Hearing loss in otitis media is due to the involvement of the middle ear in the process, as well as complications caused by this disease. In most cases, the course of otitis media is benign and mild. Reducing inflammation leads to hearing recovery after otitis media.
In cases where the pathological process has led to atrophy of the tympanic membrane, or damage to the auditory nerve, hearing loss after otitis media can be irreversible. To prevent such severe consequences, treatment measures should be started immediately after the diagnosis has been clarified. Prescribing drugs, it is necessary to take into account that some drugs have a toxic effect on the organ of hearing, and their use can aggravate the process.
Activities in the reparative stage
With the development of the inflammatory process, exudate accumulates in the middle ear, which becomes purulent over time. It presses on the eardrum, which thickens and ulcerates. If the outflow of contents through the auditory tube is impaired, pus breaks out through the injured tympanic membrane, causing its perforation and, as a result, suppuration.
As the inflammation subsides, otorrhea decreases, and the perforated eardrum begins to scar. This process normally can take several days, on average, about a week, during which hearing loss will continue to be noted. As the defect of the tympanic membrane overgrows, the patient's condition improves, the temperature normalizes and the hearing is restored after purulent otitis media.
Therapeutic measures during this period should be aimed at activating reparative processes, increasing immunity and include the following:
- vitamin therapy;
- the use of immunostimulants (Actovegin, Apilak, etc.);
- the introduction of enzymatic drugs that prevent the development of the adhesive process, such as lidase;
- pneumatic massage carried out with the help of special instruments;
- physiotherapeutic procedures characterized by a resorbing effect (iontophoresis with lidase, laser therapy).
Traditional medicine plays an important role in the recovery of hearing after otitis media. In this case, propolis tincture, camphor and almond oil are used. To increase immunity, the juice of calamus root, tincture of ginseng is used inside.
The development of hearing loss with a sluggish process
In recent years, there has been a tendency when the disease is almost asymptomatic and is characterized by a sluggish course, leading to the development of the adhesions. The presence of fibrous growths is accompanied by the development of chronic hearing loss or even deafness after otitis media.
A significant role in hearing loss in otitis media is played by impaired patency of the auditory tube. In this case, a viscous secret accumulates in the tympanic cavity. The eardrum itself remains intact, although dystrophic changes occur in it.
This course is usually characteristic with a general reduced immunity of the patient. All therapeutic measures should be aimed at normalizing the drainage function of the auditory tube. In the event that the measures taken are ineffective, the disease can lead to cicatricial changes in the tympanic cavity and, as a result, deafness after otitis media.
The importance of the patency of the auditory tube is great, both in the development of ear inflammation itself against the background of acute respiratory viral infections, sinusitis, and in the mechanism of hearing loss in otitis media. To restore hearing after otitis media, the following measures are taken to improve its patency:
- catheterization of the auditory tube;
- blowing the ear over Politzer;
- the use of vasoconstrictor nasal drops;
- physiotherapy procedures for the nasal area, such as UFO, UHF;
- electrophoresis with proteolytic enzymes and lidase;
- pneumomassage of the tympanic membrane.
Recommended exercises
If the methods of treatment using special instruments can only be carried out by a specialist, then there are also certain exercises that the patient can carry out on their own, at a convenient time for themselves. Their goal is to improve the drainage function of the auditory tube. They are as follows:
- The palms are tightly attached to the ears and abruptly retracted, thus producing pumping movements in the area of the external auditory canal. It is necessary to repeat this procedure 10-15 times, carrying out several approaches a day;
- Index fingers are inserted into the external auditory canals, rotated several times in different directions, then abruptly removed. These exercises also need to be repeated throughout the day.
Self-massage contributes to the acceleration of reparative processes.
To carry it out, the thumbs are placed in the external auditory canal, and the rest are kneading the auricles, thereby providing blood flow to them, the outer ear.
Surgical techniques
If, despite the treatment, the exudate does not dissolve, the auditory tube still remains impassable, the ear does not hear after otitis media, surgical techniques are used to evacuate the viscous contents from the tympanic cavity. Most often, shunting is preferred. The technique consists in installing a special device in the eardrum, a shunt, which allows you to evacuate exudate from the ear and inject the necessary medicinal substances directly into the tympanic cavity.
The shunt itself can remain in the ear region for several months, as long as there is a need for treatment. Such a manipulation is carried out under local anesthesia. In some otolaryngology clinics, there is a laser bypass technique that allows you to make a hole in the tympanic membrane using a laser, which prevents the need for a foreign body, a shunt, in the ear.
A perforated eardrum with a defect of up to 1 mm is usually restored quickly and independently. In cases where the defect is too large, to restore hearing after otitis media, they turn to substitution surgery, tympanoplasty. The essence of the operation is to reconstruct the injured tympanic membrane using the temporal fascia or polymer materials. In some cases, a complete ossicular replacement can be performed.
With a sluggish process and a slight unilateral hearing loss, the diagnosis of the disease and correct treatment may not be carried out in time, since patients often seek help only when the process progresses. An inattentive attitude to one's health can lead to the development of severe complications, persistent hearing loss. Hearing recovery after otitis media in adults may require a long time or even surgery.
