What is mastoiditis?

Mastoid bone is the part of temporal bone of the skull. It is an important part of the middle and inner ear, which is full of air cells. Mastoid does not have the typical structure of a bone. Instead of being solid, like most other bones, mastoid is comprised of air sacs, which makes it look like a sponge.

Mastoid bone air sacs help to protect the delicate structures of the ear, help in regulating the air pressure inside the ears, and is also thought to play a role in protecting temporal bone during trauma.

Eustachian tube connects middle ear to the back of the throat. Mastoid air cells receive air from the eustachian tube also. Any infection in the eustachian tube can reach mastoid air sacs and cause inflammation, resulting into mastoiditis. Any unresolved middle ear infection like otitis media may also reach the mastoid bone, and cause mastoiditis.

There are many vital structures that pass through the mastoid bone. Any infection in the mastoid can spread outside the mastoid, and cause other serious medical conditions.

Acute mastoiditis usually affect children, though it can happen in adults too. Chronic mastoiditis and middle ear infection may cause regular discharges from the ears.

Causes

Mastoiditis usually develops due to chronic and untreated bacterial middle ear infections. The infection may spread to inner ear, and eventually to mastoid bone. The bacterias may invade the air sacs of the mastoid, leading the bone to disintegrate.

In rare cases, the condition known as cholesteatoma, in which the group of skin cells start growing inside the middle ear, may develop, blocking the drainage of middle ear. This condition may also lead to mastoiditis.

Signs and symptoms

The common sign and symptoms of mastoiditis are almost similar to the symptoms of ear infection, like-

  • Drainage form the ear or ears depending one or both ears are involved.
  • Pain in ear
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Difficulty in hearing, from the affected ear
  • Redness, swelling and tenderness behind the affected area
  • Bulging and drooping of the ear

Sometimes, mastoiditis may result into formation of a brain abscess, or other medical conditions inside the skull. These complications may cause symptoms like severe headaches and swelling behind the eyes. This condition is known as papilledema.

Risk factors

Risk factors of mastoiditis may include-

  • Allergies
  • Upper respiratory tract infections
  • History of otitis media
  • Passive smoking
  • Smoking during pregnancy
  • Snoring
  • Infants and elderly are more likely to get infected
  • Immunosuppressed and debilitated patients
  • People having diabetes
  • More common in low social status people

Complications

Mastoiditis may cause complications like-

  • Facial paralysis
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Hearing loss
  • Vertigo
  • Brain abscess
  • Meningitis
  • Blood clots in the brain, which may result into vision changes or headaches.

Diagnosis

Doctor will carefully examine the ear and head of the patient, to look for any infection or swelling. Doctor may perform other tests to confirm the diagnosis, like-

  • Blood tests, to confirm the presence of any infection
  • CT scan of ear and head
  • MRI scan of ear and head
  • X-ray of the skull

Homeopathic Treatment for Mastoiditis

Homeopathy medicines have wonderful scope in treatment of mastoiditis. Homeopathic medicines help the patient to boost up the immunity and fight back the infection naturally. Homeopathic medicines can effectively reduce the swelling and infection in the mastoid, controlling the progression of the disease to destruction of bone. Medicines also work on the accessory symptoms of mastoiditis like earache, ear discharges, tenderness, etc.

AVI homeopathy, is the best homeopathic clinic in Jaipur, that gives rapid, gentle, natural and permanent cure in mastoiditis, to the patients.