Swimmer's ear is a medical condition, which involves inflammation, irritation or infection of the ear. It may affect the outer ear and also the ear canal. Swimmer's ear is called Otitis externa in medical terms. The condition may be acute to chronic in nature.

Causes
Swimmer's ear is an infection that's usually caused by bacteria commonly found in water and soil. Infections caused by a fungus or a virus are less common. This condition is more common in teenagers and young adults. It may occur due to a middle ear infection or because of a respiratory infection such as cold.
Swimmer's ear can occur as a result of swimming in unclean or contaminated water. These waters contain pseudomonas and other harmful bacteria, which can lead to such ear infections. The infections are rarely caused by fungus.

Swimmer's ear may also result due to other reasons. They can be:
1. Scratching the inside or outside of the ear.
2. Having something stuck in the ear. When you clean ear wax with cotton swabs or small objects, damage may occur. Using headphone or ear plugs for a long period of time may also cause swimmer's ear.
3. Allergic reaction to some object or anything placed in the ear may also cause Swimmer's ear. These may be hair products or jewelry.
4. Some chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis may also lead to this infection.

Risk factors
There are several factors, which may enhance the risk of getting swimmer's ear. They are as follows:
1. Swimming in water, which has got elevated levels of bacteria. This includes lakes and ponds.
2. People having narrow ear canals are at a more risk of swimmer's ear.
3. Aggressive cleaning and scratching of the ear canal.

Symptoms
The symptoms which indicate swimmer's ear are:
1. tching of the ear canal. This becomes intense as the condition progresses.
2. Redness on the inside parts of the ear, which get more extensive in later stages.
3. Discomfort which worsens by pulling on the outer ear or pushing on the tragus of the front part of the ear.
4. Drainage of a fluid which is clear and odorless. As the condition worsens, there is excessive drainage of fluid along with the discharge of pus.
4. A fullness feeling in the ear and a partial blockage of the ear canal because of swelling and fluids.
5. In advanced stages, fever and swelling of lymph nodes in the neck is indicated. Hearing impairment may occur.

Swimmer's ear is a health condition, which involves the ear. The ear gets inflamed because of a certain bacterial infection. Although it is not a very severe condition, in some cases it can do significant harm.

Causes of Swimmer's Ear

Most people listen to music or their favourite videos while on the move, and they spend a considerable amount of time plugging in the headphones or earphones. If you are concerned about the pros and cons of the headphones and earphones, or rather which one is better, you will have to consider various aspects. These include noise isolation, frequency response, noise cancellation and comfort of wearing.

Earphones are devices which are worn on the pinna or the internal part of the ear. This device is also referred to as earbuds, in-ears, canal phones, buds, in-ear headphones, IEMs.

Headphones are equipment worn on or around the ear. These are not considered as handy as the earphones and are also known as ear speakers. Let s evaluate the pros and cons of these two devices and choose the one that is better.

Frequency response curve: This helps in assessing how much distortion is brought about by the devices which relate to the clarity. They should be able to respond equally well to all the pitches without transmitting any frequency more loudly than another. This suggests that the frequency you are receiving should be exactly similar to what has been fed in regardless of the frequency ranges. Typically, the earphones have bad frequency response while the headphones tend to have better frequency response. If you are primarily concerned about the noise distortion, then you should opt for headphones.
Noise isolation: By this, it is understood how well does the gear help in isolating other noises than what you are trying to listen. Generally, higher noise isolation is preferred unless you are willing to hear the sounds of the ambience. Better isolation also ensures that your audio would not bother others surrounding you. A rightly fitted pair of earphones would be able to give you the best noise isolation whereas good over-ear headphones would not be able to seal the sound from going out.
Noise cancellation: Noise cancellation is entirely different from the noise isolation. In the process of noise isolation, the atmospheric sounds which intrude in are reproduced and inverted. This is an excellent feature especially when you are travelling through public transportation or walking down the street. When it comes to earphones, the noise cancellation feature is are not as effective as headphones unless you buy any of the high end pieces. But the headphones are far better in cancelling the noises that are constantly playing in the backdrop.
Judging from all these aspects, the headphones tend to be a better purchase than the earphones, and they are also much more comfortable. Still, it boils down to personal preference at the end. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a general physician.

