Otitis is a complex inflammatory process that causes severe swelling inside the auricle and provokes the development of pathological microorganisms. This in turn leads to a decrease in hearing, the emergence of severe internal pain, as well as suppuration. The risk of otitis is present for both children and adults.
Often cases, when untimely treatment of otitis takes other forms, that is, a person has complications. Most often it is about the appearance of purulent discharge, the degeneration of the disease, aggravation of pain. How will not the situation worsen and completely eliminate the otitis media?
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is dangerous The danger of otitis is its ability to seriously damage a person's hearing system. So, first of all, the hearing itself suffers. Further, a person may have fever, he is suffering from severe aching or shooting pain in the ear.
Further the virus spreads, touching the cavities of the middle and inner ear.
Complications after otitis
Complications during or after otitis treatment can occur quite unexpectedly. Most often, worsening appear against the background of ignoring the doctor's recommendations from the patient, or due to the fact that the patient for a long time did not seek help from a doctor.
Often negligence on the part of patients towards themselves leads to a number of unpleasant symptoms that endanger not only the health of the hearing, but also the life of a person.
In the case of children, everything is somewhat more complicated. Deterioration after otitis or during the course of the illness comes because the parents are trying to attempt treatment themselves. This includes various folk techniques, tools, as well as unverified advice. In most cases, there is no relief, and the child enters the hospital with severe complications.
Chronic stage
For chronic otitis media, a man's eardrum is almost always damaged. This complication arises because of untreated or ignored acute otitis media. The probability of the appearance of chronic otitis media with an acute type of disease is almost 80%.
As a consequence of the patient disturbed not only pain, but also a partial loss of hearing, fever and other symptoms.
Chronic otitis media
Malignant processes
Malignant otitis is most often caused by untreated otitis externa. This complication occurs rarely, but still it is and is very dangerous, because it can lead to an abscess and even a fatal outcome.
Cholesteatoma is another disease that occurs due to otitis media. According to doctors, in 90% of cases the disease occurs precisely because of chronic purulent otitis media. This disease has a pronounced symptomatology and requires surgical treatment in 80% of cases.
Decreased or loss of hearing
This symptom is quite frequent. Partial or total hearing loss almost always occurs with otitis media. And, as doctors say, otitis is the most common and widespread cause of hearing loss in children.
Thus, this leads to a permanent hearing loss, which is usually impossible to heal. In this case, the return of hearing is possible surgically or with the help of a hearing aid.
Hearing loss after otitis media:
Petrositis, Mastoiditis and other inflammations of bones
Another disease caused by otitis exacerbation is mastoiditis. It arises as a complication of otitis and carries a lot of complex symptoms for the patient. Patients distinguish 3 stages of mastoiditis:
- Exudative. At this stage, the mucosa and the periosteum of the cells of the mastoid process are involved in the process of the disease. The mucous membrane becomes inflamed and thickens considerably;
- Destructive. At this stage, the destruction of bone tissue and necrosis.
Symptoms of mastoidite
It is worth remembering about petrositis. This disease, also called osteomyelitis, develops in passing with otitis media or 3-4 days after mastoiditis.
Meningitis
Meningitis is one of the most dangerous complications of otitis. Spreading in the course of otitis media, bacteria and viruses affect the soft shells of the brain and lead to inflammatory processes.
Meningitis can lead to death if you do not contact the doctor on time. In the case of meningitis, the life of the patient goes on for hours. If there is a symptom that speaks of meningitis, the patient should immediately call an ambulance.
Speaking about the complications of otitis, it is also worth mentioning the abscess of the brain. This consequence of the disease is no less dangerous than meningitis and has numerous characteristic symptoms, among which:
- severe headache;
- fever;
- epileptic seizures;
- edema of the brain.
Symptoms of meningitis
Other diseases
When otitis in patients, a number of other complications can occur. One of them is a labyrinth. In this case, the patient has an inflammatory lesion of the tissues of the inner ear. A person experiences a variety of symptoms, among which:
- tinnitus;
- hearing loss;
- coordination disorder;
- dizziness.
Another possible complication is neuritis of the facial nerve. With this ailment, the patient has inflammatory nerve damage, in connection with which the innervation of the facial muscles of any part of the face occurs. In the muscles develops weakness, which leads to paresis or paralysis of facial movements and the appearance of a strong asymmetry of the face.
It is worth noting a complication in the form of otogenic sepsis. With this disease a person experiences an incredibly severe symptomatology, which, moreover, is not amenable to treatment.
Aggravating factors
The most common, complicating complication factor is the accumulation of pus, which happens with purulent otitis media. Complications of otitis occur if the disease has not been stopped on time. Particular danger is not completely cured disease.
Improper treatment and disregard of the prescription of an ENT doctor can cause concomitant symptoms, up to and including gastrointestinal upset. This is due to the fact that the ear and abdominal cavity are connected by the same nerve.
In children
Most often, children have three types of complications:
- Chronic purulent otitis with relapses. In this case, pus in the ear then accumulates, then leaves. Treatment for this disease is worth repeating often. When ignored, the child has a destruction of the auditory ossicles. As a result, the child remains deaf to the sore ear.
- Meningitis. In this case, the children have an inflammation of the meninges, which requires urgent treatment and hospitalization.
- Mastoiditis. Inflammatory process of the mastoid process of the skull. In this case, the child needs surgical intervention of a doctor. Otherwise, the patient may begin to receive blood poisoning, which is fatal.
How to avoid consequences during treatment
You can avoid complications. However, the success of treatment, in the first place, depends only on the patient. The professionalism of the doctor also plays a significant role, but more important is the patient's desire to completely get rid of the disease.
So, in addition to a comprehensive survey, during which the patient receives the necessary recommendations for treatment, he must obtain appointments for the passage of a number of physiotherapy.
Special attention should be paid to nutrition and how the patient dresses. The food should be balanced and full, it will allow the body to recover faster and, accordingly, to fight the disease.
Clothing should be optimally warm. Especially, warming touches the head and chest area. It is necessary to do everything necessary to ensure that these areas do not come into contact with cold air and are always in optimally acceptable conditions.
How to treat otitis without complications, see in our video:
Forecast
The most important aspect of the positive outcome of otitis is timely treatment. To consult doctors for diagnosis and therapy is necessary at the appearance of the first suspicious symptoms, whether it be pain in the ear or a feeling of stuffiness.
However, the outcome of the ailment can be quite the opposite. Negative outcome of the disease can arise due to negligent attitude towards one's own organism, untimely referral to the doctor or even ignoring the full course of treatment. This can have many consequences, among them:
- meningitis;
- mastoiditis requiring surgery;
- brain abscess;
- lethal outcome.
With proper and timely therapy, the outcome of otitis in any of the forms is favorable. Disease, if it is not in a neglected stage, is 100% cured.