Common ear infections: What you should know about them

The most common ear infections happen because of bacterial or viral growth in the middle ear, the part which lies just behind the ear drum. Middle-ear infections can be very painful and children are most commonly reported in children. Most of these infections are caused by the blockage of the Eustachian tube, which connects the ear and the throat, causing the build-up of fluids and swelling. Here is a guide to the most common forms of ear infections and their symptoms, ranging from the acute to the chronic.

Acute infections have intense symptoms but can be cured with time and treatment. They generally last for shorter durations.

In Chronic cases of infections, the patient complains of recurrent symptoms multiple times. Chronic ear infections have the potential of causing permanent damage to the ear.

Symptoms reported by most patients with Ear infections:

1. Pain in the ear (Mild to severe):

This is caused due to increased pressure owing to the blockage of the Eustachian tube. Collection of fluid inside the ear would increase the intensity of pain in most cases. Children will keep tugging at their ear and most likely be cranky.

2. Redness and swelling:

Both of these are inevitable accompanying symptoms in case of any infection in the body.

3. Oozing of the fluids:

The blockage leads to the fluid being released from the ear which can be watery, thick yellow or mixed with blood depending on the severity and type of infection.

4. Fever

5. Difficulty in sleeping.

6. In some cases when the infection spreads, difficulty in balancing the body is experienced as body balance is maintained by ears.

7. The patient might also experience increased irritability.

8. Ear infections can also cause a hearing problem if the condition continues to go untreated.

Ear infections should be promptly dealt with to prevent long-term damages. So here is what should be done when you have ear pain symptoms.

1. Consult an ENT who will prescribe pain medication as the first line of treatment.

2. After the necessary tests are done, antibiotics are prescribed in most cases by the doctor. Other medications for palliative treatment (to ease the symptoms) are administered. However in a few rare cases, the infection might be because of non-bacterial causes in which antibiotics might not cure the state.

3. In case the problem keeps recurring, one must visit the doctor again and get further tests and treatment done.

As prevention is always better than cure, care should be taken to avoid all chances of carrying the infection to your ear. Maintain cleanliness in and around, especially in the case of children.

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Common ear infections: What you should know about them

Sinuses are cavities in our skull behind the nose which spread out in a pattern. These cavities are lined with tissues and mucosal membranes and are essential for our breathing process. Sinusitis is a condition where the tissues within the cavities become inflamed which results in the sinus cavities being blocked due to a buildup of fluid.

What are the conditions that can lead to sinusitis?
Some of the conditions that can cause nasal polyps are explained as follows:

Nasal polyps are small growths of tissue within the lining of the nose which may block the sinuses, resulting in sinusitis.
Common cold is also a culprit which may result in sinusitis
If your septum or the bridge between the holes of the nose is deviated (this condition is referred to as a deviated septum), you may be prone to developing sinusitis.
The lining of the nose may swell in a condition known as allergic rhinitis and cause sinusitis as well.
Types of sinusitis
There are multiple types of sinusitis which may affect people and also on how long they last. The various types of sinusitis are explained below:

Acute sinusitis: This is the most common form of sinusitis that lasts usually between 2 to 4 weeks. It starts with a cold, blocked nose and turns into facial pain that usually starts very suddenly.
Chronic sinusitis: This is a form of sinus infection which can have a debilitating effect on your life and may last for 12 weeks or longer.
Sub-acute sinusitis: This is somewhere between acute and chronic sinusitis and may last from anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks.
Recurrent sinusitis: This form of sinus infections tend to be a variation of acute or sub-acute sinusitis which tends to occur multiple times a year.
Symptoms of sinusitis
The manifestation of the symptoms of sinusitis may be different from person to person and also on the type of sinusitis you are suffering from. However, there are some generic symptoms that are common to all forms which are mentioned as follows:

Smelling senses may be dulled
Facial pain
Congestion accompanied by a cough
Nose may be blocked, stuffy and may also be runny
Other symptoms may also include bad breath, fatigue, or even dental pain
Nasal cavity may have pus and it may drain from time to time
It is best to consult a doctor quickly, if you have been having any of these symptoms. The doctor can prescribe nasal decongestants and antibiotics which can help. If you have chronic or recurrent sinusitis, then more aggressive and advanced treatments may be required.

