Mastoiditis: How to Care for Your Child

Mastoiditis is a rare problem that can happen with an ear infection. It can make the area behind the ear red, tender, and swollen. It also can make the ear stick out more than usual from the head. Mastoiditis (ma-stoy-DYE-tis) is treated with antibiotics, and sometimes surgery. Treatment can help prevent more serious problems.

• Give your child all the antibiotics as directed, even if they feel better in a few days.

• If your child has pain, a medicine may help them feel better:

  • For children under 6 months, you can give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol^® or a store brand).

  • For children over 6 months, you can give acetaminophen, or you can ask the health care provider if it's OK to give ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) instead.

• Let your child rest as needed.

• If the infection was drained, follow the health care provider's instructions for care after the procedure.

• Follow up with the health care provider as directed.

• Your child's symptoms get worse, do not get better, or come back.

• Your child has new symptoms.

Your child:

• develops hearing problems

• has trouble moving the face or eye

• has neck pain and/or stiffness

• has a severe headache

• has a fever

• seems very drowsy 

• has trouble moving or speaking 

• has a seizure 

• passes out (loses consciousness)

What causes mastoiditis? Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid, a bone right behind the ear with connected air cells that resemble a honeycomb. Mastoiditis can happen when an infection in the middle ear spreads into these air cells.

What can help prevent mastoiditis? Don't allow smoking around your child. Kids exposed to smoking get more ear infections than other kids. Washing hands well and often and keeping up to date on vaccines also can help prevent infections. If your child has signs of an ear infection, bring them to the health care provider to see if they need antibiotics.