What is mastoiditis?

Infection of the mastoid bone of the skull located behind the ear is referred as mastoiditis. Mastoid bone is a part of temporal bone of skull and is spongy bone and not solid like other bones in the body. The mastoid bone has a honey comb like structure and is made of air sacs called mastoid cells. These mastoid air sacs function to protect the delicate ear structures.

What causes Mastoiditis ?

a) Middle ear infection

Infection in the middle ear that is untreated or improperly treated remains the most common reason for mastoiditis . Infection from middle ear can travel to the air sacs of mastoid bone, leading to infection and inflammation. In long run, it can cause damage and destroy the mastoid bone. The muco-peritoneum covering of mastoid air cells is continuous with epithelium of middle ear cavity. So this gives a pathway for the infection in middle ear cavity to spread to mastoid air cells.

Mastoiditis mostly occur in children but can occur in adults too. The main bacteria involved in acute mastoiditis are streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pyogenes and hemophilus influenzae. While in chronic mastoiditis, the most common bacteria involved are pseudomans aeruginosa, enterobacteriaceae and staphylococcus aureus.

B) Cholesteatoma

Less common reason behind it is cholesteatoma (an abnormal collection of skin cells in the middle ear behind ear drum that mostly arise from repeated middle ear infections). This may prevent proper drainage of ear and favours bacterial multiplication and infection.

What are the symptoms of Mastoiditis 

The symptoms of mastoiditis resembles an ear infection.  It includes pus or fluid discharge from the ear, pain in or around the ear,  fever / chills and foul smell from ear. There also appear redness and swelling behind the ear. Tenderness may also be present behind the ear. Headache, hearing loss and ringing in ears are rest of its symptoms. The young children might pull their ears, cry or may have high irritability or mood changes as they are unable to express their symptoms.

What are its complications?

This condition needs to be diagnosed and treated quickly in order to prevent its complications some of which can be serious and life threatening if the infection spreads outside the mastoid bone to the brain or sometimes to the whole body. Its complications include inflammation of labyrinth of inner ear I.e labyrinthitis (it leads to hearing loss, ringing in ears, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, vertigo). Another complication includes facial paralysis-  if the infection spread to facial nerve .

Its serious complications arise when the infection spreads to the brain. Severe headaches and swelling behind the eyes (called papilledema) are main symptoms . The complication that appear from infection spreading to brain include blood clot in brain, brain abscess (a collection of pus in the brain tissue), epidural abscess (pus  collection  between the outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord and the bones of the skull or spine) and meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes covering your brain and spinal cord). Another potentially serious life threatening complication is sepsis arising when there is spread of the infection throughout the body.

Homeopathic treatment of Mastoiditis

Homeopathy has an excellent scope to treat cases of mastoiditis. Homeopathic medicines boost the body’s defence mechanism to fight with an infectious agent causing mastoiditis and bring natural recovery. These helps to reduce the inflammation of mastoid bone and halts its further progress that can cause destruction of mastoid bone. Simultaneously these medicines effectively manages its symptoms like earache, ear discharges, tenderness and swelling behind ear, hearing difficulty and noises in ear (tinnitus). There are numerous medicines in homeopathy which are helpful to treat middle ear infections too which if taken well in time help to resolve it which is the main reason behind mastoiditis. Homeopathic medicines for mastoiditis are taken as per the individual’s prominent symptoms that vary from case to case. These medicines are natural medicines and can be taken by persons of any age group without any risk of side effects.

It is to be noted that in case of serious complication that has already occurred in mastoiditis cases from spread of infection to brain needs to be urgently treated under conventional mode of treatment as these can be life threatening in short time and homeopathy can not offer help in these cases.

 

Homeopathic Medicines for Mastoiditis

 Belladonna – for pain in ear

Belladonna is prepared from plant deadly nightshade. This plant belongs to family solanaceae. It is an effective medicine to reduce inflammation of mastoid bone and relieve pain in ear. Indications for its use are – ear pain that can be throbbing, tearing, stitching or shooting type. The ear is also hot and sensitive to touch. Other than this persons needing it may have hardness of hearing. They may also complain of noises in the ear that can be ringing, humming or roaring in nature.

