Tag: Ear Infections

Conjunctivitis or Pinkeye in Children

Conjunctivitis or pinkeye is a common problem in school going kids. The eyes become red, itchy, and swollen. There can also be a discharge of gooey liquid from the eye which can be of the color white, clear, green or yellow. Conjunctivitis is also known as pinkeye because the eyes white part turns pink or red. When the child experiences itchiness and redness in the eyes, he/she should inform the elders as soon as possible, as pinkeye is very contagious and spreads very easily.

It is possible that only one eye can get affected by conjunctivitis, while the other eye dose not. In usual cases, both the eyes get infected. Conjunctivitis doesnt hurt usually, but the eyes sure do itch badly. There can be a sensation similar to an eyelash or tiny particle getting in the eye, which can be very annoying. The infection lasts for about a week and usually goes away by itself. But if the itching is very troublesome, it should be treated with medicine. Some children can have conjunctivitis accompanied with ear infections, as the bacteria responsible for causing pinkeye is also responsible for causing ear infection.

Conjunctivitis is caused by virus or bacteria. Viruses which cause conjunctivitis are also responsible for cold. Bacteria which cause conjunctivitis also cause ear infection. Conjunctivitis spreads by touching. If a person touches the hand of the infected person, who has recently touched his eyes, also gets the infection. And since infected children deal with their parents and children, they also pose the risk of getting the infection. The prevention in this case is to wash hands often with warm water and disinfecting soap. Conjunctivitis when caused by bacteria & virus, and is contagious is known as infectious conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis can also be caused due to allergies or because of entry of irritating foreign body into the eyes. Conjunctivitis caused by this medium is not contagious.

A doctor should be approached upon if the itchiness is very irritating. The doctor will check the eyes for redness and liquid discharge. The doctor would ask about the encounter with any friend or known person who seemed to have pinkeye or whether the conjunctivitis was caused because of some allergy or entry of foreign object into the eye. The doctor can also check the ears for the possibility of ear infection. If the pinkeye is caused because of bacterial infection, the doctor will recommend antibiotic eye ointment or drops. Usually infants are given eye ointment, whereas children and adults are given eye drops. The parents should put the drops or ointment into the childs eyes four to five times a day for nearly seven days or so. The dosage and timings should be maintained to get rid of the infection completely.

If the conjunctivitis is caused due to virus, there is nothing much the antibiotics can do. And if the pinkeye is caused by allergies or any foreign object, the doctor can recommend special eye drops to deal with the allergy symptoms. Warm water can also be splashed on the eyes to ease the itching. A cool or warm washcloth can be used to clean the discharge. Parents can clean the eyes carefully with cotton balls and warm water and remove the crusty stuff which is formed at the ends of the eyes. The towels and washcloths used for cleaning should head straight to the laundry so that the infection doesnt spread to other family members.

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Swimmers Ear in Children

Swimmers ear is bacterial growth infection inside the canal of the ear. It is also known as Otitis Externa. It differs a lot from ear infections which are dealt with on a regular basis, which is contracted at times when the child catches a cold. The common ear infection is known as Otitis Media, in which the middle of the ear is infected. Incase of swimmers ear, the ear canal which leads towards the ear drum is infected by bacteria. The first symptom is that when the finger is stuck inside the ear canal, it will hurt a lot. In normal cases, it wont hurt at all.

The skin within that are is very delicate and hence, is protected by nature by a thin earwax coating. Usually, water can easily glide inside and then outside the ear without any problem. But when the water cleans some or all of the earwax and if some of the water is retained inside, the bacteria will take advantage of this situation. Chemicals in the water aggravate the situation by increasing the irritation. It starts growing within the soft and warm ear canal and can cause swelling and redness. A slight itchiness also accompanies it. But the child must be instructed to not to scratch, otherwise there is a greater chance of the situation becoming worse. If there is no itchiness, obviously there will be pain, which is the initial symptom. The ear should not be bumped or touched even from the exterior, as that will cause intense pain. Hearing can become difficult due to the bacterial infection as that will swell the ear canal and block the passage.

The pain and itchiness can only be gotten rid off by fighting the infection and killing the grown bacteria. In usual cases, ear drops are prescribed by the doctor. These ear drops have antibiotics which are meant to kill the bacteria. The dosage and number of days to use the ear drops as told by the doctor should be strictly followed. If the doses are missed there is a possibility of bacterial re-growth. A wick is also introduced inside the ear, sometimes. This wick actually is small piece of sponge with absorbed lotion. The wick is left inside then. This procedure is used when the doctor thinks it is important to apply medicine directly to the part of the ear canal which is infected. If the pain is unbearable by the child, parents can give pain killers, but only after taking suggestion from the doctor. Once the antibiotics begin working, pain killers can be stopped.

