Infectious myringitis is an inflammation of the eardrum membrane inside the inner ear due to an infection, which can be viral or bacterial.
The symptoms start suddenly with a sensation of pain in the ear that lasts 24 to 48 hours. The person usually has a fever and there may be a decrease in hearing when the infection is bacterial.
The infection is often treated with antibiotics, but to relieve pain, pain relievers may also be indicated. When there is bullous myringitis, where small liquid-filled blisters are formed on the eardrum membrane, the doctor can rupture this membrane, which brings great pain relief.
Types of myringitis
Myringitis can be classified as:
- Bullous myringitis: when a blister forms over the eardrum causing severe pain, it is usually caused by Mycoplasma . Infectious myringitis: it is the presence of viruses or bacteria on the eardrum membrane Acute myringitis: it is exactly the same term as otitis media, or ear pain.
The causes of myringitis are usually related to a cold or flu because viruses or bacteria in the airways can reach the inner ear, where they proliferate causing this infection. Babies and children are the most affected.
How is the treatment
The treatment must be indicated by the doctor and is done with antibiotics and painkillers that should be used every 4, 6 or 8 hours. The antibiotic should be used for 8 to 10 days, according to the doctor's recommendation, and during treatment it is important to always keep your nose clean, removing all secretion.
You should go back to the doctor when, even after you have started using the antibiotic, the symptoms persist for the next 24 hours, especially fever, because this indicates that the antibiotic is not having the expected effect, and you need to change to another one.
In children who have more than 4 episodes of ear infection per year, the pediatrician may recommend that surgery be done to place a small tube inside the ear, under general anesthesia, to allow better ventilation, and to prevent further episodes of this disease. Another simpler possibility, but one that can be efficient, is to make the child fill an air balloon, only with the air that comes out of his nostrils.
