Otitis: consequences, complications, hearing restoration, treatment and prevention of subsequent diseases

In the article, we will consider what consequences of otitis can occur.

Otitis is one of the most common ailments of the hearing organs. There is a disease due to untreated flu or some kind of respiratory infection. If therapy is started on time, then inflammation will not pose a health hazard. But the consequences of otitis media arising from ignoring treatment are a threat and can cause complete hearing loss.

The danger of complications of otitis media 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. This disease cannot be ignored, because it alone will not go away. Requires the help of a doctor and comprehensive treatment. A neglect of health poses a threat to the life of the patient. But what is the danger of the disease? I must say that suddenly the consequences of otitis media arise.

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 elevated body temperature. In the case of improper treatment in a child, the following consequences may occur:

• Impaired auditory function.
• Decrease along with total hearing loss.
• Infectious spread to neighboring organs.
• The appearance of meningitis and mastoiditis.
• The transition of pathology into a chronic form.

The consequences of pathology in adults

The consequences of otitis media in adult patients are largely identical to those of children. Mostly, partial or total hearing loss may occur. In addition, there is a risk of such serious complications:

• The development of malignant external otitis media.
• The onset of cholesteatoma, mastoiditis, petrositis, or meningitis.
• The appearance of an abscess of the brain.
• The development of neuritis of the facial nerve.
• The appearance of encephalitis or otogenic sepsis.

Not everyone knows about the effects of otitis media in adults.

Otitis is treated very quickly and easily, but only subject to all the recommendations of the doctor. 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 media can lead to purulent, which, in turn, will provoke a complete hearing loss. A similar consequence of purulent otitis media in children and adults is treated only with surgical intervention and through the use of a hearing aid.

Purulent otitis media is a disease based on the inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the middle ear. 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 the common cold, sore throat, sinusitis and so on. The effects of purulent otitis media 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 recommended to observe strict bed rest. Hospitalization will be required if there is a suspected lesion of the mastoid process.

Hearing restoration 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 effects of otitis media. You can cure the disease in one week. But a frivolous attitude to diseases of the organs of hearing can lead to damage to the eardrum, loss of ability to hear 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 be used are antihistamines and painkillers.

Alternative methods in the form of using chamomile, camphor oil or dry compresses can only do harm and cause serious consequences of acute otitis media until the complete loss of the ability to hear. Use them is recommended only with the consent of the doctor. For example, a warming compress with purulent otitis can provoke the growth of bacteria along with the spread of pus on neighboring tissue. Usually, sick ears are hardly heard during illness. But in no case should you panic. When the patient recovers, the hearing must certainly be fully restored. The two main tasks of the treatment process are to stop inflammation and anesthesia.

In order to eliminate the source of inflammation, antibiotics are used along with vitamin therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures. In addition, the relief of symptoms of general intoxication plays an important role. You need to drink a lot of fluids, which should be rich in vitamin "C". In the event that drug therapy does not bring any results and the hearing does not get better, then the doctors make a puncture in the eardrum. If the puncture made does not bring results, then purge and UHF therapy are used.

Why does otitis media cause a hearing impairment?

This consequence of otitis occurs for the following reasons:

• Due to the fact that the tissues swell strongly.
• Blocking the Eustachian tube.
• Fluid accumulation outside the eardrum.
• Violation of the transmission of a nerve impulse.
• The death of auditory receptor hairs.

Hearing, as a rule, is fully restored if the treatment has been completed. But if hearing impairment occurs in the future, then perhaps the reasons for this are different.

What other consequence of otitis media in children is possible?

Labyrinthitis - a frequent consequence

Labyrinthitis is a disease that affects the structure of the inner ear (i.e., the labyrinth). This body is responsible not only for the ability to hear, but also for the presence of a sense of balance, therefore its defeat negatively affects the general condition of the patient. Forms of labyrinthitis are divided into acute, purulent and chronic. In addition, labyrinthitis is bacterial or viral, let's call its symptoms:

• The appearance of tinnitus and dizziness.
• Loss of balance along with impaired hearing.
• Onset of nausea and vomiting.
• The presence of nervous twitching of the eyeballs.
• The presence of elevated temperature.

Before starting therapy, it is necessary to establish the causes of inflammation. Otherwise, no treatment will bring the desired effect. For the diagnosis, 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: feet are placed together, hands are pulled forward, fingers are opened, and eyes are closed. In the event that a person maintains a stable posture for more than fifteen seconds without tremor, it means that he is doing well with the vestibular apparatus.

If there is an unsatisfactory result, tremor begins, as a rule, in less than fifteen seconds, and the body deviates significantly to the side. If the doctor confirms the labyrinthitis, then the patient should be hospitalized immediately, 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 impaired function of the vestibular apparatus. Despite the fact that this disease is rare, ignoring its symptoms can lead to serious health problems.

One of the consequences of a puncture of the eardrum with otitis media can be a cholesteatoma.

