MedyBlog - A medical blog by doctors

  Middle Ear Infections or Otitis Media are secondary infections or side effects of other infections like rhinitis ( common cold ) or chronic sinusitis ( inactive sinus infection). Clogged or Blocked Ears and ear pain indicate a middle ear infection . Fever and ear discharge could be other Symptoms of Middle Ear Infection . Why does chronic sinusitis cause ear pain or clogged ears? In acute sinusitis or active sinusitis, the excess fluid secreted in sinuses is flushed out through the nose. In contrast to acute sinusitis, mucus travels from the sinuses to the throat in chronic sinusitis. In chronic sinusitis or low-grade sinusitis, the infection has lived in the body for such a long time that the body and sinus infection find a balance to coexist peacefully. Our body uses around 200 ml of water which contains proteins, to clean our nose and sinuses and clear dust, bacteria, viruses, and fungi that enter when we breathe external air. With a runny nose, we lose water and...

The middle ear infection, i.e., Otitis media, is the most common type of ear infection and one of the most frequent infections in the human body. To understand why  middle ear infections  are so common, we must first look at the anatomy of the middle ear. Middle Ear Anatomy The middle ear is shaped like a room or cuboids with six walls with one cubic centimeter volume. The middle ear has bones on five sides, the sixth side being the eardrum or the tympanic membrane. The eardrum comprises three layers: an outer skin lining, a fibrous coat framework in the middle, and an inner mucous membrane. For the eardrum to vibrate precisely as per the sound, the air pressure in the middle ear must be equal to atmospheric pressure, for which it needs a constant air supply. In other words, for it to vibrate to its total capacity to deliver good hearing, the air pressure on both sides of the eardrum must be equal. When we swallow, air travels from the back of our nose, i.e., the nasopharynx, ...