What is Otitis media with

effusion (OME)?

Otitis media with effusion is one of the diseases of

chronic otitis media. The middle ear does not allow

ventilation through the eustachian tube to nasal cavity.

As a result, the secretion would stay in the middle ear

that can cause deafness.

Symptoms

OME usually affects hearing

acuity but it may not be

symptomatic. It will cause

some patients suffer from low

to medium level of hearing loss

and cause speech developmental

delay in children. In some serve cases, it would

damage the structure of middle ear. If untreated, the

ear bone and eardrum may become sclerotic which will

cause permanent hearing loss.

Risk Factors

Otitis media with effusion can affect

anyone at any age. Moreover,

it is a common disease in

children. Nasopharyngeal

c a rc i noma need s t o

be excluded in adult

patients.

What is Otitis media?

Otitis media is inflammation of the

middle ear, or middle ear infection.

Symptoms

Otitis media includes acute otitis media and chronic

otitis media.

The symptoms of acute otitis media includes ear pain,

fever, deafness and ringing in the ear.

Common symptoms of chronic otitis media includes ear

purulent discharge, perforated ear-drum, deafness and

tinnitus. In serve cases, there may be cholesteatoma

and leading to intracranial complications.

Risk Factors

It is a common disease in children aged below 8 but it

can affect anyone at any age.

Causes

This type of infection is caused by upper respiratory

tract infection. The bacteria virus propagate in the

middle ear through eustachian tube which causes

inflammation and even perforation of eardrum. Also,

allergic rhinitis or sinusitis is the predisposing factor in

otitis media as long-term nasal blockage may cause

otitis media.

Treatment

• Antibiotic

• Eliminate predisposing factors

like allergic rhinitis or sinusitis

What is Rupture of the Eardrum?

The eardrum separates the middle ear and external ear

canal. If it is perforated, bacteria or fungus can enter

into the middle ear causing inflammation and pus

discharge.

Symptoms

Common symptoms are:

• Hearing loss

• Ringing in the ears

• Otorrhoea

• It may not be symptomatic

Causes

• Acute / chronic suppurative

otitis media

• Traumatic accident

• Diving

• Explosion

Treatment

The doctor would provide an appropriate treatment to

the patient depending on different circumstances and

the size of perforation of eardrum.

While the rupture of eardrum is occurred recently, in

general, it may be self-recovered. It is appropriate that

the patient is kept under observation.

After a certain period of time if the rupture of eardrum

has not recovered, the patient could consider to

undergo the tympanoplasty to repair the rupture of

eardrum. If left untreated or not heal up, it would

become chronic suppurative otitis media.

COMMON EAR DISEASES

Causes

The causes including allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion,

sinusitis, acute otitis media, tonsilladenoid hypertrophy,

nasopharyngeal carcinoma and so on. Those diseases

would cause the inflammation and blockage of

eustachian tube. As a result, the effusion cannot

eliminate. While more than one risk factors have

been incurred, it is advisable to seek medical advice to

conduct an ear check up.

Treatment

The doctor would use an otoscope to check the ear

to diagnose OME. In some cases, hearing tests will

need to be done. In the early stage of treatment,

antihistamine and/or antibiotic are provided. While the

otitis media with effusion lasts for 3 months or it has

affected the hearing, operation on eardrum needs to

be done. The grommet is implanted on the eardrum

that can recover the function of eustachian tube

including ventilation and elimination of effusion.

an affect

over,

n

Normal Eardrum

Eardrum perforation

• Toileting of the ear

• Repair the ear

drum

Acute otitis media

Otitis media with effusion