What is mastoiditis? Mastoiditis is an infection of the skull bone situated behind each ear, otherwise known as the mastoid process. This bone is unusually shaped in that it has hallowed out spaces and is cone shaped. Pathogens infect the air pockets of this bone and may form abscesses. Eventually, mastoiditis can result in structural deterioration of your mastoid bone.
Mastoiditis is typically caused by an infection within the middle ear that spreads to this adjacent bone or cholesteatoma. The occurrence of this health condition is fairly uncommon because antibiotic treatment destroys a bacterial infection before it has an opportunity to spread.
Mastoiditis Symptoms
Symptoms of mastoiditis can take weeks to develop after your first sign of an otitis media ear infection. Mastoiditis symptoms may involve:
- fever
- headache
- throbbing ear pain
- progressive hearing loss
- creamy ear fluid drainage
- behind ear swelling, redness
Potential serious health complications from mastoiditis are deafness, sepsis, meningitis, epidural abscess, face paralysis or even death. Therefore, if you’re experiencing some combination of the symptoms listed above see your healthcare provider immediately.
Mastoiditis Treatment
Standard treatment for mastoiditis is taking antibiotics. Mastoiditis can be difficult to treat and relapses are possible because drug therapy fails to defeat the bacteria deep inside your mastoid bone. In some cases, treatment requires surgical removal of mastoid for draining and abscess elimination.
For most, mastoiditis is ultimately cured with treatment.