Sinusitis - Conditions That Lead to It!

Rhinitis is an irritable medical condition where the mucous lining of a person's nose swells up. The term is more of a category and less of a definitive way to describe something specific. Rhinitis involves a host of other conditions that affect the mucous membranes of your nose. If you were not aware, common cold is also a kind of rhinitis. Rhinitis can cause acute touchiness in the inner lining of the nose leading to continuous discharges from one's nose. It can also lead to clogging of your nose or inflammation of the internal tissues. 

Rhinitis can be divided under two main types; allergic and non- allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis, popularly known as hay fever is caused due to contact with allergens that are usually undamaging. However, in case of non- allergic rhinitis the symptoms take after that of the allergic type but no particular causal factor can be identified.

Factors that can increase your propensity to suffer from rhinitis of any kind are:-

Pollen from flowers
Inhaling certain substances can be harmful; smell of certain chemicals is bad too.
Both active as well as passive smoking can be detrimental
High levels of air pollution contributes to the risk
Weather conditions affect your health; a windy yet humid weather can aggravate rhinitis.
Common symptoms of rhinitis can be listed as below:-

A person suffering from this condition might catch a cold all of a sudden.
People, usually little children, might even face high fevers.
Your nose tends to be runny. After the infection subsides, chances of a thick, sticky discharge are more.
Exhaustion is also felt in combination with headaches and teary eyes.
The nature of your nasal discharge tells the doctor if you are suffering from an allergy or from a viral infection.
A few preventive measures to aid you against rhinitis:-

Rhinitis can be communicable and in most cases it is so. Therefore a person should not share his or her utensils and other personal things such as towels or handkerchiefs with any other person.
One should not be in close proximity of another infected person.
Hands are the most common sources of infection. One must wash his or her unclean hands before touching the face.


All about Rhinitis

What is a Nasal Polyp?

If you have chronic obstruction of the nose, nasal voice, frequent sneezing, you could be having nasal polyps. It is worthwhile to understand that a nasal polyp is non-cancerous. It is a teardrop-shaped growth in the nasal cavity. At times, it forms in the sinuses or at the opening of the sinus into the nasal cavities. The polyp almost looks like a grape that has been peeled.

Allergies can cause a person a whole lot of trouble, to say the very least. Also, among the many things allergies can trigger such as hives and swellings which are coupled with irritation, nasal polyps are one of the many!

The symptoms of having nasal polyps include lacking a normal ability to smell as well as a person feeling that the nose is constantly dripping mucous, not a nice situation to have, at all! A person tends to have nasal polyps when there is an inflammation of the nose s lining. While there may be a number of reasons as to why exactly this takes place, homeopathic treatment has a very comprehensive answer for nasal polyps!

If the polyps are not treated by normal medicine, a person who has them would normally face the prospect of having to undergo surgery to get them removed. However, this is not the case at all, if homeopathy medicine is used to provide an answer to the issue.

The important thing about homeopathic medicine s treatment of nasal polyps is the fact that a person is not only treated for the polyps which are causing trouble to him or her but also for the initial condition which resulted in the polyps forming in the first place. Is this not a better solution? The conditions are likely to be sinusitis, asthma, among other ones.

When a case of having nasal polyps is being treated, the medicines which are most likely to be prescribed by a doctor are known by the names of Teucrium and Sanguinaria. When a person has lost any semblance of smell due to nasal polyps, the medicine to be made use of is likely to be Teucrium. On the other hand, when a person seems to keep falling ill due to catching colds quite often, then a medicine such as Sanguinaria should address this and the patient will be free from the irritation caused by polyps in the nose. After all, the freedom from polyps is really not valued until they are alive and well and are causing a lot of trouble for the person who has the misfortune of having them!

While such medication should only be taken as per the directives of a medical professional who is qualified in the field of homeopathy, it does do a person any harm to know of the medicines, in any case. After all, they may be the reasons why a person can retain peace of mind!