Swimmers ear cannot be just attained cause of water entering the ear at the time of taking baths or showers. Children, who have joined the summer swimming camp, can complain of this problem. After the swimmers ear is treated, the child shouldnt swim immediately. Doctor, usually, advices them to stay away from water for a week or two. The time period may sound very long, but it keeps the pain away for a long time. Special ear drops are available over the counter which can be put inside the childs ear after swimming is over. This will dry up any water inside the ear, if any. Swimmers ear can also be caused when inquisitive kids try to stuff things inside the ear and thus damaging it. Bacteria get a chance of developing on the scratched area. In this case, only parents supervision will do the trick.

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Make A Natural Ear Infection Remedy At Home

A good natural ear infection remedy can save you a lot of time and money. Going to the doctor every time someone in your family gets an ear ache can take up your entire day. You have to wait in the waiting room, then wait for a prescription, then deal with the pain until the medication works.

This also costs money and if you or someone in your family is prone to ear infections, it can add up to a lot. Why waste all that energy on dealing with a doctor when you can use natural ingredients to make a cure for an ear infection right in your home? However, before trying any home remedies its a good idea to visit a doctor at least once.

You can use products that you probably already have in your house. Many foods contain natural antioxidants and can treat infections when properly applied to the ear. Eating the right foods can also enhance the speed of which the infection goes away.

A good home remedy will use natural ingredients to reduce the pain and kill the infection at the same time. Human urine can actually do that, and quickly. Apply a few drops directly into the ear. It will soothe the pain and the ammonia will work rapidly to stop the infection.

For a less disgusting method that uses natural food products, you can drop lemon juice into the infected ear. Bacteria can only grow in the ear when the Ph levels are a base. Adding the acidic lemon juice will neutralize the Ph levels, killing off the bacteria and the infection.

A combination of olive oil, garlic, and onions will quickly relieve pain and stop the ear infection. Simmer these ingredients along with a small amount of water to create an extract. An ear dropper can get that extract right down into the ear. The warm olive oil loosens up any build-up and the rest will treat the infection itself.

Hot compresses can be a simple solution that doesnt require any kind of chemicals going into the ear. All you have to do is lie on the side that has the infection and press the hot compress directly against your ear.

Another homemade solution that uses all natural ingredients to fight an ear infection requires only vinegar and water. Make the solution with 50 percent water and 50 percent white vinegar. Put just a little bit into the infected ear. You can do this multiple times if it doesnt clear up.

You should eat foods with the right nutrients in them to help your body fight off the ear infection naturally. A lot of Vitamin C is useful for any type of infection and you can use supplements or drink a lot of orange juice. Green tea also has helpful antioxidants that will assist the bodys healing process.

Not all of these methods will work for every person, so dont panic if one of them doesnt work for you. Try every natural ear infection remedy you feel comfortable with until you find one that gives you the best results.

Please remember to consult your personal physician if your ear problems are chronic or persist for days, without relief.

How To Use A Home Remedy For Ear Infection Bacteria

How To Use A Home Remedy For Ear Infection Bacteria

It can always be helpful to use a home remedy for ear infection bacteria because it relieves pain and pressure quickly. Most ear pain comes from ear infections and removing the infection naturally removes the pain. You can treat infections right in your own home. However, before trying any home remedies its a good idea to visit a doctor at least once.

Despite it being an old wives tale, urine can be a cure-all when it comes to treating an ear infection with natural solutions you have at home. A couple drops of urine in the ear that is causing the trouble will not only relieve the pain with its warmth but the ammonia in the urine will kill the bacteria.

Other remedies for dealing with ear infections require items from your kitchen. Most people use garlic and onions for cooking, but they can also kill bacteria. Simmering the garlic and onion along with some olive oil will create oil that can be dropped into the infected ear. The oil works wonders for ear aches.

Lemon juice can be an easy method to remove an infection in the ear. A couple drops put directly into the ear without any dilution will serve as an acidic to the bacterias base. Mixing an acid with a base will neutralize the bacteria and kill it.

Vinegar is good for cleaning a variety of things, and an ear is no different. You can combine vinegar and water in a 50/50 ratio to make an at home solution for any ear infection. A few drops in the ear a couple times a day will quickly treat the infection.

Most people also use hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting things on and in the body. It can also be used for ear infections since the bubbling action of the hydrogen peroxide cleans the bacteria out of the ear, eliminating the infection.

A hot compress combined with leaning on the side that has the infected ear can reduce pain and drain the ear of the build-up naturally. Laying on the infected side forces the infection to drip out of the ear, and the hot compress will provide a soothing feeling to the aching.

There are many other remedies that people have tried, and you can also make up your own if you have a good sense of what natural products you have work as cleaners. Make sure you dont put anything dangerous such as bleach and strong cleaning products in your ear. Also dont stick anything in your ear to try to pull the build-up out.

These remedies have been used by people for many years and have been known to work time and time again. When you use a home remedy for ear infection, remember that everyone is different and some of these may work better for you than others. You should always remember that if the symptomes are chronic or continue you should consult your physician.