I have clear liquid draining from my ears

Thanks for your reply.....

I Googled "Cholesteatoma," very interesting.

Per your advice, I'll attempt to collect a sample of the substance oozing from my ear.

Last night, before bedtime, I swabbed my ear canal using "Povidone-Iodine Swabsticks" provided by the VA for a previous unrelated issue.

This morning the slight pain was gone, and after swabbing with iodine, the oozing appears to have stopped.

A nurse from the VA is supposed to call me Monday to set up a appointment (hopefully) with a specialist at the VA hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

Thanks again. Have a pleasant weekend.

@gordy6898p

If, by any chance, the drainage is due to a fungus infection..the providone iodine should clear it right up. I was diagnosed with a fungus infection several years ago and my ENT prescribed it…..used it for a week or so
and Boom…it was gone. Didn’t have much drainage at that time and nothing like your description. So it wouldn’t hurt to keep doing that daily (the liquid is available at any drugstore if you are out of swab sticks.)
I’m not a fan of quips or swab sticks as there is a tendency to probe too deeply.
Good luck.
FL Mary

Thanks for you reply... my problem seems to be bacteria and/or fungi related....

After I swab with iodine, drainage soon goes away. Also gone is the pain when I press just above my earlobe.

All of which leads me to think the problem is in my outer ear canal.

About 30 minutes ago the pain started to return, so I swabbed again with the iodine.

As expected, the pain is now gone.

My main concern is permanent hearing lose. Hopefully the VA will soon be able to address that issue.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

I am seeing an ENT on the 4th. I have clear liquid running out of my ears. I have to keep some cotton or tissue in my ears because it runs down my neck. They get crusty at night as others have mentioned. I have sores on the ear itself. My ears itch something horrible. I have been to my dr many times. She gave me antibiotics, creams and steroids. Nothing has helped. She sent me to a dermatologist. The dermatologist is sending me to the ENT. I am going on two months of this. It's driving me crazy. I am adding a picture. Did anyone else have sores? The sores go up even higher now. This was taken when this started. Also the fluid was not as bad then as now.

Other than sores, my symptoms were identical to yours... itching, draining, pain.

It took two visits to my local VA clinic before they diagnosed it correctly as both an inner ear infection and irritation of the ear canal.

I had been swabbing my ear canal with an iodine solution. They advised against that since it causes drying of the skin.

They prescribed an antibiotic for the inner ear infection, and ear drops which contained an antibiotic.

I completed treatment a couple days ago, and everything's now back to normal. Hope it lasts!

I would advise seeing different physicians, get second, even third opinions.

Perhaps you're being given the wrong antibiotic?

My ears just started draining a clear liquid. Saw my primary care dr. She prescribed a steroid ear drop and 2.5% hydrocortisone cream for my ear lobes which had crusted up from the drainage. I originally thought it was coming from my lobes because I had worn pierced earrings I hadn't worn in a long time. But I also wear hearing aides so reading some of the previous posts was interesting regarding possible cause and effect. I hope what the doctor ordered works for me. Just concerned about the sudden drainage.

Hi,
I've had the same problem. I thought I had an ear infection so I went to my primary care dr. and he gave me oral antibiotics. A week later I started to get a rash in my ears so he gave me an ointment to apply to my outer/inner ear. Soon after, I had to go back because the ear problem came back. They gave me stronger antibiotics, they didn't work either. I started to get the clear fluid drainage at night and it bacame rust around the rim? I guess. I picked at it and itched my ears all night! UGH! Went back to the dr. months later( I know I should have went earlier) they took a culture of the fluid. Came back antibiotic resistant, some kind of staph infection. 2 different bacterial infections. Now I have to take different antibiotics and see an infectious disease dr!!! I remember that the first dr visit was with a Oh you need a flu vaccine, and I said no. The next day I was sick. Twice I got sick after using the hospital's public bathroom. I thought it was the flu, but now I'm thinking I got the staph infection from the bathroom maybe.Maybe my story will help you look up other causes for your er problems.
My actual diagnosis is Stenotrophomac Maltophilia and StaphylococcusAureus,Methicillin resistant.
Signed, Sick of my ears.Had Problems since I was in first grade!

Hi,
I know exactly what you are going thru!! I've heard about the nighttime drainage from a couple posts. I thought I was imagining it. I have some during the day, but mostly it's at night. I wonder why that is for all of us. My sores got very worse than yours because I would scratch my ears all night as they irritated me. Be careful with that as it evidently can spread the infection as I found out. My nails caused cuts in my outer/inner ear canal and the fluid then burned like acid or something. It really hurt!!! I now find out that I have 2 antibiotic resistant bacterial infections and have to start a 3rd round of different medicine. And I have to see an infectious disease dr. I feel like a leper or something,jeez! I have to admit that I'm addicted to using qtips and they say thats bad, but they aren't the ones with the itchy painful ears. I at first asked for some cream for the itchy sores but that they gave me a pain cream, this time they gave me a cream that healed the sores but the infection went deeper. I waited too long.

Hi, You should be concerned about the drainage. I've had ear infections my whole life since I was in first grade.They really suck when your a kid.My drainage ended up 6 months later being antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. 2 of them. Please don't wait! I have to see an infectious disease dr now as they are staph infections, which I never even knew what they were before I got them. I had heard of them of course, but.... Lots of clear fluid mostly at night so in the morning before work, it's another morning ritual to clear it away so I can wear my hearing aid. It started in one ear and spread to the other which I haven't had problems with since they did 2 surgeries to repair my hearing in that ear but totally killed any hearing I did have. Since then, I never had any problem, I guess I thought it was because the nerves were dead. I'm sorry you are going thru this, but I'm glad to read that I am not the only one with this problem. I thought I might be a hypochodriac or something.

Hi,
I was told that instead of using a qtip I should buy the spray bottle for ear cleaning and mix hydrogen peroxide with water and clean my ears that way. It felt good a couple of times but my drainage persisted. I then read that I shold keep my ears dry and use ear plugs in the shower to keep the water out. I go to the dr and they bring out the same solution I read not to use! My drainage went away after the 3rd round of antibiotics but wass told it won't last like neither of the other 2 did. After a couple days, the infection returns. It's baterial and resistant to antibiotics. I used to say my ears were only good for hnging earrings on, but nowadays I can't even do that!!!