Due to the recent Omicron epidemic, more and more people come to the hospital with deafness or pain in their ears, even after suffering cold symptoms. This can be considered a case of otitis media due to inflammation caused by acute upper respiratory tract infection and repeated coughing.
Otitis media is an easy infection of the ear. But what part of the ear is inflamed? Our ears can be divided into outer, middle and inner ears. Among them, the middle ear refers to the space from the eardrum to the cochlea, and the middle ear cavity has an aoropharyngeal tube (ear tube) that is connected to the nasal cavity to control the pressure of the ear. The oropharyngeal canal (otal tube) regulates the pressure in the middle ear to equalize with the outside, which normally opens temporarily when we swallow or yawn, and usually remains closed. In addition, it has the function of draining mucus or foreign substances produced in the middle ear into the nasal space.
Inflammation of these otopharyngeal tubes (ear tubes) is called otitis media. In general, it is divided into acute otitis media and chronic otitis media according to the duration of inflammation. If the inflammation is accompanied by acute inflammation within 3 weeks, it is called acute otitis media, and if the inflammation continues beyond that, it can be classified as chronic otitis media. In the case of chronic otitis media, it can be divided into exudative otitis media when the inflammatory substance is clear and serous, and suppurative otitis media when the inflammatory substance is yellowish purulent.
In the case of the oropharyngeal tube (ear tube), the shape is different in adults and children. In general, in the case of children, the face is small and the oropharyngeal tube (ear tube) is not fully formed, so the length is relatively short, and it is often located horizontally from the nasal cavity to the eardrum. As the face grows and grows as an adult, the oropharyngeal tube (ear tube) becomes longer and is positioned close to vertical from a horizontal position. Therefore, otitis media appears more frequently in children than in adults with a relatively short and horizontally located otopharyngeal tube. Therefore, even if you have suffered from otitis media as a child, in many cases, otitis media will spontaneously improve as you become an adult.
Otitis media, as described above, often appears as inflammation spreads to the otopharyngeal tube after an acute cold occurs. However, not all otitis media is caused by the common cold. The causes of otitis media are very diverse and can be caused by viral or bacterial infection, but it can also occur when the function of the ear canal is poor, or it can be caused by allergies. Otitis media can be chronically persistent even after adulthood due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
Chronic otitis media is a persistent and chronic inflammatory state in the middle ear, and as the inflammatory state continues for a long time, hearing loss or symptoms such as hearing loss and dizziness may appear. Occasionally, the eardrum may be accompanied by symptoms such as effusion or purulent discharge from the ear, or the eardrum may be perforated as a result of a hole in the eardrum. If chronic otitis media does not recover properly with treatment, or if symptoms worsen, it may progress to otitis media, and in rare cases, intracranial complications.
In oriental medicine, rather than taking a symptomatic approach to alleviating symptoms caused by chronic otitis media, it is possible to improve the structural cause by identifying the structural and internal causes that inevitably cause repeated inflammation in the oropharyngeal tube. There is focus on treatment. In addition, it helps to improve chronic inflammatory conditions by identifying internal factors to restore weakened immunity and eustachian tube function, and provide prescriptions tailored to each individual’s constitution and symptoms.
I hope this will be helpful to all those who suffer from symptoms such as deafness, hearing loss, hearing loss, and dizziness due to persistent chronic otitis media.
(Writing: Misoro Oriental Clinic, Director Lee Bo-ram)