Earphones Vs Headphones - Which Is Better?

Having a foreign object stuck inside a child s ear or nose is an issue many parents encounter, especially while their child is a toddler. At the early developmental stages, it s natural for children to be curious and attempt such things. It is also quite common for children as well as adults to get insects caught inside their nose or ear. In situations such as this, it s best not to worry, as people tend to aggravate the situation when they panic.
The first thing you should try if you have any foreign object stuck inside your nose is to blow your nose. Be careful not to push too hard so as to not risk injury. Often children will be able to expel foreign objects from their nose only when asked to blow their nose.

If the foreign object in question is not stuck up the nose, but up the ear, or if blowing your nose has not helped, you should try and remove the object with a pair of clean tweezers. Do not try to use household items other than tweezers, as they might push the object further up the cavity. Do keep in mind to have someone help you while removing foreign objects from your own ear as well as to keep in mind to be extra careful not to be too harsh as you might puncture your ear drum. If the foreign object is stuck up your child s nose or ear and they refuse to keep still, it s best to take them to a professional.

What can an ENT specialist do?
If you have a foreign object stuck in your nose or ear and can t get it out easily, it s safest to go to the doctor rather than risk hurting yourself or your child. An Ear-Nose-Throat Specialist can use a local anesthetic to numb the area and use their expertise to better navigate the cavity and remove the object from the ear or nose. If the object is too far up the nose to reach, the ENT Specialist can administer medication to induce a nosebleed which will naturally dislodge the object from the cavity without having to insert anything into it.

When faced with problems such as a foreign object stuck in the ear or nasal cavity, it s best to consult a professional as soon as possible instead of leaving the problem untouched for a long duration of time, as activities such as sniffing or scratching may further aggravate the issue.

Foreign Body Inside Ear, Nose Or Throat - What To Do And What Not To?

Ear aches are a common complaint for many children. An ear infection can be explained as an inflammation of the middle ear. Unlike other aches, this one cannot be soothed by scratching or applying pressure and hence makes children cranky. Ear infections are usually triggered by bacteria or viruses. 
This causes inflammation that narrows the tube in the ear and allows fluid to build up. This fluid buildup is responsible for the pain.

However, not all ear infections need to be treated with medication. When it comes to treating ear aches in children, picking a natural remedy is a much better option ,since it has no side effects and can address the root cause of the infection. Here are a few natural remedies for earaches:

1. Compress: Hot and cold compresses are very effective ways of treating pain and can be used for earaches as well. Place an ice pack or a warm, moist compress over the ear to soothe the ache. Heat relaxes the muscles and stimulates blood flow while ice controls inflammation and swelling. Hot and cold compresses should not be applied for over 20 minutes at a time. 

2. Water: Some actions can help open up the eustachian tube to the middle ear. Swallowing is one such action. To encourage your child to swallow, offer him lots of fluids. 

3. Oil: Before using oil to treat an earache ensure that your child is not suffering from a ruptured eardrum and there is no fluid leaking from the ear. Pouring a few drops of warm olive oil or sesame oil can help soothe the pain by opening up the eustachian tube. It can also prevent the buildup of excessive ear wax and form a protective layer on the outer ear against bacteria and other infections. 

4. Elevate the head: Elevating a child's head can help improve sinus drainage. When it comes to children, instead of using a pillow below their head, place the pillow below the mattress to create a gradual slope. 

5. Onion: Onions can be used in many different ways to treat earaches. You could either juice an onion and put a few drops of the same in the ear or slice an onion in half and heat it before placing it over the ear like an ear muff. Onion contains anti inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help soothe earaches effectively and quickly. 

If the earache does not reduce or if there is a discharge from the ear, do not continue to self treat it and consult a doctor immediately.

