Swimmer's ear is an infection of the ear canal, the passage that carries sounds from the outside of the body to the eardrum. It can be caused by many different types of bacteria or fungi.

Swimmer s ear is a kind of infection which occurs in the outer ear canal and it results in an infected ear canal, long-term pain and irritation. Swimmer s ear, as you can understand by the name, is referred in such a way because it is caused by water which is left inside the ear after swimming. The stuck water inside the canal gets damp where bacteria and fungus grows and results in an infection. Now we will discuss what are the causes that can bring such a condition.

Causes of Swimmer s Ear - There are many reasons because of which people suffer from a swimmer s ear: The entry of too much water inside the ear canal, leaves a part of it inside the ear which eventually allows bacteria to infest. The overcleaning of the ear canal with cotton buds causes the ear wax to come out which allows water to enter. When cosmetic chemicals like hair spray, enter the ears, it causes a sensitive chemical reaction which can lead to infection. Careless scratching inside the ear can result in small cuts inside the sensitive canal, where bacteria can infest. Swimming in water without covering your ears can also cause this.

So next time when you are swimming or scratching your ear without safety, remember that it can cause a swimmer s ear. But you may have a question in mind, how will I know if I am suffering from this? We have thus listed the symptoms as well.

Symptoms of Swimmer s Ear-

Constant itching and irritation inside the ear. The pain or itching increases when you pull your year or chew something. There is an acute sensation of blockage inside the ear which is caused because of this condition and results in reduced levels of hearing. Someone suffering from swimmer's ear will have pus or ear fluids draining out from their ears.

Swimmer s ear condition can be easily prevented if you follow some simple but very effective steps like blocking your ear with buds while swimming, cleaning the ear softly so that no water remains stuck etc. If you neglect any of the symptoms, they can result in a very chronic disease which can even result in hearing loss. So read through our article and understand what Swimmer s ear is. 

Swimmer's Ear - What Causes It?

Cancer has been regarded as one of the most deadly diseases. It is a non-communicable chronic disorder, caused by uncontrolled growth of cells in the human body. Every year over 7 million people succumb to this disease globally and over 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), estimated that India will observe over 8 lakh deaths and over 17 lakh new cancer cases annually by the year 2020. The survival expectancy of a cancer patient depends upon the stage of diagnosis.

There are some forms of cancer which show any noticeable symptoms only in the final stage while there are certain other subtle symptoms which if paid attention to might save a life.
Some common signs of cancer:

Unexplained weight loss: This is one of the earliest noticeable symptoms of cancer and is particularly common in patients of lung and breast cancer. Weight loss has been observed in over 40% of cancer patients at the time of diagnosis. Losing over 10% of body weight in a span of 6 months or less could be a cause of concern.
Wheezing: This is associated with lung cancer, which is also the most common form of cancer. When the airway in the lungs is pressed or narrowed by a tumor, it creates a wheezing sound while breathing.
Frequent infections: Frequent infections and fever may indicate that something is not right with the internal organs of the body. This could be because of cancerous conditions such as leukemia or lymphoma. 
Loss of appetite: Cancer impacts the metabolic process of the body, hence often leads to a loss of appetite. This is particularly a symptom of colon, stomach, ovaries and pancreatic cancer. 
Blood in stool/urine: Traces of blood while passing stool or urine could be a symptom of cancer. Though, this could be attributed to many other infections and conditions as well.
Chronic cough: Flu and cough along with symptoms like chest pain, hoarseness, weight loss and fatigue could be because of lung cancer.
Night sweats: Though night sweat could be attributed to many more reasons, it is also one of the many early warning signs of cancer.

Early Warning Signs Of Cancer That We Often Ignore!

An STD is transmitted by means of physical contact and intercourse. These diseases are caused by parasites, virus or bacteria. Usually, STDs are preventable provided you make the right choices concerning your sexual health. Refraining from sex isn t a feasible idea at all. 

But fortunately there are alternatives too to curb the menace that STDs are:

Abstain: The most effective way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex.
Mutual monogamy: Two people who have sex only with one another don t have any opportunity to bring a new STD into the relationship. If you and your partner have been tested and are healthy, remaining faithful to each other is a very good way to reduce your chances of contracting an STD.
Get Vaccinated: One important prevention tool against STIs is vaccination. Currently, vaccines are available to protect against infection with HPV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Talk to your healthcare provider to see which vaccines might be recommended for you.
Protect Yourself: Condoms work really well in stopping most STIs from being passed from an infected partner to another when they are used consistently and correctly every time a person has oral, vaginal or anal sex. Consistently and correctly means that a person makes sure they use a condom every time they have oral, vaginal or anal sex and put it on and use it the right way.
Avoid alcohol and drug use: Avoiding alcohol and recreational drug use reduce the risk of contracting an STI, having an unwanted pregnancy, or being coerced to have sex. Alcohol and drug use can reduce our ability to make good decisions. It may also make us more likely to be talked into participating in an activity without being able to give our full consent.
Coping and Support
It's traumatic to find out you have an STI. You might be angry if you feel you've been betrayed or ashamed if there's a chance you infected others. At worst, an STI can cause chronic illness and death, even with the best care in the world.

Between those extremes is a host of other potential losses   trust between partners, plans to have children, and the joyful embrace of your sexuality and its expression. If in doubt, don't hesitate to visit a skin specialist or a physician.

