Infectious myringitis is an inflammation of the tympanic membrane inside the inner ear due to an infection, which can be viral or bacterial.
The symptoms start suddenly with a sensation of pain in the ear that lasts for 24 to 48 hours. The person usually has a fever and there may be a decrease in hearing when the infection is bacterial.
Infection is often treated with antibiotics, but analgesics may also be indicated to relieve pain. When there is bullous myringitis, where there is formation of small bubbles filled with fluid on the eardrum, the doctor can rupture this membrane, which brings great relief from the pain.
Types of Myringitis
Myringitis can be classified as:
- Bullous myringitis: is when a blister forms on the eardrum causing intense pain, usually caused by Mycoplasma .
- Infectious miringitis: is the presence of viruses or bacteria on the tympanic membrane
- Acute myringitis: is exactly the same term as otitis media, or earache.
The causes of myringitis are usually related to an influenza or cold because the viruses or bacteria present in the airways can reach the inner ear where they proliferate causing this infection. Babies and children are the most affected.
How is the treatment?
The treatment should be indicated by the doctor and is done with antibiotics and analgesics that should be used at intervals of 4, 6 or 8 hours. The antibiotic should be used for 8 to 10 days, according to the medical indication, and during treatment it is important to always keep the nose clean, removing all secretions.
You should go back to your doctor if you have persistent symptoms within the next 24 hours, especially after fever, because it indicates that the antibiotic is not having the expected effect and you need to change it for another.
In children who have more than 4 episodes of ear infection per year, the pediatrician may recommend surgery to place a small tube into the ear under general anesthesia to allow better ventilation and prevent further episodes of this disease. Another simpler but effective possibility is to make the child fill a balloon with only the air coming out of their nostrils.
