An ear infection occurs when the Eustachian tube, the tube that runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat, becomes blocked. Fluid builds up, enabling bacteria or viruses to grow and cause an infection. A chronic ear infection occurs when fluid or an infection behind the eardrum does not go away. Ear infections usually resolve on their own without complications. However, a chronic ear infection may cause complications and permanent changes to the ear and nearby bones.
Hearing Problems
According to MayoClinic.com, chronic fluid buildup in the ear can affect hearing. The eardrum sits between the external, or outer ear, and the middle ear. It functions primarily to transmit sound waves. Accumulated fluid within the ear makes it harder for the eardrum and the tiny bones located in the middle ear to send sound vibrations. This can result in partial or complete hearing loss.
The fluid in the middle ear can become very thick from the infection, reports MedlinePlus. The eardrum may stick to the bones in the middle ear. The eardrum and middle ear bones cannot vibrate in response to the sound waves they receive. Hearing loss develops as a result.
Perforated Eardrum
Chronic fluid and pus within the ear may press against the eardrum causing a great deal of pain. The pressure can rupture or cause a perforation in the eardrum, explains MayoClinic.com. The rupture relieves the pain because it allows for the accumulated fluid and pus to drain. Symptoms of a ruptured eardrum include pus or bloody drainage from the affected ear. The eardrum may heal on its own after it has ruptured and drained out the fluid and pus. An eardrum that doesn’t heal and keeps rupturing and draining may need a surgical repair called a tympanoplasty to correct the perforation.
Mastoiditis
The Merck Manual Home Edition says that mastoiditis occurs when the infection from the middle ear spreads into the mastoid process, the prominent bone behind the ear. Mastoiditis usually develops within a few days to several weeks after an ear infection sets in. The symptoms emerge once the infection starts destroying the inner part of the mastoid process. The skin covering the mastoid process may become red, swollen and tender. Sufferers may experience a persistent and throbbing pain. Other symptoms include fever, pain around and within the affected ear, and creamy, profuse drainage from the ear. A collection of pus may form in the mastoid bone. People who develop mastoiditis may need a mastoidectomy, or surgery to remove part of the infected portion of the mastoid bone.
