1. Hearing Issues and Ear Pain
Petrositis causes hearing issues more often than other ear infections. The hearing loss may be only slight, but it is often enough to make the patient feel disoriented in some noisy environments. The hearing loss is accompanied by pain in the ears, but with petrositis, the pain can also be felt in spots around the face and jaw, as well as at the base of the skull. Often the pain isn't lingering but instead becomes throbbing at various times during the day.
2. Watch for Vertigo and Headaches
Petrositis patients should be able to spot a vertigo attack by sudden ringing in one or both ears. Symptoms such as loss of balance and disorientation are sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In order to prevent bodily harm from falling during a vertigo spell, you should find a place to sit or lie down as soon as the tinnitus symptoms appear. Vertigo attacks due to petrositis range in severity and may be accompanied or followed by a migraine headache.
3. Fluid Discharge From the Ears
The infection of the bones in the inner ear that is part of petrositis can cause fluid to come out of the ear. You should see a doctor right away if fluid comes from either ear so that you can be checked for petrositis. If you wait too long, the flow may stop and additional tests from an ear, nose and throat specialist may be needed to diagnose the condition.
4. Vision Problems and Eye Pain
Patients may lose part of their peripheral vision, see double or temporarily have problems seeing out of one eye. These issues, when accompanied by ear pain, are almost certainly caused by petrositis. If vision problems occur more than once, the patient should seek transportation help for going to the doctor's office.
