Secreción del oído; síntomas, causas y tratamiento (Ear Discharge: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment)

Noticing fluid coming out of your ear is one of those “this can’t be good” moments. Whether it looks like
clear water, yellowish gunk, or a bit of blood, ear discharge (the medical name is otorrhea)
is your body’s way of waving a little flag that something is going on in the ear.

The good news: not all ear discharge is an emergency. Sometimes it’s just earwax doing its thing.
The not-so-good news: discharge can also signal an ear infection, a
perforated eardrum, or other conditions that need medical care. Knowing the
symptoms, causes, and treatments can help you decide when to watch and when to
call a doctor.

This guide walks you through what ear discharge is, what it can look like, the most common causes in
kids and adults, how doctors figure it out, and what treatment and home care usually involve.
It’s based on medical information from major organizations and clinics, wrapped in language a
non-ENT specialist can actually understand.

What Is Ear Discharge (Otorrhea)?

Ear discharge is any fluid that drains out of your ear canal. Doctors call it
otorrhea. It’s a symptom, not a disease by itself. The fluid can be:

• Thin and watery (sometimes clear or slightly yellow)
• Thick and pus-like (creamy white, yellow, or green)
• Mixed with blood (pink or red-streaked)
• Wax-like (classic brown or orange earwax)

Depending on the cause, ear discharge can show up with ear pain, itching,
hearing loss, fever, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), or even dizziness and
balance problems.

Common Symptoms That Come With Ear Discharge

Ear drainage rarely shows up alone. Pay attention to the “background cast” of symptomsit’s often what
helps your doctor figure out what’s going on.

Typical companion symptoms

• Ear pain or pressure (sharp, throbbing, or dull ache)
• Feeling of fullness or “plugged” ear
• Trouble hearing or muffled sounds on the affected side
• Fever, especially in children
• Itching in the ear canal (common in swimmer’s ear)
• Bad odor from the ear (often with chronic infection)
• Dizziness or vertigo in more serious cases

Red-flag symptoms: when to call a doctor fast

Get urgent medical care (or go to the emergency department) if ear discharge comes with:

• Recent head injury and suddenly clear or bloody discharge
• Severe headache, neck stiffness, or high fever
• Facial weakness, trouble speaking, or drooping of one side of the face
• Strong, spinning vertigo or difficulty walking

These situations can rarely indicate a more serious problem, such as a cerebrospinal fluid leak or
complications from an ear infection, and need quick evaluation.

Main Causes of Ear Discharge

Here are the most frequent culprits behind ear drainage, from the relatively harmless to the
definitely-needs-an-ENT-visit kind of issues.

1. Ear Infections in the Middle Ear (Otitis Media)

Middle ear infections happen behind the eardrum, often after a cold or upper
respiratory infection. In children, this is extremely commonby age 3, most kids have had at least one
ear infection.

When inflammation and fluid build up behind the eardrum, pressure can increase to the point that a small
hole (perforation) forms. Once that happens, fluid or pus can escape into the ear
canal and out of the ear. People sometimes notice:

• A sudden decrease in ear pain, followed by drainage
• Thick, yellow, or whitish discharge
• Temporary hearing loss in the affected ear

The perforation often heals on its own, but you still need a doctor to treat the infection and make sure
the eardrum recovers properly.

2. Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa)

If your ear discharge shows up after a lot of swimming, showering, or living in humid climates,
swimmer’s ear (an outer ear canal infection) may be to blame.

With otitis externa, the skin lining the ear canal gets irritated and infected. People usually notice:

• Ear pain that gets worse when you tug the outer ear
• Itching deep in the canal
• Watery, sometimes smelly discharge
• Feeling like the ear is “blocked”

Treatment usually involves prescription ear drops that contain antibiotics,
sometimes with a steroid to calm inflammation. Keeping the ear dry while it heals is key.

3. Ear Tubes and Small Eardrum Holes

Many children with repeated ear infections get ear tubes (tympanostomy tubes) placed in
the eardrum to let fluid drain and to equalize pressure in the middle ear.

When you have tubesor a small existing perforationfluid from a middle ear infection may drain out
through that opening. In fact, for some patients, drainage instead of severe pain is
actually a sign that the tube is doing its job. In these cases, doctors often treat infections with
antibiotic ear drops rather than oral antibiotics.

4. Too Much Earwax (or Trying Too Hard to Remove It)

Earwax itself is normal, protective, and a little underrated. But impacted wax can occasionally cause
mild discharge, usually thick and waxy rather than watery or pus-like.