Ear cholesteatoma

Symptoms of the inflammatory process in the ears can sometimes indicate the appearance of a tumor-like disease, in this case we are talking about a cholesteatoma. This disease is not classified as an oncology, but it is fraught with serious complications, including even death. The cholesteatoma has the appearance of small nodules that are, as it were, assembled together. Detritus is present in the center of the tumor, which is a product of tissue decomposition. Other layers are represented as dead epithelial cells and cholesterol crystals. The size of the tumor reaches more than three millimeters. Most 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 manifestations:

• The appearance of pain in the ear, in the temples, in the forehead or back of the head.
• The presence of small discharge from the ear in the form of purulent or white lumps.
• Presence of hearing loss, nausea, and vomiting.

To diagnose this disease, use:

• Performing a visual examination of the hearing organs.
• Conducting magnetic resonance imaging and radiography.
• Perform vestibulometry and lumbar puncture.

Drug therapy is possible with small tumors that are located in front of the eardrum. Regular rinses are usually used with special solutions. Surgery is done if the cholesteatoma reaches a large size and is present in an inaccessible place. After surgery, the patient must take care of the ear, avoiding hypothermia. In no case 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 ear otitis are meningitis along with abscess, thrombosis and sepsis. Avoid these complications only if you carefully and timely cure otitis media with other diseases of the otolaryngological organs.

What are the consequences of a puncture of the eardrum with otitis media, it is important to find out in advance.

Mastoiditis

One of the serious complications of otitis media is mastoiditis. This disease is caused by pests and may be accompanied by suppuration. This is an inflammation of the mastoid process, which is located behind the auricle. 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 edema behind the ear. The next stage is characterized by more serious and complex symptoms:

• The appearance of pain in the inflamed area.
• The appearance of a purulent fistula.
• Dizziness and hearing loss.
• The presence of nervous twitching of the eyelids and facial asymmetry.
• The presence of drooping 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 medications do not help and the inflammatory processes continue to develop, then surgery is needed. Thanks to this, doctors manage to save the patient's facial nerve. But it is far from always possible to completely restore the lost hearing.

Other complications

In addition to the aforementioned consequences of purulent otitis media in adults and children, against the background of the disease, the following pathologies occur:

• The development of meningitis. This is perhaps the most dangerous complication that occurs as a result of the infectious pathogen entering the brain membrane. In the event that timely assistance is not provided, there is a high chance of death. Symptoms are intense headache along with fever, dizziness, vomiting, muscle pain, and, in addition, sensitivity to light and skin rashes.
• The appearance of an abscess of the brain. 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.
• The development of neuritis of the facial nerve. At the same time, 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 plaque in the tongue, heart palpitations, nausea and vomiting. In this case, the patient will need immediate surgical intervention. This type of sepsis is often mistakenly diagnosed as pneumonia or pyelonephritis.

I must say that these or other serious consequences of otitis media in chronic and acute form may arise due to neglect of health. The disease is treated very quickly and easily, but the complications that it causes often require surgical intervention.

Treatment of otitis media in children and adults

In those situations where conservative treatment methods do not help, doctors resort to surgical operations. There are cases of fulminant occurrence of purulent otitis media, in the presence of which the general condition of the patients is significantly impaired. In this case, there may be a high risk of complications in the form of infection penetrating the lining of the brain. A brain abscess or generalization of infections is not excluded. If you do not open the cavity in a timely manner and purulent contents are not removed, then complications can be deplorable.

As part of the treatment, paracentesis is performed, which is one of the types of surgical intervention, in which the eardrum is opened and the purulent mass is pumped out of the cavity. After that, a drug is introduced using a catheter.

Antrotomy also acts as a surgical method of treatment, which consists in opening the entrance of the mastoid cells. Next, drainage is carried out using antiseptic solutions. Antrotomy is prescribed for the development of an acute form of mastoiditis in adults, or in the presence of anthritis in small patients.

The technique of surgical intervention, along with the volume of the operation, is determined by the doctor strictly according to indications. After operations, as a rule, a special drainage tube is left in the area to be cleaned, which is necessary for subsequent washing with antibiotics or other antiseptic solutions. Drainage is carried out until the symptoms of intoxication disappear and purulent masses cease to form. The choice of treatment methodology largely depends on the clinical situation, the doctor in charge, the anatomical and physiological characteristics, and, in addition, on the patient's condition.

Prevention of subsequent pathologies

In order to avoid the appearance of otitis media and its complications, it is necessary to carefully treat any cold, along with other respiratory infections, until absolute recovery. In particular, the onset of otitis media is common. The best tool for prevention, of course, is hardening. For a start, daily baths with rubbing to the waist with cold water are quite suitable.

In order to harden the children's body, for several minutes you need to keep the kids naked in the street. In winter, an ordinary room will do. In the event that the child suffered a serious illness, then he 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:

• Compliance with a healthy diet.
• Frequent walks in the fresh air.
• The presence of humid air in the room.
• Physical activity.
  

In the event that chronic otitis is worried, along with other respiratory diseases, it is necessary to adhere to the following rules:

• While bathing, avoid getting water in your ears.
• Always treat tonsils with a runny nose.
• Do not do heavy physical work.
• If possible, do not go outside in severe frost and windy weather.
• Wear the appropriate headgear and cover your ears in the cold season.

These elementary rules will surely help to avoid the occurrence of consequences after otitis even for those people who are at risk.