Whether or not otitis media can heal on its own cannot be generalized, but needs to be analyzed in light of the specific cause of the disease. In some cases, it may be caused by a common cold, and the otitis media may resolve spontaneously after the cold is cured. In other cases, it may be caused by sinusitis, enlarged adenoids, or space-occupying lesions in the nasopharynx, and may not resolve spontaneously.
The underlying cause of secretory otitis media is due to dysfunction of the Eustachian tube. Clinical manifestations include hearing loss, enhanced self-hearing, earache, tinnitus, occlusion or stuffiness in the ear. The causes of secretory otitis media are many, due to inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and occupational diseases of the nasal cavity and sinuses can lead to.
1. Can be self-healing: some patients may just have a common cold, and the secretory otitis media may heal on its own after the cold is cured.
2. Non-self-healing: some patients are caused by sinusitis, adenoid hypertrophy, nasopharyngeal space-occupying lesions, which may not be self-healing. Active symptomatic treatment is needed.
(1) non-surgical treatment: to keep the nasal cavity and the eustachian tube open, promote cilia movement and excretory function, eustachian tube blowing, antibiotics and glucocorticoid drugs and other adjuvant treatment.
(2) Surgical treatment: tympanocentesis and fluid extraction, tympanotomy, tympanic tube placement and pharyngotracheal balloon dilatation, tympanocentesis and active treatment of nasopharyngeal or nasal diseases.
Secretory otitis media should be treated conservatively first, and then operated if necessary, with strict indications for surgery. Please follow the doctor’s instructions.