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mastoiditis

18 years ago

I've had this pain in the back of my head for over a month and a MRI revealed fluid in the Mastoid has anyone been through this before,,,If so what treatment worked? the Doc says I heading for surgery,,,,,,

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Comments (6)

lindac
18 years ago
Antibiotics should be the first line of treatment.
Linda C
muddy_water
Original Author
18 years ago
I've been on them for over a month and no improvement..So it looks like I'm heading toward having them drained..
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I had this same surgery done- I had tubes put into my ears 3 different times as a kid. It is very quick and painless. He won't even notice a thing. When the tubes are in, it is to drain the fluid built up behind the eardrum. That fluid is painful! The risk with the hole not closing is that he can easily get water in there that can lead to infections. Having it repaired will mean fewer ear aches and other problems. Now I have a 95% hearing loss, but that was due to the infections eating away at the little bones in the ear that are responsible for making the "sounds" work right. Mine were replaced with a type of plastic, which is why I do have some hearing left. Hugs to you, I know it is scary when it is your own little guy, but it is a piece of cake surgery- he won't feel a thing! Trish
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lindac
18 years ago
Mastoiditis is in inflammation in the spongy bone in the skull right behind the ear. Usually caused by untreated ( or improperly treated) inner ear infection. Because this is a spongy bone the infection is very difficult to treat and surgery is often required. But there are dangers to the surgery, not the least of which is facial paralysis and meningitis.
Mastoiditis is very rare with the advent of antibiotics....and very very rare in an adult. I would be seeing another doctor....is this one an EENT?
Over a month is not a long time to be on antibiotics for an infection in the bone.....3 to 6 months is more like it.
Is he talking about draining the middle ear? Putting tubes in your ears?, or going into the bone?
If you have infection in your mastoid bones that's very serious, but if you have fluid in your middle ears because of improper drainage, that's another thing.
Find out what's going on....infection in the bones in your skull can kill you!
Linda C
muddy_water
Original Author
18 years ago
Linda, I have not been to the ENT yet. I'm waiting on a appointment through my General doctor..who I was sent to by my Spine doctor who did a neck fusion this past Jan..
You see I thought it was a problem with the back of my neck So I made a appointment with my Spine doctor...But I was going on a business trip so I had to go to my General doc first...He saw fluid in my ears and put me on a antibiotic a month ago( the pain had being going on since July) Well it just go worse after flying and I went to the hospital for some type of help they scheduled a MRI and told me to see my Spine Doc. I took to my Spine Doc who said I had Fluid in Both Mastoids and Called my General Doc who called in another antibiotic and told me to come see him in a week if no improvement. Well that's where I'm at the General Doc who said he can still see fluid in my ears and is now makeing a appointment with a E.N.T. My General said the ENT will most likely do a biopsey of the fluid in the mastoids for culture...and maybe tubes as well..
irishdancersgram
18 years ago
I know you had posted quite a while ago, but was wondering how you're doing. My mother had Mastoiditis when she was about 12 and back then (in the late 1920s) they really didn't know how to treat it so she did have surgery and they removed most of the bone behind her ear. In turn, she was left deaf in the one ear. After close to 35 years, she had surgery again and would you believe her hearing in that ear was restored....Just in talking to her, it was a very painful thing to go through...Hope all is going good for you....Dorothy
nyc_michael
18 years ago
i dont think mastoiditis is rare. maybe more rare in adults than in children but very very rare??? i dont think so. it's similar to a sinus infection and can arise from your basic inner ear infection. anything with the word itis means inflammation and mastioditis is inflammation of the mastoid process. the antibiotics sould kill the bacteria causing the inflmaation. someitmes diffent antibiotics are needed b/c some bacteria can build up resistance to the drugs you are trying to kill them with. if your eyes ear nose and throat specialist does a biopsy and culture he will discover which bacteria are casuing the problem and he will then be able to figure out which antibiotics will kill those bacteria. go see your dr and take your antibiotics. the bacteria doens't have a chance. best of luck

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