What is a Fungal Ear Infection? Cause, Symptoms, and Treatment

Fungal ear infection also called an otomycosis, affects our outer ear canal and tympanic membrane. In severe cases, middle war also gets infected but it is a rare condition. Mostly ear infection takes place in the summer and got months of the year. Fungi like Aspergillus and candida causes fungal ear infection. Fungi thrive in warmer temperatures and this is the reason why we catch ear infections during summer.

A fungal ear infection occurs in the ear canal and goes up to the eardrum. It is likely to occur that people swim a lot and do a lot of activities in the water. In tropical and subtropical countries it occurs in the month of summer.

Symptoms of Fungal Ear Infection

There are some common symptoms in every human being of fungal ear infection. These symptoms include:

• Fluid Discharge from Ear – A white-yellowish discharge comes out of the ear and it resembles cottage cheese. Sometimes its smell is very unpleasant so that everyone can notice the patient.
• Itching – There is intense itching in the outer ear canal during fungal infection.
• Pain – Ear pain with mild discomfort to sharp, there is also the presence of stabbing sensations. And the pain gets worse if it is touched again and again.
• Hearing impairment – There is partial hearing loss in the fungal ear infections.  There is also blockage of the ear canal because of fungal debris which causes muffled hearing.
• Swelling Ear with Redness – The skin of the outer ear canal is seen as red swollen and tender to the touch.
• Tinnitus – Some people may hear ringing and buzzing sounds.
• Flaking Skin – There may be peeling or flaking of skin like happen in the case of dandruff in the head.

Causes of Fungal Ear Infection

They are caused by an overgrowth of fungi in the outer ear canal. There may be a permanent hearing impairment if it is left untreated. Most of the time fungi Aspergillus and Candida are causative organisms.  They thrive in moist and humid environments and several factors that contribute to fungal ear infection are:

• Injury or Damage in the Ear Canal – Sometimes scratches or cuts in the outer ear canal may irritate badly because of aggressive cleaning by the earbud and these cuts are infected by fungi. Also, these cleaning objects may sometimes weaken the natural ability of the Defense mechanism which is also a reason for the thriving of fungi.
• Moisture and Humidity –  High humidity, and excessive sweating or long exposure to water can result in fungal growth of the ear canal.
• Allergies – Some daily materials can cause allergies to the outer ear canal, these are hair dyes, earplugs, and shampoos which cause a slow inflammation in the war canal.
• Weakened Immune System – People who have another disease like HIV infection, or diabetes or taking some immunosuppressive treatments are at higher risk of fungal infections in the outer ear canal.

Diagnosis of Fungal Ear Infections

First of all, you don’t need to be a doctor yourself, you need to go to a doctor. An ENT (ear, toe, throat) will examine your ear with the help of an otoscope. In case of severe damage to the eardrum, a mini camera will present a picture of your middle ear. An otoscope is a hand-holding device that presents an inner view of the ear.

The doctor will ask you about your family history of such infections. In case of lab testing your ear discharged fluid will be sent to the lab for further testing of the causative organism.

Treatment of Fungal Ear Infections

Appropriate treatment is necessary for relief from symptoms, if fungal war infections are left untreated they can cause permanent hearing disability. Some other complications may add up to this infection if it is not treated in the right way.

• Ear cleaning – In case of excessive fluid discharge, ear cleaning is done with the gentle hands of a healthcare provider. This helps to remove fungal debris and promote healing.

Note:  please do not clean your ear by yourself or without a healthcare provider, it may worsen your symptoms.

• Antifungal drops – There are some antifungal agents that help relieve symptoms. Clotrimazole, fluconazole, or miconazole are commonly used antifungal drops. These drops can be directly administered in the ear canal.
• For pain relief acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be taken orally.
• In case of severe infections, a physician might prescribe topical steroids which help reduce swelling.

Prevention from Fungal Ear infections.

Fungal war infections can be prevented in the case of allergic or undertreated patients if they have a higher risk of such symptoms. But in case of a new patient or new infection, there is no idea of diseases. There are some causative organisms and so conditions that a patient can avoid for better prevention.

1. Keep warm and dry and avoid moisture if you go frequently in the swimming pool and in the water activities.
2. Avoid inserting foreign objects in the ear canal. These objects include cotton swabs, pens, and other objects.
3. Use waterproof earplugs to avoid moisture in the ear canal.
4. Identify and avoid allergens that may cause unnecessary irritation of the ears.
5. If there is already disease and symptoms of diabetes and HIV infections, you may get medications before actual infection occurs.
6. If you are having symptoms of ear infection then do not touch or clean your ear by yourself or it is not healthy for your ears.

Conclusion

The causative organism of Fungal ear infections is Aspergillus and Candida, if they are left untreated, they will cause permanent hearing disability. In some severe conditions stabbing and chronic pain cause discomfort in the ear, there are no homemade remedies for such fungal infections. To avoid ear infections avoid excessive moisture in the ear and use earplugs when you go for swimming or in water activities.

If you are prone to this disease you can take medications before actual infections to avoid further complications. In such cases ENT doctor prescription is necessary, you can contact Dr. Simple Bhadania, and she will give you necessary guidance for curing this disease.