Otomycosis

 Oxford Hearing Centre presents further posts of conditions and disease of the ear.

Symptoms

Itching, an intolerable urge to clean the ear often causes further trauma to the ear canal. Pain, discomfort, feeling the ear blocked and mild discharge can also be noted. Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and vertigo can also  occur.

Signs

Absence of healthy wax is noticed in most ears. The external auditory canal shows edema and black discharge, at time like wet tissue paper in the ear.

Why fungus in the ear?

The ear canal can be easily infected by bacteria or fungus as it is dark, warm and humid. This occurs more in those who wear head cover in some part of the world.

Otomycosis most often occurs when too much water gets in the ear canal such as after swimming or showering in chlorinated water. It is also called Swimmers ear or Singapore ear. It is easier for germs and fungus to grow when water removes the protective ear wax. Too much cleaning of your ears can have the same effect.

Treatment

Send a swab for microbiological tests to identify the fungal and bacterial pathogens
1. Clean the ear canal by vacuum suction under an operating microscope using normal saline at body temperature. If the ear is painful instill little local anesthetic drops before cleaning. Remove all the fungal debris and discharge.
2. Insert a medicated wick with antifungal and antibiotic cream/ointment.
3. Analgesics if there is pain
4. A broad spectrum antibiotic for 5 days
5. Avoid swimming, or water getting into the ear until the fungal infection is fully eradicated.
6. Systemic antifungal therapy like ketaconazole, Iconazole rarely. Make sure the patients are not diabetic, liver and kidney functions are normal.
7. Visit the doctor and make sure the fungus is eradicated from the ear.

Antifungal agents commonly used

Clotrimazole, Gentian violet,Tolnaftate,Nystatin,Acetic acid, and Econazole

How to prevent Fungus in the ear

To prevent Otomycosis, it’s important to keep the ear canal’s natural defenses against infection working well. Leave some amount of ear wax in the canal, this has an antifungal property.

After swimming or showering, use a towel to dry your ears well. Turn your head to each side and pull the earlobe in different directions to help water run out. A hair dryer set on the lowest speed and heat can also help dry ears, but be sure to hold it several inches from your ear. After swimming in common pool, put few drops of acetic acid ear drops or any other antifungal ear drops. Use ear plugs, when swimming.

Custom made ear plugs are available from Oxford Hearing Centre.  Call 01865 861861

RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE FOR

OXFORD HEARING CENTRE

Oxford Hearing Centre is proud to announce that they are the First Hearing Care Clinic in England to be made a Centre of Excellence!

Leading Danish hearing aid specialists, GN ReSound, who are responsible for the initiative, only award the title of ‘Centre of Excellence’ to select, highly skilled professionals who demonstrate exemplary patient care and technical expertise.

To be recognised as a ReSound Centre of Excellence, Oxford Hearing Centre were able to clearly demonstrate a commitment to expertise, training and professional development in a clinical and caring environment, with a comprehensive service and aftercare programme.

Richard Moss, Director of Audiology Services at Oxford Hearing Centre said; “We are delighted that the care and service we offer has been recognised by ReSound. Our ethos has always been to put our patients first and we are prepared to spend as much time as is necessary to make sure they get the very best out of their hearing assistive systems. We guarantee that this level of care makes a real, and significant audible difference to their lives”.

Making sure a patient receives the greatest benefit from a hearing instrument is a huge responsibility and requires experience, knowledge and expertise. Unlike a pair of spectacles where the skill lies in the initial diagnosis and the resulting prescription, hearing instruments must be carefully tailored to each individual’s hearing ability. They require skilled, precise electronic programming and continued adjustment, as the patient becomes accustomed to their new world of sound. This fine-tuning can take several appointments over a number of months to get the best possible result.

Ceri Whittaker, Marketing Manager at GN ReSound said; “We appointed Oxford Hearing Centre as our First Centre of Excellence, as it is clear their commitment and dedication to a careful and professional procedure ensures each individual they treat, is getting the utmost benefit from their hearing devices.

“It is this commitment and the evidence of the impact this can have on a hearing impaired person’s life, that led us to award Richard and the team at Oxford Hearing Centre.                                                   

“Any person who goes to them receives personalised, on-going fine tuning based on their hearing loss, preferences, lifestyle and physiology. The continuous service and support programme they offer for hearing loss adaption is second to none, that is why Oxford Hearing Centre are our First Centre of Excellence”.

For further information about Oxford Hearing Centre call: 01865 861861 or visit: http://www.oxfordhearingcentre.co.uk/

Or, simply call into the Centre at:

157 Eynsham Road, Oxford OX2 9NE

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 About Oxford Hearing Centre

The Oxford Hearing Centre was formed in 1982 as a hearing aid and audiological centre of excellence. The practice is a founding member of AIHHP – The Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals. AIHHP is a professional body representing the leading independent hearing aid audiologists in the United Kingdom. Full members of the association have to meet rigorous clinical standards and are subject to peer evaluation before admission.

As well as helping people to hear, the Oxford Hearing Centre provides individual and organisational guidance on hearing conservation.

The centre has been acknowledged in both 2009 and 2010 for the Audiologist of the Year Awards. The Awards are issued as a result of members of the public nominating those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help them overcome their hearing difficulty.

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