Kali Mur – To treat middle ear infection

It is a top listed medicine to resolve middle ear infection well in time and reduce the chance of mastoiditis. To use this medicine the symptoms to look for include white discharge from ear, hearing difficulty and snapping or popping noises in ear.

Silicea – For ear infection / mastoiditis with pus discharge from ear

It is considered when there is pus discharge from ear either from infection in ear or mastoiditis. The discharge has an offensive smell. Along with this there is pain in mastoid bone behind the ear. Fever may also be present. Persons needing it also complain of boring or throbbing pain in ear. Additionally they may have hissing or ringing noises in ear and hearing loss. It is indicated for cases where the mastoid bone is inflamed as well as in cases where the decay of mastoid bone has started.

Pulsatilla – for ear infection / mastoiditis with yellow or yellowish green ear discharges

Pulsatilla is a natural medicine prepared from plant  Pulsatilla Nigricans commonly known as pasque flower and wind flower. This plant belongs to family ranunculaceae. It is another excellent medicine for ear infection and mastoiditis. Its use is indicated when there are yellow or yellowish green discharges from ear. The discharge is profuse and thick. With this there is pain and swelling behind the ear. The pain is usually sharp or shooting in nature. Sometimes pain in head appears along with ear pain. Apart from above roaring or humming noises in are may be present. High fever may attend above symptoms.

Capsicum – when there is pain and tenderness behind ear

This medicine is very useful when area behind ear is painful and it is highly sore and tender to touch. This area is also swollen. Discharges from ear appear with this. Burning and stinging sensation in ear sometimes accompany this.

Merc Sol – for ear pain worsening at night

Merc Sol is helpful medicine when a person experience ear pain at night time. The pain for using it can be drawing, tearing or shooting in nature. With this another characteristic feature is presence of thick yellow, green ear discharge having offensive smell or pus discharge and sometimes blood stained discharge from ear. Whistling or ringing noise in ears is another prominent feature appearing with this.

Hepar Sulph – When ear are painful and sensitive to touch

Use of Hepar Sulph is recommended when there is pain in ear and there is sensitivity to touch ear. Persons requiring it also have an offensive pus discharge from ear in addition to above. They also complain of roaring noises in ear and have problems with hearing.

Tellurium – for chronic  cases of Mastoiditis

Tellurium is very beneficial medicine for chronic cases of mastoiditis. The key feature to use it is constant pain in ear. The pain is mostly throbbing type and continues day and night where it is required. Another prominent symptom is thin, watery , yellowish discharge from ear. The discharge may be seen to continuously ooze from ear.  Sometimes with these symptoms hearing may be impaired and noises of buzzing, ringing nature in ear are present.

Ferrum Phos – when there is soreness and swelling behind ear

Ferrum Phos is a valuable medicine to manage cases in which soreness and swelling behind ear is marked. Throbbing earache attends it. There are ringing noises in ear and difficulty with hearing too with above complaints. Discharge of mucus and pus from ear also appears with these.

Aurum Met – for offensive ear discharge

This medicine is indicated when there is offensive discharge from ear that can be purulent I.e of pus. Along with discharge, burning and prickling in ear arises. Difficulty in hearing attends to this. Lastly there can be noises in ear of varying character like buzzing, roaring, humming or rushing type. The mastoid bone is inflamed or may also have even started to decay in cases where it is indicated.

Asafoetida – when pain in side of head is prominent

Asafoetida is beneficial when pain is in the side of head I.e. temporal region is marked with a pushing out sensation. Boring type of pain is also present behind the ear. Ear discharges having offensive smell . The discharge is mostly thin and contains pus. Hardness of hearing is another symptom that accompanies it.

Carbo Animalis – for sharp stitching pain and swelling behind ear

Carbo Animalis is used when a case present is  with sharp, stitching pain and swelling behind the ear. Person needing it also have buzzing noises in ear and discharge of pus from ear.

Phosphorus – When there is pain and marked noises in ear

This medicine is indicated when there is pain in ear and marked noises in ear. The pain for using it may be throbbing, tearing or shooting type. The shooting pain may also occur in head. When it comes to noises in ear they can be ringing, roaring or buzzing  nature. Yellow coloured fluid discharge from ear may be present too.