How is secretory otitis media diagnosed and treated?

  Acute secretory otitis media can be divided into acute and chronic. Acute secretory otitis media is mostly seen in children, because the anatomical characteristics of the middle ear in children cause it to be easily triggered after a cold, and because children’s expression is unclear, it is easy to lead to misdiagnosis. There are many causes of otitis media, but here we should focus on children’s otitis media caused by adenoid hypertrophy and adults’ otitis media caused by nasopharyngeal tumors, especially nasopharyngeal cancer.  What are the symptoms of secretory otitis media?  First of all, hearing loss, which occurs after a cold, should be examined in the ENT department to determine whether there is acute secretory otitis media; because of the slow-growing nature of migratory and insidious nature, hearing will gradually decline and may eventually lead to deafness, and children’s slow response to sound will lead to a decline in academic performance, so early consultation and treatment in the ENT department is necessary. In the acute stage, there will be earache, and some children often cry after catching a cold because they can’t express it, so they should also be examined by ENT. Tinnitus and blocked ears are also common symptoms, so do not ignore the fact that early nasopharyngeal carcinoma can sometimes be detected by an ENT examination.  How can otitis media be treated?  The key is to keep the eustachian tube open. In the acute stage, anti-inflammatory, anti-swelling and constrictor drops should be applied to the nose. At the same time to treat the original disease such as adenoid hypertrophy to be removed.