What should I do if otitis media causes a fever?

Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
Updated on November 02, 2024
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Otitis media is an acute infectious inflammation of the ear, which can also be chronic. Fever indicates that the otitis media is an acute inflammation, and the presence of fever, indicating an increase in body temperature, suggests that the inflammation is relatively intense and severe. Therefore, it is mainly necessary to provide enhanced anti-infection treatment. Otitis media is primarily a bacterial infection, so the main treatment is the use of cephalosporin antibiotics. Generally, when there is a fever, blood can be drawn to check a complete blood count to see the level of white blood cells, indicating the degree of infection. Clinically, infusion anti-infection treatment is generally provided, mainly using cephalosporin antibiotics. If the pain is significant and the temperature is high, corticosteroids can also be used for combined treatment.

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Written by Li Mao Cai
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Can you swim with otitis media?

Patients with otitis media should not swim, whether it is acute or chronic otitis media. This is because water can enter the ear during swimming. Once dirty water enters the ear, especially in cases of chronic otitis media, it can lead to an acute episode of chronic otitis media. Many patients with chronic otitis media have a perforated eardrum. Without the protection of the eardrum, dirty water can directly enter the middle ear, causing an acute episode of otitis media. This can result in suppuration, ear discharge, and further deep infections, such as infections reaching the deep bone tissue of the mastoid, which requires a long time to treat and might even necessitate surgical intervention. If it is the acute phase of otitis media, the entry of water can irritate the eardrum or cause the pus in the middle ear to worsen, further hindering recovery and exacerbating the condition.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Does otitis media require intravenous therapy?

Otitis media refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the tympanic membrane, tympanic cavity, or mastoid cavity. Whether otitis media requires intravenous (IV) therapy mainly concerns acute suppurative otitis media. Generally, if the symptoms of otitis media are mild, such as ear pain without ear discharge, fever, headache, etc., IV therapy is usually not necessary. If the patient's symptoms are severe, such as intense ear pain, discharge from the ear, or even fever and other systemic symptoms, then IV anti-infection treatment should be considered. It is also common to perform a complete blood count to check the number of white blood cells; a high white blood cell count further supports the need for IV anti-infection treatment.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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How is acute otitis media treated?

Acute otitis media is caused by bacterial infection. It is an infectious inflammation of the middle ear chamber, eardrum, or mastoid cavity. Since it is a bacterial infection, the primary treatment choice is anti-infection therapy, specifically the use of antibiotics. Currently, in clinical practice under the guidance of a doctor, cephalosporin antibiotics are mainly used. At the same time, certain antibiotic ear drops should not be used, such as ofloxacin ear drops and lomefloxacin ear drops, especially in cases of acute otitis media with severe symptoms like fever and headache. Based on the condition, we also consider anti-infection treatment through infusion. Infusion refers to the intravenous use of cephalosporin antibiotics, among others. Additionally, some corticosteroids can be used to enhance the anti-infection effects.

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Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
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What should be paid attention to for otitis media?

Otitis media requires careful attention to avoid water entering the ear and patients digging into their ears, as well as keeping warm to reduce the chances of catching colds and coughing. Otherwise, otitis media may recur and fail to heal. Otitis media is a common disease in otolaryngology and can be divided into several types, including acute otitis media and chronic suppurative otitis media. For acute otitis media, it usually follows a cold or cough, and patients often exhibit clear symptoms of bacterial infection. Treatment typically involves antibiotics and ear drops, and patients' otitis media can usually be cured. The causative factors for chronic suppurative otitis media mainly include infection of the middle ear cavity and cholesteatoma. Treatment often requires a radical mastoidectomy to achieve cure. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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How is otitis media caused?

Otitis media primarily refers to the inflammation of the tympanic membrane, tympanic cavity, and mastoid in the middle ear. Clinically, the main causes of otitis media include the following: firstly, infectious factors, which are mainly bacterial infections. Bacteria can infect the middle ear through the external auditory canal, through the Eustachian tube from the nasopharynx to the tympanic cavity of the middle ear, or via the bloodstream to the tympanic cavity, tympanic membrane, and mastoid, leading to symptoms of otitis media. These are our pathways of infection. So, what causes these infections? Or what factors might influence the occurrence of these infections, that is, the occurrence of otitis media? Key factors include decreased immunity in children, increased virulence of bacterial infections, which involves highly infectious bacteria, and our anatomical structure, namely, the imperfection or incompleteness of the middle ear structure and the anatomical connections between the ears.