Catarrhal otitis: what it is and how it is treated

Catarrhal otitis is an inflammation of the middle ear which, if recognized, can be cured in a short time. Let’s find out what are the symptoms to recognize it.

When we talk about catarrhal otitis or catarrhal otitis media, we mean that inflammatory process that affects the ear and that occurs with an accumulation of fluid usually formed by mucus or pus. Generally it can be difficult to recognize it because it does not generate any pain but a progressive reduction of hearing. For this reason, in case of catarrhal otitis, timely treatment is very important in order to get out of it as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of catarrhal otitis: which are the most common

Catarrhal otitis in adults but also in children has specific symptoms that it is very important to recognize in time.

These include progressive hearing loss that can lead to temporary deafness, fever and, in less common cases, pain from fluid that builds up in the ear and can press on the eardrum.
Even in the presence of one of these symptoms it is very important to contact a specialized ENT in order to have a diagnosis and to be able to act with the treatments.

Going instead to the causes to be found, the most common are colds and flu. For the little ones, bottle use and exposure to cigarette smoke can contribute.

Remedies for catarrhal otitis

Once catarrhal otitis has been ascertained, the remedies to be implemented are many and varied.
In the absence of fever, one could start with a simple observation of the symptoms and this is because catarrhal otitis generally has a short duration, resolving in a few days.

In more complex cases, it can be useful to treat catarrhal otitis with drug therapy based on amoxicillin to be taken for about a week. In this case, the symptoms should reduce from the first days until a complete recovery is reached.

If the situation is not serious but you want to act on the fever , the doctor may instead opt for acetaminophen . In any case, it is always good to follow the instructions of the specialist in order to act correctly both for the little ones and in case of problems as adults.