Problems often start when people go after wax with cotton swabs, hairpins, or other “creative” tools.
These can scratch the canal, push wax deeper, or even perforate the eardrum. Professional removal or
safe wax-softening approaches (when the eardrum is intact) are much safer options.

5. Less Common but Serious Causes

While most ear discharge is due to infection or irritation, doctors also keep a lookout for:

• Cholesteatoma – an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear that can cause chronic
  smelly discharge and progressive hearing loss.
• Mastoiditis – infection of the bone behind the ear, usually a complication of
  untreated middle ear infections.
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak – clear, watery fluid after head trauma or surgery.
• Rare tumors or other structural problems in the ear.

These causes are less common but more serious, so long-lasting, foul-smelling, or bloody discharge should
always be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

How Doctors Diagnose the Cause of Ear Discharge

Ear discharge might be visible to you, but the real mystery is what’s happening deeper inside. That’s
where a medical exam comes in.

History and Physical Exam

Expect your healthcare provider to ask about:

• When the discharge started and what it looks/smells like
• Recent colds, sinus infections, allergy flares, or swimming
• Pain level, fever, hearing changes, dizziness, or itching
• Recent trauma, surgery, or use of cotton swabs or earbuds

Using an otoscope (a lighted instrument), they’ll look at your ear canal and eardrum for signs of
infection, perforation, swelling, or wax blockage.

Additional Tests (When Needed)

If the cause isn’t obviousor if the discharge is persistentyour doctor may recommend:

• Hearing tests (audiometry) to check how much your hearing is affected.
• Ear swab and culture if the infection keeps coming back or doesn’t respond to
  standard treatment.
• Imaging (CT or MRI) if there’s concern about deeper infection, chronic disease, or
  CSF leak.

These tools help confirm the diagnosis and guide more targeted treatment.

Treatment Options for Ear Discharge

Treatment for ear discharge focuses on the underlying cause, not just drying things up.
That’s why it’s important not to self-treat stubborn ear drainage with random over-the-counter drops.

Watchful Waiting and Pain Relief

Many mild middle ear infections in otherwise healthy children and adults can improve on
their own, especially when symptoms are mild and have been present for less than a couple of days.
During this “watchful waiting” period, doctors often recommend:

• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and fever (age-appropriate dosing)
• Rest and plenty of fluids
• Warm compresses over the ear for comfort

This approach helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and resistance, but requires close monitoring and
follow-up if symptoms don’t improve.

Antibiotics and Prescription Ear Drops

When an infection is clearly bacterial or severe, doctors may prescribe:

• Oral antibiotics for acute otitis media with severe symptoms, high fever, or
  complications.
• Antibiotic ear drops for swimmer’s ear or infections in ears with tubes or small
  perforations.

It’s crucial to follow the full course exactly as prescribed, even if symptoms improve early, to reduce
the risk of relapse or resistant bacteria.

Safe Cleaning and Earwax Management

If wax buildup or debris is contributing to the problem, your provider may:

• Use special instruments to gently remove wax or discharge
• Use suction under direct visualization
• Recommend specific wax-softening drops only if the eardrum is intact and there’s no active
  infection

At home, the big rule of thumb: nothing smaller than your elbow goes into your ear.
Cotton swabs, bobby pins, and sharp objects are all on the “please don’t” list.

Surgical Treatments

In more complex or chronic situations, an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist may recommend:

• Tympanostomy tubes for children or adults with recurrent middle ear infections or
  persistent fluid.
• Tympanoplasty to repair a persistent perforated eardrum.
• Surgery to remove a cholesteatoma or treat mastoiditis.

These procedures aim to stop chronic discharge, preserve or improve hearing, and prevent complications.

Home Care: Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Keep the ear as dry as possible until cleared by a doctor.
• Use prescribed drops and medicines exactly as directed.
• Monitor symptoms and follow up if they worsen or don’t improve.

Don’t:

• Stick cotton swabs or other objects into the ear.
• Use over-the-counter ear drops without knowing if the eardrum is intact.
• Ignore persistent, smelly, or bloody discharge.

Prevention Tips: Keeping Your Ears Happy

• Manage allergies and colds promptly to reduce fluid buildup in the middle ear.
• Dry your ears gently after swimming or showeringtilt your head and let water drain out, then pat the
  outer ear with a towel.
• Consider earplugs or swim caps if you’re prone to swimmer’s ear (ask your doctor which type is best).
• Don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke, especially in children; it increases the risk of ear
  infections.
• Stay up to date on recommended vaccines, which can lower the risk of some ear infections.

