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Know everything about Mastoiditis disease and its treatment (surgical and nonsurgical) | Find the best ENT Doctor near you | No Cost EMI Treatment | Easy Insurance Approval
Know everything about Mastoiditis disease and its treatment (surgical and nonsurgical) | Find the best ENT Doctor near you | No Cost EMI Treatment ... Read More
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ENT/ Otorhinolaryngologist
Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone. The mastoid bone is located just behind the ear and has many air cavities that protect the delicate structures of the ear, regulate ear pressure, and protect the temporal bone during trauma.
During mastoiditis, these air cavities are infected and filled with discharge. Nowadays, severe mastoid infections are rare as they can be easily treated via antibiotics. However, in rare cases, if the patient has a severe untreated or antibiotic-resistant ear infection, they can get mastoiditis.
Mastoiditis generally results from middle ear infections. Sometimes, if the infection is too severe or recurring, or if the patient is not diligent about following their treatment course, it can spread to the mastoid bone.
In some cases, this infection can even result in the growth of a cholesteatoma, a benign cyst that invades the middle ear and mastoid, leading to further deterioration of the ear canal and permanent hearing loss.
It is easy to self-assess for mastoiditis. If you (or your child) have a high fever, redness and swelling behind the ear, and severe earache, there is a high chance that you may have mastoiditis.
During the physical examination, your ENT surgeon will palpate your ear swelling and look through the ear canal using an otoscope. If they suspect the presence of a mastoid infection, they will schedule further diagnostic tests for you.
The following diagnostic tests usually confirm mastoiditis:
The culture helps identify the causing organism behind the ear infection, while the imaging and blood tests help the surgeon ascertain if there is any degeneration in the mastoid bone, along with the severity of the conditions, and helps them formulate the right treatment plan.
In severe cases, if there is a sign that the infection has spread to the skull and brain, you may also need a lumbar puncture (or spinal tap) for diagnosis.
If left untreated or improperly treated, mastoid infections can spread to other parts of the body and result in severe complications such as:
Mastoid infections usually occur in children due to improper management of initial ear infections. You can prevent mastoid infections by:
You should consult a doctor immediately after having a fever or earache. You can visit your regular physician, who will recommend an ENT consultation to you if needed. Any delay in getting proper treatment can result in further complications, therefore, you should seek immediate treatment if you have any issues.
For mastoiditis, you should seek an ENT specialist if:
Generally, mastoid infections are treated through conservative treatments. The most prevalent treatment for acute mastoid infections is antibiotic treatment. Your ENT doctor can prescribe you antigen-specific antibiotics for better results.
If you do not benefit from conservative management, your doctor may recommend surgical intervention. The first line of surgery is drainage of ear discharge through a myringotomy. If there is no improvement even then, you may need mastoidectomy surgery. During mastoidectomy, the surgeon will create an incision behind the ear and remove the diseased parts of the mastoid bone.
Most major health insurance providers cover mastoidectomy surgery, however, the extent of the coverage depends on the policy terms. Generally, the surgery is covered as a daycare procedure, and insurance providers do not provide coverage for an overnight hospital stay. If you are unsure about your policy terms, you can consult your insurance provider.
Pristyn Care also has an expert insurance team that will help you file a claim for insurance coverage, helps you understand your policy terms, and enables you to get reimbursement for medicines and diagnostic tests you have paid out-of-pocket for.
Ear infections are a very common health problem, especially during childhood. If you or your child had an ear infection that had progressed to mastoiditis, then it is very likely that you may have needed surgical intervention.
Mastoidectomy surgery has proven to be successful in over 85-90% of cases and is associated with very low recurrence rates. To ensure this, you need to take proper care of yourself after the surgery and follow your ENT surgeon’s directions explicitly.
Though mastoiditis can occur at any age, it most commonly occurs in children below 2 years of age, with a median age of occurrence equaling 12 months.
Silent mastoiditis is a severe form of mastoiditis in which the mastoid bone degenerates without any outward signs like swelling, ear discharge, etc. It is more harmful than mastoiditis in general as it can cause severe damage before the patient notices it and gets treatment.
The recurrence rate of mastoiditis after treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the type of treatment. The recurrence rate is generally high after conservative treatments, but after surgical treatments, the infection usually doesn’t come back.
Yes, stress can lower the body’s inherent immune capacity and increase the chances of ear infections. If you are constantly stressed, then you may suffer from recurring infections as well.
Yes, however, it is very uncommon for a patient to have mastoiditis without a coinciding ear infection, as the mastoid bone lies right next to the ear canal, and infection in one part can easily spread to the other.
Yes, mastoiditis is a potentially life-threatening issue as the infection can easily spread to the skull, brain, and rest of the body leading to severe complications like meningitis, epidural abscess, sepsis, etc. If you have mastoiditis, you should seek proper treatment immediately.
While you can consult a general physician for acute ear infections you severe or recurring ear infections, including mastoiditis, you should consult an ENT specialist for long-term relief without any complications.
