Differentiating otitis externa from other diseases
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Luke Rusowicz-Orazem, B.S.; Tarek Nafee, M.D. [2]
Overview
Acute otitis externa must be differentiated from other diseases that cause otalgia, ear itching, otorrhea, erythema and edema of the ear canal, hearing loss, ear pressure, and dermatitis.
Differentiating Otitis Externa From Other Diseases
Acute otitis externa must be differentiated from other diseases that cause otalgia, ear itching, otorrhea, erythema and edema of the ear canal, hearing loss, ear pressure, and dermatitis.[1][2]
| Disease | Findings |
|---|---|
| Otitis media | The inflammation of the middle ear. Usually presents with otalgia, feelings of “fullness” in the ear, otorrhea, partial hearing loss. Differentiates itself from otitis externa by also usually presenting with common cold symptoms from the causative pathogen, as well as neurological symptoms from the buildup of effusion in the tympanic membrane, including poor attention span, delayed speech development, clumsiness, and poor balance. Otitis media is differentiated from otitis externa in that it primarily affects children up to 5 years old.[3][4] |
| Infectious Myringitis | The inflammation of the tympanic membrane. Usually presents with otalgia, otorrhea, and partial hearing loss. Differentiates itself from otitis externa by presenting blisters on the tympanic membrane. Additionally, the primary cause is mycoplasmic bacterial infection.[5] |
| Sinusitis | Inflammation of the sinuses. Presents with fever, weakness, cough, nasal congestion, dizziness, and post-nasal drip. Nasal congestion can result in feelings of “fullness” in the middle ear that can manifest similarly to otitis externa. Sinusitis differentiates from otitis externa in that there is usually no ear pain or suppurative discharge.[6] |
| Meniere’s Disease | Presents with hearing loss, and feelings of “fullness” in the inner ear[7]. Usually affects individuals between aged 40 and 60 years old. Caused by buildup of fluid in the inner ear. Differentiates from otitis media in that there is usually no ear pain or suppurative discharge, as well as presenting with severe dizziness and tinnitus.[8] |
References
- ↑ “Otitis externa – Symptoms – NHS Choices”.
- ↑ “Swimmer’s ear : MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”.
- ↑ “Ear infection – acute: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”.
- ↑ Qureishi A, Lee Y, Belfield K, Birchall JP, Daniel M (2014). “Update on otitis media – prevention and treatment”. Infect Drug Resist. 7: 15–24. doi:10.2147/IDR.S39637. PMC 3894142. PMID 24453496.
- ↑ “Infectious myringitis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia”.
- ↑ “Sinusitis: MedlinePlus”.
- ↑ “Ménière’s Disease | NIDCD”.
- ↑ “Meniere’s Disease: MedlinePlus”.
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