Key points for diagnosis
1. Acute inflammation of the external auditory canal
(1) Otalgia is marked and worsens when the patient masticates food and the ear is pulled.
(2) The external auditory canal has diffuse red swelling with serous or purulent secretion.
(3) The patient has fever. The fever is generally not high, possibly with aversion to cold and general discomfort.
(4) Laboratory examination: Routine examination of blood sees elevation of total white blood cells and the proportion of neutrophil cells rises during the cell classification.
(5) Bacterial culture of secretion inside the external auditory canal can find staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and bacillus proteus, etc.

2. Chronic inflammation of the external auditory canal
(1) The ear will itch and ache when the ear is picked.
(2) The skin of the external ear has tumefaction, pachynsis, epidermal erosion, or a bit of thicker secretion, or attachment of squamous crust which has the tendency to bleed when it is stripped.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.