In the article, we will consider what consequences of otitis media can occur.
Otitis is one of the most common ailments of the hearing organs. The disease occurs due to untreated influenza or some kind of respiratory infection. If therapy is started on time, then inflammation will not pose a he alth hazard. But the consequences of otitis media that appear due to ignoring treatment are dangerous and can cause complete hearing loss.
Danger of complications of otitis for children
Otitis can occur in adult patients and in children. Children can get this disease several times a year due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the auditory organs. Ear inflammation is caused by bacteria entering the body and lowering immune functions. It is impossible to ignore this disease, because it will not go away on its own. Doctor's help and complex treatment is required. Negligent attitude to he alth entails a threat to the life of the patient. But what is dangerousailment? I must say that the consequences of otitis occur suddenly.
In children, this virus can affect not only the ears, but also the nasopharynx. Signs of inflammation are the presence of severe pain in the ear, swelling of the auricle and increased body temperature. If the child is not properly treated, the following consequences can occur:
- Violation of the functions of the auditory organs.
- Decrease along with complete hearing loss.
- Infectious spread to neighboring organs.
- Appearance of meningitis and mastoiditis.
- The transition of pathology into a chronic form.
Consequences of pathology in adults
The consequences of otitis in adult patients are largely identical to children. Mostly partial or complete hearing loss can occur. In addition, there is a risk of such serious complications:
- Development of malignant otitis externa.
- Appearance of cholesteatoma, mastoiditis, petrositis or meningitis.
- The appearance of a brain abscess.
- Development of neuritis of the facial nerve.
- Appearance of encephalitis or otogenic sepsis.
Not everyone knows about the consequences of otitis in adults.
Otitis media is treated very quickly and easily, but only if all the doctor's recommendations are followed. In no case should you neglect therapy. Next, let's talk about the purulent form of otitis media and the consequences of the disease.
Purulent otitis media
The presence of acute otitis can lead to purulent, which, in turn, will provoke complete hearing loss. A similar consequence of purulent otitis media in children and adults is treated only with surgery and through the use of a hearing aid.
Purulent otitis media is a disease based on inflammation of the middle ear mucosa. Purulent otitis media is caused by viral bacterial and fungal infections. As a rule, infectious processes spread to the middle ear from the nasal cavity and nasopharynx as a complication of colds, tonsillitis, sinusitis, and so on. The consequences of purulent otitis can be very dangerous.
Purulent otitis media is treated on an outpatient basis, in the presence of high temperature in combination with fever, patients are advised to observe strict bed rest. Hospitalization will be required if a mastoid lesion is suspected.
Restoration of hearing in adults and children
At the first symptoms of pain or congestion that appears in the ears, you should immediately consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis will help to easily get rid of the disease and avoid the consequences of otitis media. The disease can be cured in one week. But a frivolous attitude to diseases of the hearing organs can lead to damage to the eardrums, loss of the ability to hear, and other serious complications, up to the appearance of inflammation of the brain. If there is no opportunity to visit a doctor, then the only drugs that are allowed to use are antihistamines and painkillers.
Folk methods in the form of using chamomile, camphor oil or dry compresses can only harm and cause serious consequencesacute otitis media up to a complete loss of the ability to hear. It is recommended to use them only with the consent of the doctor. For example, a warm compress for purulent otitis can provoke the growth of bacteria along with the spread of pus to neighboring tissue. Usually affected ears can hardly hear during the illness. But in no case should you panic. When the patient is on the mend, hearing must certainly be fully restored. The two main objectives of the healing process are to stop inflammation and pain relief.
In order to eliminate the source of inflammation, antibiotics are used along with vitamin therapy and physiotherapy. In addition, the relief of symptoms of general intoxication plays an important role. You need to drink plenty of fluids, which should be rich in vitamin C. In the event that drug therapy does not bring any results and hearing does not get better, then doctors make a puncture in the eardrum. If the puncture made does not bring results, then purge and UHF therapy are used.
Why does hearing loss occur in otitis media?
This consequence of otitis occurs for the following reasons:
- Due to the fact that the tissues swell a lot.
- Eustachian tube blockage.
- Accumulation of fluid outside the eardrum.
- Violation in the transmission of nerve impulses.
- Death of auditory receptor hairs.
Hearing is usually fully restored if the treatment was completed. But if hearing loss occurs infurther, then perhaps the reasons for this are different.
