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Information on Ear Infections

The ear works by receiving sound waves and sending messages to the brain. The outer ear includes the part of the ear you can see and the ear canal. The sound waves go through the ear canal and hit the eardrum and cause it to vibrate.

Ear infections are common in young children resulting in millions of office visits and antibiotic prescriptions annually. Acute otitis media (AOM) includes intense signs and symptoms of infection and inflammation and is the most common bacterial illness in children for which antibacterial agents are prescribed in the United States. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is even more common.

An ear infection means that the middle ear is infected. The middle ear is the eardrum and the small space behind the eardrum. An ear infection is sometimes called 'acute otitis media'. A separate leaflet deals with infection of the ear canal (otitis externa).

Earaches are a common occurrence in our lives, especially with our children. Learn what causes them and how you can avoid them in the future.

Earaches can be anything from slightly painful to extremely painful and are usually brought on by a fluid buildup (sometimes resulting from an infection), or a buildup of pressure in the middle ear. A highly common cause of the earache is due to plugged ‘Eustachian’ tubes (the tube that comes from the back of your throat and connects to your middle ear). If and when your Eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid will gather resulting in a painful earache, bringing with it the possibility of bacteria buildup or infection.

Ear pain can occur due to allergy, filling of wax in the ear, chillness, entry of any foreign body in the ear or infection in the Eustachian tube which connects ear, nose and throat.

Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

If a person has severe or persistent pain and fever, and the eardrum is bulging, a doctor may perform a myringotomy, in which an opening is made through the eardrum to allow fluid to drain from the middle ear.

The most common cause for temporary hearing loss is the fluid in the middle ear space associated with ear infections. On average, fluid lingers for 3 weeks following an ear infection, but it can remain for months.

The ear is responsible for hearing and balance and is made up of three parts - the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Hearing begins when sound waves that travel through the air reach the outer ear, or pinna, which is the part of the ear you can see. The sound waves then travel from the pinna through the ear canal to the middle ear, which includes the eardrum (a thin layer of tissue) and three tiny bones called ossicles. When the eardrum vibrates, the ossicles amplify these vibrations and carry them to the inner ear.



By: peterhutch

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How to Cure an Ear Infection

The human ear is composed of the inner ear, middle ear, and the outer ear. Ear infection can attack any of these parts and one part can usually infect the others. External otitis affects the outer ear some times it comes after cold or flu or some other kind of upper respiratory infection.

The area from the eardrum to the outer part, becomes inflamed and is very painful, sometimes a fever may be developed. Otitis media affects the area inside the eardrum and all the small bones, the air pressure is regulated in this area by the auditory tube running from the ear to the back of the nasal cavity, when bacteria or a virus gets in this area, the different parts become inflamed with fluid, causing pressure and extremely sharp pain in the ear with fever.

Fasten the warm onion bag to the painful ear with a woolen scarf or hat. (Use only natural materials, like cotton, wool, flax or silk.)

One popular home remedy for ear infections is to drop one to two drops of onion juice or garlic in the ear. This remedy can sting the ear. Therefore, it may be necessary to dilute the juice with boiled water that has been allowed to cool.

Sudden increases in air pressure (during descent in an airplane or on a mountain road) can both squeeze the floppy tube closed and create a relative vacuum in the ear.

Drops of tea tree oil may be beneficial. This herbal treatment has mild anti-bacterial properties, but it may irritate the skin.

Put few drops of garlic juice into the infected ear. Use blow dryer from about 12 to 15 inches from your head, this will remove any water trapped in the Eustachian tube. Put some olive oil on the warm spoon; put 2 to 3 drops of this in each ear. Put few drops of lobelia extract into the infected ear and rub it gently. Wash your ear using colloidal silver, it is a natural antibiotic. Slightly warm one teaspoon of juice of the mango leaf and put it into the infected ear drop by drop.

For bad ear aches/infections squeeze lemon juice in your ear, keep it in for a few seconds, and then let it drain out. I put a towel over my ear so it doesn't drain into my hair...that gets pretty sticky! The lemon has to do with changing the Ph levels in your ear. The bacterium is a base, and if you add the lemon, an acid, it neutralizes the Ph levels in your ear so that the bacteria cannot live in there!

Removing debris like wax, pus and shed skin from the ear canal causes direct contact of the medication with the infected skin and hastens recovery.

Make a mixture by adding 1 tablespoon of almond carrier oil, 2 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 drops of chamomile oil and 3 drops of tea tree essential oil. Warm this mixture and add 2 drops thrice a day to the infected ear.

Put a cup of salt in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and dump it on some small cotton bag or socks. Keep this close to the ear; it will reduce the pain and swelling caused due to infection.



By: Corwin Brown

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Information on Ear Infections

The ear is responsible for hearing and balance and is made up of three parts - the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Hearing begins when sound waves that travel through the air reach the outer ear, or pinna, which is the part of the ear you can see. The sound waves then travel from the pinna through the ear canal to the middle ear, which includes the eardrum (a thin layer of tissue) and three tiny bones called ossicles. When the eardrum vibrates, the ossicles amplify these vibrations and carry them to the inner ear.

Though adults are not affected as frequently as children, it is important for adults to be aware of how adult ear infection can affect them. Adult ear infection is caused by infection in the Eustachian tube, near the inner ear. The Eustachian tube connects the inner ear to the nasal passages in order to drain fluid from the ears and equalize pressure between outside and inside of the body, but when fluid or mucous builds up in the Eustachian tube, it is an easy target for infection.

Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid.

Bacteria reach the middle ear through the lining or the passageway of the eustachian tube and can then produce infection, which causes swelling of the lining of the middle ear, blocking of the eustachian tube, and migration of white cells from the bloodstream to help fight the infection. In this process the white cells accumulate, often killing bacteria and dying themselves, leading to the formation of pus, a thick yellowish-white fluid in the middle ear. As the fluid increases, the child may have trouble hearing because the eardrum and middle ear bones are unable to move as freely as they should. As the infection worsens, many children also experience severe ear pain.

Most ear infections go away on their own. You can treat your child at home with an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol or Tempra), a warm washcloth or heating pad on the ear, and rest. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. Your doctor may give you eardrops that can help your child's pain.

Middle ear infections are one of the most common childhood problems. Let's start by talking about infections. An infection (say: in-fek-shun) happens when germs like bacteria and viruses get inside the body and cause trouble. Germs can get into your ears. The ear is divided into three parts: outer, middle, and inner. When the germs bother your outer ear, it's called swimmer's ear.

The main symptom is an earache. It can be mild, or it can hurt a lot. Babies and young children may be fussy. They may pull at their ears and cry. They may have trouble sleeping. They may also have a fever.

Although ear infections worry parents and make children uncomfortable, take heart. Most ear infections clear up on their own within a few days, and most children stop having ear infections once they reach school age.

Viral infections are more complicated to treat and may necessitate a myringotomy, which is a minor surgery in which a small plastic tube is inserted into the eardrum. This acts as a vent to relieve the pressure of the buildup or infection. It also drains the fluid remaining in the ear. This little tube is not permanent; it falls out automatically after a short time.



By: peterhutch

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