What Should I Do If My Ears Constantly Produce Discharge?

Ear leakage, which is also known as chronic discharge from the ear, requires treatment based on symptoms and causes. If it is caused by ear canal eczema, treatment with eardrops under the guidance of a doctor is needed. If it is due to otitis media, topical eardrops and oral antibiotics are generally required. Additionally, cerebrospinal fluid leakage from the ear is relatively rare but can be serious, requiring prompt CT scans and treatment at a hospital.

1. If the discharge is yellowish, it is necessary to consider ear canal eczema, which is caused by allergies and manifests as itching, burning sensations, and the presence of red rashes or small papules on the local skin. In severe cases, the skin of the external auditory canal may become thickened, cracked, or scabbed. Treatment options include the use of boric acid alcohol eardrops or ketoconazole ointment.

2. Another possibility is suppurative otitis media, which produces mucous or purulent secretions in the ear canal. This can be caused by either bacterial or fungal infections. For bacterial infections, oral antibiotics and expectorants can be prescribed along with topical antibacterial eardrops. For fungal infections, antifungal eardrops and expectorants are used.

3. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage from the ear is a rare condition that often manifests as clear fluid draining from the ear canal after trauma. This requires CT scans of the middle ear and cerebrospinal fluid biochemical tests.

Normally, the external auditory canal is clean except for some epithelial debris and a small amount of dry cerumen. If abnormal fluid is constantly observed draining from the external ear canal, it is medically referred to as "ear leakage" or commonly known as "ear discharge", which is a common symptom of ear diseases. The most common cause of ear leakage is chronic suppurative otitis media, with the nature of the discharge ranging from watery to viscous and malodorous. The main sites of occurrence are usually the external auditory canal, middle ear, or surrounding areas. Some patients may only experience occasional discharge, while others may have persistent symptoms.