What other consequence of otitis in children is possible?
Labyrinthitis is a frequent consequence
Labyrinthitis is a disease that affects the structure of the inner ear (i.e. the labyrinth). This organ is responsible not only for the ability to hear, but also for the presence of a sense of balance, so its defeat negatively affects the general condition of the patient. Forms of labyrinthitis are divided into acute, purulent and chronic. In addition, labyrinthitis can be bacterial or viral, let's call its symptoms:
- Appearance of tinnitus and dizziness.
- Loss of balance along with hearing loss.
- Occurrence of nausea and vomiting.
- Having nervous twitching of the eyeballs.
- Presence of fever.
Before starting therapy, it is necessary to establish the causes of inflammation. Otherwise, no treatment will bring the desired effect. For diagnostics, you need to pay a visit to the otolaryngologist, who will perform a visual examination of the ears and ear canal. It is advisable to take a blood test. The vestibular apparatus is also checked using the Romberg test. This can be done even at home: the feet are placed together, the arms are stretched forward, the fingers are opened, and the eyes are closed. In the event that a person maintains a stable posture for more than fifteen seconds without tremor, then everything is fine with the vestibular apparatus.
If there is an unsatisfactory result, the tremor usually starts in less than fifteen seconds,while the body deviates significantly to the side. If the doctor confirms labyrinthitis, then the patient should be immediately hospitalized, providing him with bed rest. Depending on the nature of the disease, it is treated with antibiotics, trepanation or surgery. With timely diagnosis, labyrinthitis is usually completely cured. In advanced forms, it leads to absolute hearing loss and dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus. Despite the fact that this disease is rare, ignoring its symptoms can lead to serious he alth problems.
One of the consequences of a puncture of the eardrum with otitis media can be cholesteatoma.
Cholesteatoma of the ear
Symptoms of the inflammatory process in the ears can sometimes indicate the appearance of a disease of a tumor property, in this case we are talking about cholesteatoma. This disease is not classified as oncology, but it is fraught with serious complications, including even death. Cholesteatoma looks like small nodules that seem to be gathered together. In the center of the tumor there is detritus, which is a product of tissue decomposition. Other layers are presented in the form of dead epithelial cells and cholesterol crystals. The size of the tumor reaches more than three millimeters. Basically, cholesteatomas are located in the middle ear.
This consequence of otitis media develops in people with reduced immunity and in those patients who are prone to frequent colds and chronic otolaryngological diseases. Symptoms include the following:
- Appearance of pain in the ear, temples, forehead or back of the head.
- The presence of small discharge from the ear in the form of purulent or white lumps.
- Hearing loss, nausea and vomiting.
To diagnose this disease use:
- Performing a visual examination of the hearing organs.
- Carrying out magnetic resonance imaging and radiography.
- Performing vestibulometry and lumbar puncture.
Drug therapy is possible for small tumors that are located in front of the eardrum. Mostly regular rinsing with special solutions is used. Surgical intervention is done if the cholesteatoma reaches a large size and is present in a hard-to-reach place. After the operation, the patient must take care of the ear, avoiding hypothermia. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate. In the event that the tumor is heated, this will accelerate the penetration of the infection into the brain. Possible consequences of otitis media are meningitis along with abscess, thrombosis and sepsis. These complications can be avoided only if otitis media with other diseases of the otolaryngological organs is carefully and timely treated.
What are the consequences of eardrum puncture in otitis, it is important to find out in advance.
Mastoiditis
One of the serious complications of otitis media is mastoiditis. This disease is caused by harmful organisms and may be accompanied by suppuration. This is an inflammation of the mastoid process, whichlocated behind the ear. The characteristic signs of mastoiditis of the first stage are the following manifestations: the appearance of pain and discharge, temperature and redness in combination with swelling behind the ear. The next stage is characterized by more severe and complex symptoms:
- Appearance of pain in the inflamed area.
- The occurrence of a purulent fistula.
- The appearance of dizziness and hearing loss.
- Presence of nervous eyelid twitching and facial asymmetry.
- Presence of drooping of the corners of the eyes and mouth.
