa

Earache Otitis Externa is also known as Swimmer’s ear and is characterized by the swelling, redness and inflammation of the outer ear canal. This area is from the eardrums/tympanic membrane to the external portion of the outer ear. As its popular layman’s term implies, this type of ear problem is often caused due to repeated exposure of the ears to water making the ear canal more susceptible to inflammation. Some of the symptoms of otitis externa may include moderate to severe ear pain, a certain level of temporary auditory impairment/hearing loss and the discharge of pus or liquid from the affected ear.

Alternative Treatment Efficacy According to GRADE* Ranking:

Naturopathic Medicine:

Recommendation: weakly in favor (available evidence shows that Naturopathic medicine may be slightly more effective in treating ear pain than conventional anesthetic drops)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Public Discussion