Ear Infections
Ear Infections are broadly classified as involving the middle ear (“otitis media”) or the outer ear (“otitis externa”) and can be bacterial, viral, or fungal in origin. All of these different types of ear infections are treated differently, so if you suspect you have an ear infection it is important to see an ENT provider right away, particularly if you have been to another doctor and prescribed treatment and the problem is not getting better. A ENT provider will be able to look in your ear, often aided with the use of a microscope, and clean out your ear.
A hearing test may be considered, particularly if you have an infection of your middle ear space. Ear drops or oral medications may be prescribed and rarely surgical intervention is needed if conservative measures fails to improve the problem or if biopsy needs to be considered to rule out cancer of the ear canal, which can sometimes mimic a chronic ear infection.