A serious threat is the penetration of pus into the brain. This is fraught with an abscess, and, in addition, inflammation of the brain. A patient with mastoiditis is immediately hospitalized without fail. It is required to ensure the exit of pus through the external auditory canals. In the early stages, this consequence of otitis media is treated with antibiotics. If the drugs do not help and the inflammatory processes continue to develop, then an operation is necessary. Thanks to this, doctors manage to save the patient's facial nerve. But it is far from always possible to completely restore lost hearing.
Other complications
In addition to the above-mentioned consequences of purulent otitis media in adults and children, the following pathologies occur against the background of the disease:
- Development of meningitis. This is perhaps the most dangerous complication that occurs due to the ingress of an infectious pathogen into the brain membrane. If assistance is not provided in a timely manner, there is a high chance oflethal outcome. Symptoms include intense headache along with high fever, dizziness, vomiting, muscle pain, as well as sensitivity to light and skin rash.
- The appearance of a brain abscess. In this case, the source of inflammation is formed in the cranium. Symptoms are as follows: the appearance of fever, severe headache, cerebral edema and epileptic seizures.
- Development of neuritis of the facial nerve. In this case, inflammation of the nerve responsible for the facial muscles of half of the face is noted. The result of inflammation is paralysis with facial asymmetry. Symptoms of neuritis are the presence of pain behind the ear, slight asymmetry, drooping of the corner of the lips, inability to smile, the patient is also not able to close his eyes.
- The appearance of otogenic sepsis. This is the presence of periodic entry into the blood of harmful organisms that are observed in the source of inflammation. Symptoms: the presence of a sharp increase in temperature, profuse sweating, chills, moist rales in the lungs, white coating on the tongue, palpitations, nausea and vomiting. In this case, the patient will require immediate surgical intervention. This type of sepsis is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia or pyelonephritis.
I must say that certain serious consequences of otitis media in chronic and acute form may occur due to neglect of he alth. The disease is treated very quickly and easily, but the complications it causes often require surgery.
Treatment of otitis in children and adults
In those situations where conservative methods of treatment do not help, doctors resort to surgical operations. There are cases of lightning-fast occurrence of purulent otitis, in the presence of which the general condition of patients is significantly disturbed. In this case, there may be a high risk of complications in the form of infection penetration under the membrane of the brain. Brain abscess or generalization of infections is not excluded. If the cavity is not opened in a timely manner and the purulent contents are not removed, then complications can be deplorable.
As part of the treatment, paracentesis is performed, which is a type of surgical intervention in which the eardrum is opened and the purulent mass is pumped out of the cavity. After that, a drug is injected using a catheter.
Anthrotomy is also a surgical method of treatment, which consists in opening the entrance of the cells of the mastoid process. Next, drainage is carried out using antiseptic solutions. Anthrotomy is prescribed for the development of an acute form of mastoiditis in adults, or in the presence of anthritis in young patients.
The method of surgical intervention, along with the volume of the operation performed, is determined by the doctor strictly according to indications. After operations, as a rule, a special drainage tube is left in the cleaned area, which is necessary for subsequent washing with antibiotics or other antiseptic solutions. Drainage is carried out until the symptoms of intoxication disappear and no longer form.purulent masses. The choice of treatment method largely depends on the clinical situation, the treating doctor, anatomical and physiological features, and, in addition, on the patient's condition.
Prevention of subsequent pathologies
To avoid the occurrence of otitis and its complications, it is necessary to carefully treat any cold, along with other respiratory infections, until absolute recovery. In particular, it contributes to the appearance of otitis media. The best means for prevention, of course, is hardening. Daily baths with waist-high cold water baths are fine to start with.
In order to harden the children's body, you need to keep the kids undressed on the street for several minutes. In winter, a regular room will do. In the event that the child has suffered a serious illness, then it must be regularly examined by a doctor. It is also required to monitor nasal breathing. Its violation can cause various pathologies, including otitis media. Measures to help prevent otitis media with its complications are as follows:
- Eating a he althy diet.
- Frequent walks in the fresh air.
- Humid indoor air.
- Physical activity.
If you are concerned about chronic otitis media along with other respiratory diseases, you must adhere to the following rules:
- While taking a bath, avoid getting water in your ears.
- Always treat runny tonsils.
- Notdo heavy physical work.
- Do not go outside, if possible, in severe frost and windy weather.
- Wear an appropriate hat and cover your ears during the cold season.
These elementary rules will definitely help to avoid the consequences after otitis media, even for those people who are at risk.
