Where can mastoiditis spread?
The most common cause of mastoiditis is a middle ear infection that has been left untreated. It can spread to your inner ear, invading the sacs of the mastoid bone, without treatment. This can cause the mastoid bone to begin to disintegrate.
What is the most dangerous complication of acute mastoiditis?
If left untreated, mastoiditis can cause serious, even life-threatening, health complications, including hearing loss, blood clot, meningitis, or a brain abscess.
Why is an infection in the mastoid sinuses dangerous?
Mastoiditis can be cured if treated with antibiotics right away. It may come back periodically (recur) in some individuals. If infection spreads, serious complication can arise including hearing loss, bone infection, blood clots, brain abscess, and meningitis.
Should I go to ER for mastoiditis?
A person with mastoiditis or an ear infection who has confusion, a high fever, is very weak, or who has swelling around their head should go to the emergency room.
Can infected tooth cause mastoiditis?
Ultimately, a dental abscess was found on computed tomography (CT) to be the source of concurrent ipsilateral maxillary sinusitis and mastoiditis.
Can you get sepsis from ear infection?
These ear infections, infected cuts and scrapes, even childhood diseases like chickenpox are all infections that will probably pass without lasting effects. Most of these infections will go away with treatment or by managing the symptoms. But every so often, one can cause sepsis, a medical emergency.
When should I go to the hospital for mastoiditis?
People can also develop a life-threatening blood infection called sepsis. A person with mastoiditis or an ear infection who has confusion, a high fever, is very weak, or who has swelling around their head should go to the emergency room.
Can a mastoid infection spread outside the bone?
In this Article. Because so many vital structures pass through the mastoid, infection may spread outside of the mastoid bone and cause serious health complications. Acute mastoiditis typically affects children, but adults can also be affected.
Where does mastoiditis occur in the human body?
Mastoiditis in Children and Adults definition and facts. Mastoiditis (acute and chronic) is a bacterial infection of the mastoid cells in the mastoid bone, which is located just behind the ear. Mastoiditis can become serious if the infection spreads outside the mastoid bone.
Can a mastoid infection cause a middle ear infection?
If infection spreads outside the mastoid air cells into the mastoid bone (coalescent mastoiditis), serious health problems can arise. Mastoiditis is more common in children, but it can affect adults as well. A middle ear infection is inflammation of the middle ear, which usually is caused by an infection.
What are the symptoms of an acute mastoiditis infection?
Mastoiditis (acute and chronic) is a bacterial infection of the mastoid cells in the mastoid bone, which is located just behind the ear. Mastoiditis can become serious if the infection spreads outside the mastoid bone. Symptoms of acute mastoiditis include: Pain in or behind the ear.