The external auditory canal is not only a part of the external ear, but also an integral part of the human auditory system, which conducts and amplifies the sound wave. In the field of otosurgery, it is often the priority access to the tympanic cavity, and therefore it is necessary to clearly understand the features of its anatomy. The dimensions and anatomy of the external auditory canal are extremely variable: the length is 2–3,5 cm, the diameter ranges from 5-9 mm, it is somewhat curved in the horizontal and frontal planes and consists of a membranous cartilaginous part and a bony part, between which there is the most the bottleneck – the isthmus. The ear canal is covered with skin, the thickness and structure of which depends on the section of the ear canal. The membranous cartilaginous section contains sebaceous and sulfur glands. Studies identify several forms of the bony part of the ear canal: conical, hourglass-shaped, ovoid, reverse conical, and cylindrical. The endoscopic scale (CES) for the visibility of the tympanic membrane was also proposed for the convenience of assessment. It has been suggested that the shape of the external auditory canal is an etiological factor in chronic otitis externa. Unambiguous interpretations of the relationship between ear diseases and the shape of the external auditory canal have not yet been obtained, but modern developments tend to consider its importance in the development of ear diseases. Clinical observations show that certain anatomical forms of it may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation, since they interfere with proper self-cleaning.

The high prevalence of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract brings this pathology to the forefront, occupying up to 90% of cases of contacting specialists among all infectious diseases. The main etiological factor in the occurrence of acute inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, such as rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, pharyngitis, is the defeat of a viral agent. At the same time, the damaging viral agents are extremely diverse. In turn, an incorrectly selected initial therapy can lead to a weakening of local nonspecific immunity, which in turn forms a starting point for the attachment of a bacterial infection and the development of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Due to the high prevalence of infections of the upper respiratory tract and unreasonable systemic antibiotic therapy, it is the main factor contributing to the growth of antibacterial resistance, and taking into account the wide range of infectious microbiota that contributes to the development of chronic pathology, the selection of adequate drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract remains relevant. If it is inappropriate to use antibacterial therapy, homeopathic preparations can be used both as monotherapy for uncomplicated forms of a viral disease, and in combination in cases where the safety of prescribed drugs is important to the patient. This is especially true in childhood, when the doctor is limited in the use of medicines. The purpose of this work is to familiarize physicians with the epidemiology, symptoms and modern principles of treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract with an emphasis on risk factors. The analysis of Russian-language and English-language publications was carried out using the databases: eLibrary, PubMed, Russian Science Citation Index, Springer, Scopus, Scientific Research, Crossref.