What Is an Ear Infection?
5. Complications
Complications will arise from ear infections in a small number of cases. For instance, the infection will sometimes spread to other parts of the body. In rare cases, this can even result in meningitis, which is a potentially life threatening condition. Tears of the eardrum can also happen, and surgery will sometimes be necessary to repair the damage.
In severe cases, the infection can cause permanent damage to the delicate apparatus in the inner ear. This can lead to impaired hearing, or even complete hearing loss in the infected ear. If this happens in young children, hearing loss can contribute to developmental delays.
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