Otitis externa. A common, often self-inflicted condition.
Otitis externa can be caused by trauma to the ear canal, skin disorders, and viral and bacterial infections. Often the disease is self-inflicted; insertion of an object into the canal in an attempt to clean the ear interferes with the ear's own cleansing mechanism and causes inflammation and infection. Swimmers, persons who wear a hearing aid, and persons who have had an ear disorder are especially prone to infection and may need to take special precautions. Appropriate treatment, including instillation of drops, cleansing of the canal, and drug therapy, usually prevents recurrence. Surgical intervention may be necessary to enlarge a tiny canal or remove exostoses and osteomas. A rare form of otitis externa is "malignant" external otitis, which usually affects diabetic patients and has a high mortality.
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D013550:Swimming