What Causes A Clear Watery Discharge From The Ears?

Posted on Wed, 11 Mar 2015

Question: Last night I woke to use the restroom...about 4-5am. When I stood up a pretty good amount of clear watery fluid poured out of my left ear. I have no pain..infection.sinusitis or any kind of problem with my ear...I do have a fairly large Angioma and a very bad neck from a car accident 3 yrs ago..I am now disabled because of this.
I am NOT a swimmer and have had no ear drops at all....the fluid had no color at all and no smell.ay

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Ear exam, Rule out CSF, details of angioma missing.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for your query.

1. Get your eardrum examined. This should help identify the source of the clear fluid.

2. The main issue here, given your history , is to rule out CSF (Cerebro Spinal Fluid) otorrhea.

3. If the eardrum has a perforation, the middle ear can be the source of such a large amount of clear fluid, which is not a cause for worry.

4. If the ear is normal, collect any more fluid if possible and get it examined for CSF. A Beta 2 Transferrin test will be confirmatory. Later a CT Cisternography can be done.

5. The details of your angioma are unclear. Can you elaborate on this and provide imaging regarding the angioma? This can be a source of discharge in rare instances.

I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any more questions I will be available to answer them.

Regards.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D