The main complaints concerning chronic supurative otitis media are recurrent ear discharge and hearing loss. The eardrum is perforated. The cause of this hole in the eardrum is usually previous ear infections and less commonly traumas. If the ear is not protected from water, especially while bathing or swimming in the pool or sea, the middle ear can easily become infected. With recurrent attacks, the damage to the ear may increase, leading to the hearing loss.

In chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma, a destructive tissue called cholesteatoma may damage the ossicles in the ear, and surrounding structures, and rarely cause complications such as brain abscess or facial paralysis.

In the treatment of chronic otitis, first of all, medical treatment is administered in case of purulent discharge. And once there is no more discharge and the ear is dry, surgery may be planned. According to the pathology, the eardrum can be repaired, the ossicles can be reconstructed and the pathologic tissues can be removed.