The fourth Sunday of September every year is International Day of the Deaf, and this year's theme is "Everyone has ear and hearing health! Let's achieve it". Usually, what we refer to as' ears' refers to the 'auricles' on both sides of our skull. In fact, it is only a part of the complete ear. If we compare the ear to a room, then from outside to inside, the order is "facade" - auricle, "corridor" - external auditory canal, "living room" - middle ear, and "bedroom" - inner ear. Today, doctors from the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery will talk to you about how to protect our ears. You should know that some small illnesses or details in life that you don't care about, if not taken seriously, can easily lead to hearing loss, and even permanent hearing loss. Otitis media is a common disease, but many people do not pay much attention to it and treat it as a cold or rhinitis. In fact, the harm of otitis media cannot be underestimated, especially the "sequelae" of chronic otitis media caused by repeated episodes of acute otitis media, which can gradually erode hearing. Acute otitis media is commonly seen in children, with earache as the main manifestation and can be accompanied by fever, often induced by a cold. Most acute otitis media can be cured; Some may persist and lead to chronic otitis media, with recurrent episodes and frequent discharge of pus from the ear canal. Some patients believe that as long as the condition improves after medication, treatment is no longer needed. Little did they know that if the perforation of the eardrum is not healed, pathogens can easily enter the middle ear and repeatedly cause infection. Chronic suppurative otitis media is mainly characterized by long-term intermittent or persistent pus discharge and perforation of the eardrum. The longer the duration of chronic suppurative otitis media, the greater the perforation of the tympanic membrane, the greater the destruction of the ossicular chain, and the more significant the hearing loss. If inflammation cannot be controlled in a timely and effective manner, pus may also flow deep, and in severe cases, it can cause intracranial infection. Of course, with the increasing understanding of medical knowledge among the general public, intracranial infections and other situations have become rare, but the harm of otitis media to hearing cannot be ignored. Secretory otitis media is often caused by blockage of the eustachian tube, which leads to negative pressure in the middle ear and fluid leakage into the middle ear. Patients with middle ear cholesteatoma can cause disruption of the ossicular bone due to the compression and invasion of cholesteatoma, resulting in the disconnection of the ossicular chain, loss or decrease of conduction function, and leading to conductive hearing loss. The special type of otitis media is relatively rare clinically, mainly referring to fungal, tuberculous or AIDS otitis media. It is easy to be misdiagnosed and missed in clinical practice, which should be paid attention to. For the aforementioned otitis media, medication can be administered in the early stages. Drug treatment mainly involves local medication, mainly oral and topical. Preventive measures: First of all, after feeding infants and young children, do not lie flat to prevent vomit from entering the middle ear cavity through the eustachian tube after breastfeeding or vomiting. Pay attention to personal hygiene and do not pick your ears at will. If water enters the ear during bathing or swimming, it should be cleaned promptly to prevent the growth of bacteria. Patients with chronic suppurative otitis media should not swim without protection. People who have a history of otitis media in the past are prone to recurring colds, so they should pay attention to physical exercise to prevent colds. When blowing your nose, it should be done alternately on one side and not too forcefully; Actively treat nasal diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis, and nasopharyngitis to maintain nasal patency. Sudden deafness is closely related to daily routines. When a person is working continuously