La mastoiditis It is an inflammation or infection of the mastoid bone, a part of the temporal bone, located behind the ear.
This infection can occur as a result of the spread of inflammation from the middle ear to the mastoid cells.
Mastoiditis generally affects children, which with specific antibiotics is relatively rare and less dangerous.
Symptoms usually appear within two or more weeks after acute otitis media has developed, as disseminated infection destroys the inner part of the mastoid process. An abscess may form in the bone. The skin overlying the mastoid bone may become red, swollen, and painful, and the outer ear drifts to one side and down.
- Discharge from the ear
- Pain or discomfort in the ear.
- Fever that may be high or increase suddenly.
- Headache.
- Redness in or behind the ear.
- Swelling behind the ear
The symptoms of mastoiditis may resemble other conditions or medical problems. In case of suffering any of these symptoms, consult your doctor.
Ear prevention and care
To avoid serious infections such as mastoiditis, it is necessary to properly treat and cure all ear problems, especially otitis media or recurrent ones. In addition, it is advisable to follow a series of guidelines in hygiene and ear protection:
- To keep your ears clean, just pass the tip of a damp towel or gauze over the ear, without rubbing and without forgetting the part of the folds behind the ears.
- The inner area of the ear should not be cleaned with swabs or inserted into the ear canal under any circumstances, as they can cause injury to the area and / or cause inflammation.
- The wax from the ears comes out on its own; you should not try to get away with anything.
- Avoid drafts, dry his ears well after bathing him and open his ears when you go out for a walk in winter.
- You can use a seawater diffuser that allows you to gently and safely clean both the outer and inner ears. The continued use of these diffusers prevents hearing problems, such as wax plugs, and keeps the ears healthy.
- Avoid loud noises and loud television or music, your hearing is sharper and more sensitive than that of older people and could damage you.
- It is advisable not to keep the baby's ears under water, but nothing happens because it splashes or enters them a little.
- If the child has an ear infection, it is better not to fly by plane, since the Eustachian tubes still do not work perfectly and the higher air pressure will exert force on one side of the eardrum causing pain.
- Even if they do not have an infection, when flying the child will feel more pressure than an adult, so it is recommended that when landing and taking off they chew gum or candy, drink water or use a pacifier.