Swimmer's ear - chronic

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Ear anatomy

Medical findings based on ear anatomy

Ear infection - outer ear - chronic; Otitis externa - chronic

• Ear pain -- may get worse if you pull on the outside of the ear
• Hearing loss
• Itching of the ear or ear canal
• Persistent drainage from the ear -- yellow, yellow-green, pus, or foul smelling

During the examination, the health care provider may find:

• The ear and ear canal look red and swollen
• The ear canal may have scaly shedding of skin
• Touching or moving the outer ear increases the pain
• It may be difficult for the health care provider to see the eardrum with an instrument called an otoscope
• The eardrum may look red
• The outermost part of the ear (the tragus) may be infected, and look red and swollen

Review Date: 10/15/2008
Reviewed By: Daniel Levy, MD, PhD, Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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