Read up on Ear infection with discharge treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Ear infection with discharge

Key points about treatments

There are treatments that can help clear your infection, dry up your ear and perhaps heal the hole in your eardrum. But without the right treatment, you risk damaging your hearing. Unfortunately, this kind of long-term ear infection is not always simple to treat.

If you have an ear infection with discharge, you'll probably first have your ear cleaned by a specialist doctor or a nurse. Cleaning your ears helps clear out the pus.
You're likely to be treated with ear drops. Ear drops containing

antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

antibiotics called quinolones seem to work best. However, taking antibiotics as pills is unlikely to help.
Sometimes, the hole in your eardrum might not heal up, even with antibiotics. If this happens, you can have an operation to fix your eardrum.

This information was last updated on May 01, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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