Symptoms of fluid in ears

All the issues resulting in the accumulation of the fluid in ears begin with some kind of a problem in the Eustachian tube. Eustachian tube is the tube that connects the middle ear to the pharynx and it is also supposed to protect the middle ear and keep it drained.

There is a variety of causes that can lead to the creation of fluid in the ears, beginning from some kind of an obstruction in the Eustachian tube, to infections or even a cold or flu. The way that something like a cold or flu, that has absolutely nothing to do with the middle ear, can cause it because the nose, the mouth and the ears are all closely connected. Therefore, it is not at all unusual for some of the symptoms of one of them to affect the other.

The name for the fluid in the ears in medicine is otitis media witheffusion.

What are the symptoms of the fluid in the ears?

It is not rare for the fluid in the ears to manifest no symptoms whatsoever, which makes some cases pretty hard to diagnose. Sometimes the condition can go on unnoticed for a very long time, and it is only when it causes some other complications that the doctor is able to detect it as the underlying cause. The conditions that it mostly provokes are in the respiratory system and it is usually some sort ofinfection.

However,when the symptoms do manifest themselves, they include ear discomfort which can be manifested through pain, buzzing, impaired hearing, fever, lightheadedness and difficulty sleeping.

What is the course of treatment for the fluid in ears?

The course of treatment for the fluid in ears can depend on the doctor. While some doctors may choose antibiotics to deal with the condition, most of them will advise to let it go away on its own. Of course, this doesn’t mean that one has to suffer through the unpleasant symptoms that may arise from it and some pain-relieving medications are always prescribed. These can be either painkillers or a particular kind of ear drops, or in some more intense cases, a combination of both.

Another way to relieve the symptoms is to hold cloths soaked in warm water on the ears. Finally, this condition is far from being complicated and dangerous and only in the rarest of cases will the fluid need to be drained by a professional.