What is Chronic Otitis Media (chronic ear infection)?
Chronic Otitis Media refers to recurrent and frequent infections of the middle ear. It may also include chronic fluid and swelling, as well as infection. By definition, it does not heal and could cause permanent damage to the ear.
Understanding ear-related symptoms and features.
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
The ear is a part of the auditory system of the body. The auditory system includes the ear itself and its parts: the inner, middle, and outer ear.
Symptoms affecting the ears may be congenital, present at birth, or they may develop later in life. Sometimes surgery may be an option to correct them.
Symptoms relating to the ears may affect their structure and function including their ability to hear, other times they may simply affect the shape or appearance of the ear without any impact on hearing.
Persistent Ear Discomfort and Pain: Chronic otitis media causes ongoing ear pain, pressure, and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear due to inflammation or fluid buildup.
Hearing Loss and Discharge: This condition may lead to hearing loss, and affected individuals often experience persistent or recurrent ear discharge, sometimes with a foul odor.
What should I do next?
In some instances, chronic ear infection may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Chronic otitis Media, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.