Otitis Media

Exposure to loud noise, such as a firecracker or an ear-splitting concert, is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Research suggests that 12% or more of the world population is at risk for noise-induced loss of hearing. Loud sounds can cause a loss of auditory nerve cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for sending acoustic information to the brain, resulting in hearing difficulty. However, the mechanism behind this hearing loss is not fully understood. Now, a new study from Keck Medicine of USC links this type of inner ear nerve damage to a condition known as endolymphatic hydrops, a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, showing that these both occur at noise exposure levels people might encounter in their daily life. Additionally, researchers found that treating the resulting fluid buildup with a readily available saline solution lessened nerve damage in the inner ear. "This research provides clues to better understand how and when noise-induced damage...

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that you can get from cats, contaminated food, and more. It causes symptoms similar to the flu, such as chills, fever, body aches, fatigue, and headaches. The parasite is especially dangerous for pregnant people, since it can be passed on to the fetus.  Pets can be loving companions, but they can also pose some risks to humans, including the risk of spreading disease. Cats in particular can carry a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii.  This is one of the most common parasites in the world and more than 40 million Americans are estimated to carry it. One way humans can come into contact with this parasite is through cat feces that contain it, but that isn't the only way. You may also come into contact with Toxoplasma gondii by eating undercooked meat or drinking contaminated water. T...

Introduction Sepsis is a serious disease with a mortality rate of up to 25% due to multi-organ dysfunction caused by dysregulation of the body's response to infection and has become a serious health problem worldwide. 1 The number of deaths due to sepsis in the United States accounts for 1/3 of the total number of deaths, and the number of deaths due to sepsis in China likewise amounts to more than 1/3 of the total number of deaths in hospitals. Sepsis in the intensive care unit (ICU) accounts for an even higher mortality rate. 2 Bloodstream infection sepsis is a systemic inflammatory reactive disease of the organism caused by pathogenic bacteria undergoing blood circulation and multiplying, releasing toxins and various metabolites. 3 Older men with multiple comorbidities are more likely to develop bloodstream infection sepsis. 4 It is a serious and highly hazardous infectious disease that predisposes patients to organ failure and death. Renal insufficiency is a chronic pro...

Owning an outdoor cat as a child is associated with an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood — but only in males, new research suggests. Investigators found male children who owned cats that went outside had a small, but significantly increased, risk of psychotic experiences in adulthood vs their counterparts who had no cat during childhood or who had an indoor cat. The suspected culprit is not the cat itself but rather exposure to Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ), a common parasite carried by rodents and sometimes found in cat feces. The study adds to a growing evidence showing exposure to T gondii may be a risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Dr Vincent Paquin "These are small pieces of evidence but it's interesting to consider that there might be combinations of risk factors at play," lead author Vincent Paquin, MD, psychiatry resident ...

Dr. Jason Bowling clears up common questions about the monkeypox outbreak, including information on vaccines, transmission and treatment of the virus. What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is an orthopox virus. It is in the same family of viruses that includes smallpox, which people are very familiar with, and vaccinia virus. Vaccinia virus is important because it's used in the vaccine that helps prevent smallpox and monkeypox.  What are the symptoms of monkeypox? The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to the symptoms of smallpox, but they're much milder. In a typical syndrome with monkeypox, people will start off with fever, muscle aches, fatigue — general non-specific viral infection symptoms.  After about a day or two of those symptoms, they can start to develop a rash, which classically began on the face, the arms and the legs, and maybe moves to the trunk.  What we're seeing with the outbreak that started this year is that the symptoms can ...

Athlete's foot is a form of fungal infection that begins between the toes but can spread to the rest of the feet. It most commonly develops when a person has damp or sweaty feet for an extended period, causing an itchy, scaly rash. Various treatment options are available for athlete's foot, including prescription medications and home remedies. This article discusses treatment options for athlete's foot. PhotoAlto/Odilon Dimier / Getty Images Symptoms While the most notable symptom of athlete's foot is a scaly and itchy rash, other symptoms can develop, including: Lightening of the skin Wrinkly-looking skin Cracks in the skin Thickening patches of skin Large blisters filled with clear liquid or pus What Area of the Foot is Affected? The most common area of the foot affected by athlete's foot is the space between the toes. However, as the fungus spreads, it can cause issues on the soles and sides of the ...

Toxoplasma gondii One of the world's most common parasites can manipulate the phenotypic characteristics of its hosts to make them more attractive and improve their reproductive success, according to a bizarre peer-reviewed study. Parasites are one of the most negative factors affecting our health, but if they degrade a host's health to such an extent that it becomes impossible for it to find a mate, parasites can also reduce the chances of reproduction. Gives and moves on to the next. generation. Although there was evidence that T. Gondi manipulates the phenotypic characteristics of its hosts to increase their spread, a new study led by Javier Borraz-Leon from the University of Turku, and Posted in PeerJAffecting half the world's population, this parasite is the first to investigate whether humans can make it more attractive to increase their success. 35 people infected T. Gondi Their self-perceived attractiveness, body mass index, their facial symmetry, and numbe...