STDs - 5 Ways You Can Avoid Them

A sprained thumb is a painful condition caused due to an injury on the ligament of a thumb. A ligament is a soft tissue, which connects bones to each other at a joint. The ligament might get partially or fully torn due to extreme backward bending of thumb causing the ligament connecting the thumb and index finger to suffer injury.

The problem is quite common among basketball, rugby and football players. For this reason, it is known as a sports injury. Skiing may also cause extreme pressure to the thumb, causing a ligament tear. Injury due to skiing is called skier s thumb.

The injury causes pain, bruising and tenderness. It can cause swelling on just the thumb or sometimes on the entire hand. In severe cases, weakness and instability in the region can be seen. A sprained thumb weakens the ability to pinch and grasp things. The patient will have trouble holding a glass, turning a knob or writing. An untreated injury may lead to joint stiffness, muscle weakness, scar tissue formation, instability of the thumb or even arthritis. It is strongly advised to visit a professional therapist for an early diagnosis and treatment.

Usually, an X-ray leads to an apt diagnosis of the injury. The doctor also ascertains damage to the bone and ligament and develops a treatment plan. Some ligament tears can be treated using a splint or cast. A chronic ligament tear might not heal and would require surgical intervention.

A partial or mild ligament tear can be managed through useful home remedies like putting an ice pack, bandage or splint. It is also advised to keep the thumb elevated and restrict its movement. A heat pack is beneficial as it can ease pain and relax the muscles. However, heat pack must be avoided during the first 48 hours of injury as it can lead to bleeding.

If there is a chronic injury and the ligament is completely torn, a surgery is needed. A surgery helps join a new ligament to the bone in case the torn ligament fails to heal. It also helps reconnect the injured ligament to the bone. Sometimes, there might be bone damage as bone fragments might get pulled away with the ligament. In such cases, bone fragments need to be put back in their position through surgery. After the surgery, a cast or splint is put till it heals completely.

An early visit to a physiotherapist has potential advantages. A therapist can fasten the healing process, help relieve pain and improve a person s ability to resume daily tasks. Massages and strengthening exercises are initiated to avoid re-injury and instill strength in the injured region. Physiotherapy also helps immensely after surgery through planned mobility exercises that regain movement and strength.  

Sprained Thumb- Causes and Treatment

Treatment of frozen shoulder varies depending on the stage it is at, and how severe is the pain and stiffness. There is no outright cure and the aim of treatment is to keep the joint as mobile as possible. The most effective treatment is that which maintains a good range of movement until the shoulder starts to heal. 

Treatment may Include the following:

1. Shoulder exercises: Regular, gentle exercise can help to keep the shoulder joint mobile. If your shoulder is very stiff, exercise may hurt, and it should only be carried out with the guidance of your doctor or physiotherapist. If you are able to, continue using your shoulder as normal saving' the shoulder can cause the muscle to waste and may make stiffness worse.
2. Painkillers: Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or prescription-only drugs such as codeine may be taken to ease pain and you should discuss this with your general physician or pharmacist.
3. Anti-inflammatory painkillers: Such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, are often prescribed to ease pain and inflammation. Any medication that you take should be discussed with your general physician or pharmacist.
4. Steroid injections into or near the shoulder joint may be effective at relieving pain and inflammation for a few weeks. However, injections are not a cure, and symptoms may return.


Treatment of frozen shoulder

Ayurveda is an ancient life science that originated in india. It recognises herbs as medicines and yogic postures as well as lifestyle changes as the supporting factors in its medicinal field. It is called a life science because the basic mode of treatment is done by tweaking one's lifestyle in order to reach the root cause of the ailment, which will be cleared from one's life gradually. Congestion is recognised as the accumulation of too much mucus and fluid in your lungs and is usually born due to an imbalance of the vata dosha, as per ayurveda. This congestion can happen in the nasal or respiratory passages. Let us find out what else ayurveda says about congestion:

Symptoms: the symptoms of congestion include a tickling sensation at the back of the throat as well as the nasal passages, depending on the exact area of the congestion. Also, severe headaches and wheezing along with laboured breathing and tightening of the chest can point at the presence of congestion. In very severe cases, the patient may also complain of blood discharge while coughing, high fever, rashes on the skin, neck stiffness and other such conditions. 

Causes: there are various causes of congestion. While infection, allergy and cold are some of the most common conditions that may cause congestion, it has also been seen that congestion may arise as a symptom of a more serious ailment. Asthma is one such respiratory ailment that causes swelling in the airways, which can give rise to congestion. Also, inflammation of the bronchial tube lining can cause this condition where a greenish discharge happens due to the viral nature of the condition. Pneumonia and tuberculosis are also ailments, which can cause severe and painful congestion. 

Remedies: as per ayurveda, there are many remedies that can help in treating this condition. One can drink herbal tea all day as the anti-oxidants will help in flushing out all those toxins that are causing a painful build-up of mucus and fluids inside. Also, one can use essential oils like eucalyptus oil for inhalation, steaming and even massages. One must take care not to let this oil touch the hair as greying might happen. Yoga and aromatherapy can also be practiced so as to do away with congestion. Also, the patient can add a pinch of salt to a glass of warm water in order to do a saline water gargle which will eventually clear the air passages. 

Taking care of one's diet is one of the most important parts of any treatment in ayurveda. Ingesting warm liquids like milk and warm food can help in loosening and removing the mucus build up.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Chest Congestion Treatment

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