Question

Recently, my child’s ears have been showing signs of discharge, sometimes accompanied by bleeding and an unpleasant smell. Does this mean my child has otitis media?

Answer

Chronic otitis media may lead to long-term ear discharge, which may vary in amount from time to time, and sometimes be accompanied by bleeding and odor. Perforations may be observed in the relaxed or tensed parts of the eardrum, as well as granulation tissue or cholesteatoma epithelium in the middle ear or external auditory canal. Hearing tests usually show varying degrees of conductive hearing loss. Treatment may include using antibiotic solutions or a mixture of antibiotics with corticosteroids, such as 0.25% chloramphenicol solution, chloramphenicol-cortisone solution, 3% chlorhexidine solution, 1% berberine solution, etc., for treating mucosal congestion and edema in the middle ear, as well as for cases with pus or mucus.