Ear Picture Types — Simple Guide

Normal Ear

A completely healthy ear. The eardrum looks like a clean, see-through pearly-grey window with a small bright triangle of reflected light. Nothing is torn, blocked, red, or swollen. This is what a perfect ear is supposed to look like.

Chronic Ear Infection (CSOM)

A long-running ear infection where the eardrum has a permanent hole and the ear keeps leaking or discharging pus on and off for months or years. Some types are 'safe', but others are 'dangerous' and can slowly damage the ear.

Fresh Ear Infection (Acute Otitis Media)

A sudden, painful ear infection — very common in children after a cold. The eardrum turns red, bulges outward, and looks angry. Comes with sharp ear pain, fever, and muffled hearing. Sometimes it bursts and drains on its own.

Outer Ear Canal Infection (Otitis Externa)

Infection of the skin inside the ear canal (the tube leading in). The canal becomes red, swollen, and narrow, often full of debris. It hurts a lot to touch the ear or chew — classic 'swimmer's ear'.

Fluid Behind the Eardrum (Glue Ear)

Sticky or watery fluid trapped behind an intact (unbroken) eardrum — no active infection, just fluid. The drum looks dull and yellow or straw-coloured, sometimes with tiny bubbles. Causes blocked, muffled hearing. Common in children.

Ear Tube / Grommet

A tiny plastic or metal tube a surgeon places through the eardrum to let air in and drain trapped fluid. It does the job of a blocked natural drainage tube. Seen as a small ring sitting in the drum — it can be open, clogged, or falling out.

Ear Wax

Normal wax buildup in the ear canal. It ranges from soft yellow-brown to hard dark-brown and can fully block the view of the eardrum. Too much of it causes a blocked feeling, reduced hearing, ringing, or itching.

Fungal Ear Infection (Otomycosis)

A fungus growing in the ear, encouraged by moisture and overuse of ear drops. Looks like wet tissue-paper debris with tiny black dots, or a fluffy white cotton-like mass. The main complaint is intense itching, more than pain.

Foreign Object in the Ear

Any outside object stuck in the ear canal — common in children. Can be non-living (beads, seeds, cotton, button batteries) or living (an insect). Seeds swell with moisture, and button batteries can burn tissue — both need urgent removal.

Eardrum Scarring (Tympanosclerosis)

Chalky-white patches on the eardrum — old scars left behind after past infections or a previous ear tube. They look like white horseshoe-shaped plaques. Small patches usually cause no problem; large ones can stiffen the ear and reduce hearing.

Sucked-In Eardrum (Retracted Eardrum)

The eardrum gets pulled inward because of constant negative pressure (a blocked pressure-equalising tube). Landmarks look stretched and the drum caves in. If it keeps getting worse it can form a pocket and lead to bigger problems.

Not an Ear Image

A 'reject' category — pictures that are NOT of an ear at all. Includes blurry frames, blank or black shots, other body parts, or random objects. This class teaches the classifier to say 'this isn't an ear' instead of guessing wrong.