Natural Remedies for Ear Infections in Children

Tinnitus is a disorder which is characterized by a constant perception of a ringing noise in the ears. This is not the condition in itself, rather it signals some other underlying condition such as an ear injury or age related hearing loss. It is not a serious condition, although the symptoms can worsen with age. If you are affected by this disorder, you might experience or  hear  a constant ringing sensation in the ears, even if there are no external sources of noise. These sounds could range from being a buzzing, ringing, to a hissing sound. This condition has mighty chances of interfering with your daily routine.

It is classified into two types:

Objective tinnitus: This disorder is caused by muscle contractions or a blood vessel problem.
Subjective tinnitus: The more commonly occurring type, it is caused by damage to the auditory nerves or regions of the brain that interpret sound.
The causes of this disorder are:

Exposure to loud noise: If you are exposed to loud noises such as the ones emanating from firearms or heavy machinery over a prolonged period, it can lead to tinnitus.
Aging: Aging can cause progressive loss of hearing, thus triggering tinnitus.
Blockage of the ear: There is earwax present in the ears, the function of which is to trap dirt and bacteria. Excessive earwax accumulation leads to loss of hearing, resulting in tinnitus.
Modifications of the ear bone: Any stiffening of the middle bone in the ear could impair your hearing and result in this condition.
Certain factors such as smoking, age, sex (men are prone to this disorder) and heart related disorders increase the risks of being affected by this condition.

Treatment
The treatment of this condition begins with the identification of the underlying condition, if any. The various treatment options are  

Removal of earwax: Excess earwax has gotten rid of which can relieve symptoms of tinnitus.
Suppression of noise: Certain machines, known as white noise machines, produce random sounds such as the sound of rain or the sounds of waves, thus eliminating the  hearing  of sounds which are common to this condition.
Medications: Certain medications such as alprazolam and nortriptyline can help reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Constant Ringing in Ears - Causes + Treatment

The infection of the bone of the ear is Mastoiditis. This may be an acute infection needing hospitalisation and injectable drugs or may be in the form of slow bone eroding processes like cholesteatoma.

Let us learn more about this condition and its treatment

Understanding the mastoid bone: The mastoid bone is made up of air sacs and it looks a lot like a sponge. In this sense, it is different from the other bones that can be found in the human body. In order to function properly, this bone requires air from the other parts of the ear, including the Eustachain Tube which connects the middle part of the ear with the portion that lies at the back of the throat. If this tube gets infected due to any reason, the infection and bacteria can also travel to the Mastoid bone, leading to an infection in this area. Another form of the infection starts from the ear drum and a slowly progressive bone eroding process starts which spreads into the air sacs and can potentially spread to the brain.

Symptoms: Acute mastoiditis will present with earache, ear discharge and onset of fever and chills, as well as redness and inflammation behind the ear. Pain in the ear may be experienced along with headaches and swelling that may be experienced behind the eyes. At the very earliest sign, these symptoms must be reported to an ENT or ear throat nose specialist so that the treatment can happen at the earliest. Chronic mastoiditis may be due to repeated infections and bone eroding cholesteatoma which presents with repeated episodes of ear discharge which may be foul smelling and may even have blood.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis is mostly made on ear examination and may involve imaging tests like a CT scan as well as an MRI scan of the head and the ear. A simple X-ray of the mastoids can help in detecting the severity of the infection, and it spread.

Treatment: After diagnosing the problem with imaging tests as well as a detailed ear examination, the doctor will usually start the treatment by admitting the patient in the hospital. Antibiotic medication will be administered through intravenous methods, after which oral antibiotics will be prescribed for many days after the patient has been discharged from the hospital. Surgery may be required if the infection has not cleared up even after the use of antibiotics and is also done in cases of bone erosion. This surgery will be done to drain the infected fluid from the ear and remove a part of this Mastoid bone. Complications like facial paralysis and vertigo need to be discussed with the surgeon before the surgery.

Acute Mastoiditis - Symptoms, Diagonisis & Treatment

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