Best Homeopathic Treatment For Nasal Polyps

Vertigo is a feeling that your head or your surrounding is spinning. It is an illusion of movement. People with vertigo cannot bend down to pick up stuff, as they may feel the spinning sensation.
There are two types i.e. objective and subjective. Vertigo is said to objective when the surrounding seems to be spinning; subjective is when the person feels their head is spinning. Vertigo can be slightly mysterious to diagnose. There are, however, some causes which can help you understand it better. There are two main types of vertigo: Central and Peripheral. Central vertigo is when there is an issue in the brain that is causing vertigo. Middle ear problems leading to vertigo is known as peripheral vertigo.

Central vertigo:

Paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): Also known as, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). These episodes are benign and occur in paroxysms or spurts. The person will feel the attack with simple actions like turning over in bed. They do not last long, often about 20 to 30 seconds.
Migraine: Known for the severe headaches, migraine can also cause vertigo.
Head trauma: This type of vertigo usually subsides with time as the person recovers from trauma.
Neck injuries: Injury to nerves and blood vessels in the neck can also lead to vertigo.
Health conditions: General health issues like arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes lead to vertigo.
Stroke or blood flow blockage: When blood does not reach the base of the brain, it can result in vertigo.
Peripheral vertigo:

Middle ear infections: Labyrinthitis (either bacterial or viral) a middle ear infection can cause vertigo. Common viruses include herpes, influenza, measles, rubella, hepatitis, and EBV.
Meniere s disease: Another ear problem causing vertigo is Meniere s disease. This is known for its 3 symptoms   vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss. This can be caused by various factors, some of which can include ear infections, head injuries, or heredity. The exact cause of the condition is not established clearly.
Acoustic neuroma: A tumor of the nerve tissue in the inner ear may cause vertigo. The person can also have hearing loss and ringing sensation.
Other causes of vertigo include:

Pregnancy: During the first trimester, in particular, the various hormonal changes can cause vertigo. The expanding uterus puts pressure on the blood vessels, leading to reduced blood supply to the brain, which can also induce vertigo. As the baby continues to grow, lying on the back can put pressure on the blood vessels to the heart, causing vertigo.
Stress: It is known to worsen vertigo, which a person may already have. Anxiety and panic attacks are known to worsen vertigo.
Travelers: Be it ship, air, or train, some people experience a spinning sensation with any form of travel.


Vertigo In Adults - Why It Happens?

Do you have a habit of secretly picking your nose? This is a very common bad habit, which many people carry out, in spite of it being a habit which is frowned upon. There is a certain amusement that people seem to enjoy about picking the nose. However, on top of being a very unhealthy and unhygienic habit, it is harmful for the body as well. 


Why should you stop picking your nose?
Picking your nose is quite dangerous for your body. Your fingers contain many harmful germs, which are transmitted into your nostrils when you are digging into your nose. A specific germ known as Staphylococcus aureus can live in the front part of your nose. Combining the habit of nose picking along with the germs, may lead to the development of abrasions. These abrasions can bleed and promote more germs. As a result, the crust and irritation increase the more you keep on picking your nose. Based on where you are and what you have touched with your hands, some seriously dangerous germs may enter your body, causing health hazards and complications. 


Children are notorious by nature and it is very common among children to pick their nose resulting in nose bleeding. The blood supply to the nose is quite vigorous in nature and there are five arteries that reach to the front part of the nose or Kisselbach s plexus. When an abrasion takes place, there are chances of severe bleedings, due to damage to these fragile arteries. 


Other reasons
Picking your nose may lead to the development of pimples in the nose hair follicles.
In case a small pimple in the nose develops into a boil, the infection may travel to the brain through your bloodstream.
In case you are suffering from cold and your sinus is blocked, picking your nose may lead to the development of sinusitis. This happens because of the introduction of various bacteria present beneath your fingernails into the nose. They may proceed to the sinus cavity from your nose. Due to insufficient drainage, the bacteria will multiply and cause a sinus infection.
Picking your nose on a regular basis makes your nose a breeding group of dangerous germs. If you do not wash your hands after picking your nose, these germs may be transmitted to others. 


If you feel some irritation in your nose or feel a constant stuffiness, you should use a tissue paper to soothe your nostrils. Avoid using your fingers for picking and if the irritation lasts even after cleaning it, you should consult a doctor. 

Picking Your Nose Secretly - Can It Be Harmful for Your Body?

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