An elderly person has had yellow discharge from the ear and hearing loss for half a month. Symptoms improved after receiving cephalexin injection from the village doctor, but later relapsed.
Disease description:
My elderly family member has had yellow discharge from the ear and hearing loss for half a month. The village doctor administered cephalosporin injections, which relieved the symptoms, but now the condition has recurred. What should we do?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lu Cheng
Yellow discharge from the ear and hearing loss in elderly individuals may be caused by conditions such as otitis media or otitis externa. The village doctor's use of cephalosporin relieved the symptoms, indicating a possible bacterial infection, on which the cephalosporin exerted an anti-infective effect. However, the condition has now recurred, possibly due to incomplete control of the infection or reinfection with another pathogen.
It is recommended to promptly take the elderly person to the hospital's otorhinolaryngology department for a detailed ear examination, such as otoscopic examination and hearing tests, to determine the exact cause.
If diagnosed with otitis media or otitis externa, treatment should be based on the severity of the condition. It may require continued antibiotic therapy or local debridement, drainage, and other interventions.
At the same time, it is important to maintain ear hygiene, avoid water entering the ear, and refrain from self-medicating to prevent delaying proper treatment.
