A patient presents to the clinic with a complaint of right e…
A patient presents to the clinic with a complaint of right ear pain. He denies fever or chills and notes the pain has been increasing over the last 2 days. It was painful last night and he had difficultly sleeping on his right side due to pain. He notes that the ear feels “wet” inside. He also notes that his hearing is somewhat muffled. During the examination, the Nurse Practitioner observes the following: The tympanic membrane is intact. What is the most likely cause of the patient’s symptoms?