Yes, ear infections can affect your brain, although it is rare.
How Ear Infections Can Impact the Brain
While most ear infections are localized and resolve without complications, in rare instances, a serious middle ear infection can spread beyond the ear and impact other structures, including the brain.
Mechanisms of Brain Involvement
Here's how an ear infection could potentially affect the brain:
- Spread of Infection: The infection can spread to other tissues in the skull, including the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis). This is a serious complication.
Conditions Resulting from Infection Spread
The following complications can arise if an ear infection spreads:
- Meningitis: Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
- Brain Abscess: A collection of pus in the brain.