Special Considerations: Kids vs. Adults

Ear Discharge in Children

Children’s ear anatomy, developing immune systems, and smaller eustachian tubes make them more prone to
ear infections and discharge. Parents should call a pediatrician if:

• The child has ear discharge plus fever, pain, or trouble sleeping
• The child is under 6 months old with any symptoms of ear infection
• Discharge lasts more than a couple of days or keeps coming back

Ear Discharge in Adults

In adults, chronic or unexplained ear discharge is less common and more likely to signal an underlying
problem that warrants an ENT evaluation. Adults should especially seek care if:

• They have diabetes or a weakened immune system
• There is severe pain, especially with swelling around the ear
• Hearing loss is significant or worsening

Real-Life Experiences and Practical Lessons About Ear Discharge

Medical definitions are helpful, but real-world stories can make “ear discharge; symptoms, causes, and
treatment” much easier to understand. Here are a few common scenarios that mirror what many families and
adults experienceand what they learned from it.

1. The Child Whose Ear “Suddenly Leaked” in the Middle of the Night

A classic story in pediatrics goes like this: a toddler has had a miserable evening with ear pain and a
fever. At 2 a.m., the child wakes up, the parent notices yellowish fluid on the pillow, andoddlythe
child seems calmer. What likely happened is a middle ear infection that caused so much
pressure behind the eardrum that it finally ruptured, allowing fluid to escape and relieving the intense
pressure.

The take-home lesson here: improvement in pain doesn’t always mean the problem is gone. The infection is
still there, and the small perforation needs monitoring so it can heal properly. The best next step is a
prompt pediatric visit, not assuming “it fixed itself.”

2. The Swimmer Who Thought It Was Just Water in the Ear

Another common story comes from frequent swimmers. A competitive swimmer notices itching and a sense of
fullness in one ear after a week of intense training. A few days later, there’s watery discharge and now
it hurts just to touch the outer ear. That’s a classic pattern of swimmer’s ear.

At first, this swimmer tried home remediestilting the head, using a blow dryer at a distance, and even a
few drops of over-the-counter solution. The problem kept coming back until a doctor cleaned the canal and
prescribed the right antibiotic and steroid drops. Once the infection cleared, using well-fitting earplugs
and drying the ears after practice helped prevent recurrences.

3. The “Cotton Swab Fan” Who Ended Up in the ENT Office

Many people love the squeaky-clean feeling of using cotton swabs in the ear, even though every ear
specialist begs them not to. One patient used swabs daily for years, eventually pushing wax deep against
the eardrum and scratching the canal. The result was a mix of wax, mild bloody discharge, and a painful
outer ear infection.

After a careful cleaning by an ENT and a short course of ear drops, the discharge resolved. The big
lifestyle change: retiring the cotton swabs and switching to safer approacheslike letting the ear clean
itself naturally and occasionally using doctor-recommended methods when needed.

4. The Person Who Ignored “Just a Little” Smelly Drainage

Chronic, smelly discharge is easy to overlook when it’s mild and not particularly painful. One adult
patient had intermittent foul-smelling drainage from one ear for months and adapted by cleaning it with
tissue and moving on with life. The real problemdiscovered much laterwas a
cholesteatoma, a skin growth in the middle ear slowly damaging nearby structures.

With surgery and regular follow-up, hearing was preserved, but the experience highlights an important
lesson: persistent or smelly discharge is not “normal”, even if it doesn’t hurt. If
something keeps coming back or never fully clears, it deserves a medical evaluation.

5. What These Experiences Have in Common

Across all these scenarios, several patterns show up:

• Discharge is a clue, not the full story. The type, smell, and timing of fluid
  matterbut so do other symptoms like pain, fever, hearing changes, and head trauma.
• Self-treating without a diagnosis is risky. Random ear drops, aggressive cleaning, or
  ignoring discharge for weeks can turn a simple problem into a complicated one.
• Early evaluation pays off. Many causes of ear discharge are straightforward to treat
  when caught early and more complicated if delayed.

Most importantly, these stories reinforce a simple rule of thumb: if you notice ear discharge and you’re
not sure why it’s happeningor if it’s painful, smelly, bloody, or recurringget it checked. Online
information is great for understanding possibilities and options, but only a healthcare professional
examining your ear can give you a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.

Bottom Line

Ear discharge (otorrhea) is a symptom with a wide range of possible causes, from excess earwax and
swimmer’s ear to middle ear infections, perforated eardrums, chronic disease, or complications after
surgery or trauma. Paying attention to associated symptoms and seeking timely medical care helps catch
serious problems early and keeps your hearingand your sanityintact.

This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice. If in doubt, especially
when symptoms are severe, persistent, or unusual for you, reach out to a healthcare professional or an
ENT specialist.