Also known as swimmer’s ear, this infection of the outer ear involves the skin of the external ear canal. The risk of otitis externa is increased in hot humid environments as the ‘sleeve’ of skin gets soggy and its defences to bacteria and fungi break down. Patients with eczema of the ear tend to get itching and scratch their ear, thus contributing to recurring infections.
Communication is very important in today’s world. It is fortunate that people with persistent hoarseness attend much more quickly than 20 years ago. Hoarseness of more than 2 weeks’ duration should be assessed by an expert. Smoking and vocal misuse are common causes of hoarseness and can cause various disorders of the vocal cords.
Recurrent sore throats are not only due to tonsillitis (see FAQ on tonsillitis). Recurrent infections, called pharyngitis, are especially common in young children who get them from their peers at playschool. They usually present with sore throat and low-grade fever and the throat is red on looking in. In more severe infections (usually bacterial) the neck glands are enlarged and tender, and sometimes pain is referred to the ears.
This is an infection of the lining of the middle ear compartment and may involve the eardrum. Because the middle ear cleft communicates with the nose by means of the Eustachian tube, ascending infection by this route is predominant cause of infection here. Most kids get have had at least one episode of otitis media by the time they are 2 years old.
Nose bleeds commonly occur, more in children than adults and are usually minor (ie last less than 15 minutes) and stop spontaneously.
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