LUCKNOW, Sept. 7 -- Recurrent pus discharge from the ear, pain and hearing loss should not be ignored as they may indicate a chronic ear infection, said Dr Himanshu Pratap Singh, head of the ENT department at Balrampur Hospital. He was speaking at a Temporal Bone Dissection workshop, organised for the first time at Balrampur Hospital on Sunday. Doctors attending the workshop were trained in the finer aspects of complex ear surgeries. Dr Singh said in chronic otitis media, infection persists behind the eardrum and may eventually affect hearing and damage the bone surrounding the ear. While medication can control the infection, surgery may be needed if there is a perforated eardrum or infection in the bone. "During such procedures, protecting important nerves and surrounding structures is crucial," he said. Dr Rajiv Sharma, ENT department at the hospital, said the ear contains facial nerve and other vital structures responsible for hearing and balance. A detailed understanding of the anatomy can help reduce the risk of complications during surgery. Dr Ashish Chandra Agarwal, head of the ENT department at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, said cholesteatoma, an accumulation of skin and debris inside the ear, can damage surrounding bone, cause hearing loss and increase the risk of infection spreading. He said surgery is often required in such cases, with temporal bone dissection helping surgeons remove disease while protecting critical structures....