What is the medical term for abnormal discharge from the ear?

What is the medical term for abnormal discharge from the ear?

Ear discharge (otorrhea) is drainage from the ear. The drainage may be watery, bloody, or thick and whitish, like pus (purulent).

What means discharge from the ear?

Overview. Ear discharge, also known as otorrhea, is any fluid that comes from the ear. Most of the time, your ears discharge earwax. This is an oil that your body naturally produces. The job of earwax is to make sure that dust, bacteria, and other foreign bodies don’t get into your ear.

What is the medical term for absence of hearing?

Hearing Loss in Adults People over age 50 may experience gradual hearing loss over the years due to age-related changes in the ear or auditory nerve. The medical term for age-related hearing loss is presbycusis.

What does Otopyorrhea mean?

[ ō′tō-pī′ə-rē′ə ] n. Chronic otitis media resulting in perforation of the eardrum and a purulent discharge.

Does ear drainage mean infection?

Cloudy fluid or pus draining from the ear canal usually means there’s an ear infection. The pus drains because there’s a small tear in the eardrum. To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).

Can an ear infection cause a cyst?

Repeated infections and/or and a tear or retraction of the eardrum can cause the skin to toughen and form an expanding sac. Cholesteatomas often devolop as cysts or pouches that shed layers of old skin, which build up inside the middle ear.

What’s purulent drainage?

Purulent drainage is a sign of infection. It’s a white, yellow, or brown fluid and might be slightly thick in texture. It’s made up of white blood cells trying to fight the infection, plus the residue from any bacteria pushed out of the wound. There may be an unpleasant smell to the fluid, as well.

What causes purulent ear discharge?

Pus or cloudy fluid coming from the ear can be a sign of an ear infection in the ear canal or middle ear. The ear canal is the tube that joins the outer ear to the middle ear. An infection of the middle ear, which doctors may refer to as otitis media, can cause fluid discharge from the ear.