Q: My right ear had pus, and I underwent an operation for it when I was 12 years old. After that operation I was not facing any problem of pus or anything. But just a few months back, I noticed pus coming out from both my ears. Sometimes the quantity of pus increases when I take a head bath. Due to this, I take head bath only twice a week. The pus is reddish yellow in colour. I am working in Doha (Qatar), and I visited an ENT specialist here. He advised me to undergo a surgery. Is it necessary to undergo the operation? Is there any alternate treatment? If there is no other alternative, I want to get the operation done in India. I am also facing hearing problem and cannot hear if somebody speaks in a low volume. Also, whenever I take a hair bath I clean my ears with ear buds, and then I get some sort of stretching sensation at the back of my head, i.e. at the back in between the two ears.

A:Well, firstly you have developed middle ear infection in both ears and the surgery that was done in one ear for the same some time back has failed. I think you should firstly avoid putting water in the ear; that does not mean you have to avoid taking baths. Please fill your ear with cotton tipped with Vaseline or use water-tight ear plugs available in the market. The first thing you have to do is to keep the ear dry. Also, don't try to clean the ear daily with ear buds. It is not a good thing to do. Just wipe any discharge if present. Next, if the hearing is poor, then maybe you can go in for surgery. This is easily done in India at almost one-third of what it will cost you there. So, don't worry, take your own time, find some time and leave and then go ahead with the treatment.