Abstrakt

Cotton bud misuse in children: Cause of resistant otitis external.

Zafarullah Beigh*, Dr Owais ul Islam, Dr Faheem Khalid

Introduction: Otitis externa is an inflammation or infection of the external auditory canal which caused mainly due to trauma or moisture in external auditory canal. In every case of ear infection we usually give more emphasis on avoiding water to go into effected ear and forget to counsel patients/ their parents about continuous trauma caused by use of ear buds for cleaning of ears, which in turn lead to resistant otitis externa. Children learn this bad habit of fiddling their external auditory canal with ear buds from their parents.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in department of otorhinolaryngology, Govt. medical college Baramulla from March 2019 to February 2021. During this period 68 pediatric patients of resistant otitis externa where enrolled in this study. Results: Majority of patients where in age group 11-15 yrs. Out of 68 patients 62 patients recovered completely within next 5 days after they stopped using ear buds for cleaning and without prescribing additional medication.

Conclusion: Doctors treating otitis externa should give good emphasis on history taking and enquire about use of ear buds in such patients and advise them not to fiddle their canals with ear buds and only then medications will act properly.