Otitis Media

Symptoms for the flu and COVID-19 can look similar -- here's what you need to know. Sarah Tew/CNET For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites. If a cough, congestion, sneezing fits or scratchy throat weren't enough, trying to figure out whether you're sick with COVID-19, a flu virus or a common cold is tricky when so many of the symptoms overlap. While you never want to spread germs to your loved ones, the serious implications of COVID-19 make it more important than ever to keep your friends and family from infection -- especially if you're around people in high-risk categories, like older adults, people with underlying health conditions and those with compromised immune systems. Vaccines are available to protect against the flu and...

According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service, hearing loss has multiple possible causes, and an ear infection is just one of them. Ear infections are more common in children than in adults, but no matter your age, it's possible to experience short-term hearing loss when fluid and inflammation develop in your middle ear. This article will take a closer look at hearing loss due to an ear infection as well as other possible causes of hearing loss. Also known as otitis media, a middle ear infection occurs when bacteria or a virus causes inflammation and fluid buildup in the area behind the eardrum. This type of middle ear infection can lead to temporary hearing loss. The two most common kinds of otitis media include: Acute otitis media. When the eustachian tube, which runs from the back of the throat to the middle of the ear, becomes inflamed, it can trap fluid inside the tube. This fluid can become infected, causing pain and swelling. Sometimes, this type of infectio...

Acute otitis media (AOM; middle ear infection) is very common in children — so common that one in four children will experience at least one infection by their tenth birthday ​[1]​ . The symptoms of AOM can be distressing for a child: they may experience earache; they may rub or pull on their ear; and they may experience non-specific symptoms, such as fever, crying and restlessness. The condition is also distressing for parents or carers, who may feel helpless when looking after them — sleepless nights and days off work and school are frequently reported as a direct result of AOM. The condition is much more common in children than in adults, since children have a shorter and more horizontal eustachian tube — the tube connecting the throat and middle ear. Inflammation and obstruction in this tube can lead to building pressure and accumulating fluid, which is then colonised by bacteria and viruses.  The infection can be bacterial in nature but is much more commonly caused by vir...

All children are entitled to high-quality medical care. As a parent, you must be aware of the most recent treatment guidelines in order to ensure that your child receives the best possible care. Children are vulnerable to infections and illnesses especially when they are exposed to different environment. Some of the infectious illnesses found in children are- Chickenpox Chickenpox is a mildly infectious disease that most children will contract at some point in their lives. It usually begins with feeling ill, a rash, and a fever. Within a day or two, red spots appear and develop into fluid-filled blisters. They eventually dry into scabs and fall off. The spots appear first on the chest, back, head, or neck, and then spread. Unless they are severely infected or picked, they do not leave scars. Symptoms appear between one to three weeks after infection. The most infectious period is one to two days before the rash appears, but it remains infectious until all of the blisters have c...

Anxiety affects people in various ways, from causing feelings of unease to making it difficult to sleep. In some individuals, it can cause ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. People with tinnitus may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, or other sounds not associated with an outside source. The severity varies from person to person, but it can be distracting and disruptive, affecting someone's quality of life. Treatments for tinnitus vary depending on the underlying cause. For example, doctors may suggest medications, stress-relieving activities, or certain types of therapy for tinnitus triggered by anxiety. Keep reading to learn more about how anxiety may trigger ringing in the ears, other mental health issues that may cause ear ringing, and how an individual can manage the condition. Anxiety is the body's natural response to stress. Stress is the outcome of a complex interplay between someone's thoughts and their physical reactions. According to the American Psycholog...

The protozoal parasite can be transmitted via the faecal-oral route, as well as through ingestion of contaminated meat products, or by crossing the placental barrier from mother to baby. Although virtually all warm-blooded animals can play host to T. gondii infection, only infected felines act as definitive hosts – meaning that sexual reproduction (production of oocysts) and transmission via the faecal-oral route can only occur if a feline is involved in the life cycle. However, the life cycle can continue via consumption of raw/undercooked meat containing T. gondii cysts present in the tissues, and is the most common way toxoplasmosis occurs in humans. As meat consumption is expected to increase over the next few generations (due to increasing population sizes), and as we encroach further into the habitats of wild animals to expand our farms and cities, the emergence and resurgence of zoonotic diseases such as T. gondii in humans is also expected to increase. The vast majority...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Why Do My Ears Feel Clogged? 4 Common Causes & Treatments - Health Topics, Physical Rehabilitation    Hackensack Meridian Health

Shoe soles had the highest positivity rates, with 45% of samples testing positive for the bacteria. C. difficile is usually thought of as a hospital-associated infection. However, new research finds 26% of samples from both healthcare and non-healthcare sites tested positive for toxigenic C. difficile strains. Shoe soles had the highest positivity rates, with 45% of samples testing positive for C. difficile . Community stewardship efforts are needed to reduce the risk of C. difficile in communities. Clostridium difficile or C. diff – a bacteria that causes inflammation of the colon and severe diarrhea – is widely prevalent in non-healthcare settings in the United States and around the world, according to University of Houston researchers who presented at IDWeek. In a worldwide sample, 26% of environmental samples from health care and non-health care sites tested positive for C. diff strains. Shoe soles had the highest positivity rates, with 45% of samples testing posit...

This image shows GFP fluorescent bradyzoites within a tissue cyst isolated from the brain of a mouse infected with Toxoplasma gondii. [Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi and Damien Jacot] The cat parasite  Toxoplasma gondii is known to cause infected rodents to lose their fear of feline predators, which makes the mice much easier prey to catch. However, a newly reported study suggests that rather than exhibiting a specific loss of feline-specific fear, infected rodents actually show a much more comprehensive decrease in general anxiety and reduced aversion to a wide range of threats. The results challenge the commonly held notion that the parasite's manipulation of host behavior specifically targets neural circuits responding to feline predators. So, do the new findings have implications for the 30% or so of the human population that is estimated to be infected with T gondii ? Prior studies have linked latent toxoplasmosis with the risk for some psychiatric disorders, but humans g...