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Ear Infection

Alternative Names: Otitis media – acute; Infection – inner ear; Middle ear infection – acute
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Definition:
Ear infections are one of the most common reasons parents take their children to the doctor. While there are different types of ear infections, the most common is called otitis media, which means an inflammation and infection of the middle ear. The middle ear is located just behind the eardrum.

There are two types of ear infection…Acute & Cronic.

The term “acute” refers to a short and painful episode. An ear infection that lasts a long time or comes and goes is called chronic otitis media.

You may click to learn more about ear infection:

Symptoms
An acute ear infection causes pain (earache). In infants, the clearest sign is often irritability and inconsolable crying. Many infants and children develop a fever or have trouble sleeping. Parents often think that tugging on the ear is a symptom of an ear infection, but studies have shown that the same number of children going to the doctor tug on the ear whether or not the ear is infected.

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Common Ear Infection

Acute Ear Infection

Cronic Ear Infection

Ear Infection of Bone

Other possible symptoms include:
*Fullness in the ear
*Feeling of general illness
*Vomiting
*Diarrhea
*Hearing loss in the affected ear
*The child may have symptoms of a cold, or the ear infection may start shortly after having a cold.

All acute ear infections include fluid behind the eardrum. You can use an electronic ear monitor, such as EarCheck, to detect this fluid at home. The device is available at pharmacies.

Possible Causes:
Ear infections are common in infants and children in part because their eustachian tubes become clogged easily. For each ear, a eustachian tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. Its purpose is to drain fluid and bacteria that normally occurs in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes blocked, fluid can build up and become infected.
Anything that causes the eustachian tubes and upper airways to become inflamed or irritated, or cause more fluids to be produced, can lead to a blocked eustachian tube. These include:

*Colds and sinus infections
*Allergies
*Tobacco smoke or other irritants
*Infected or overgrown adenoids
*Excess mucus and saliva produced during teething

Ear infections are also more likely if a child spends a lot of time drinking from a sippy cup or bottle while lying on his or her back. Contrary to popular opinion, getting water in the ears will not cause an acute ear infection, unless the eardrum has a hole from a previous episode.

Ear infections occur most frequently in the winter. An ear infection is not itself contagious, but a cold may spread among children and cause some of them to get ear infections.

Risk factors:

*Not being breast-fed
*Recent ear infection
*Recent illness of any type (lowers resistance of the body to infection)
*Day care (especially with more than 6 children)
*Pacifier use
*Genetic factors (susceptibility to infection may run in families)
*Changes in altitude or climate
*Cold climate
*Sudden change of weather

Diagnosis:
Signs and tests
The doctor will ask questions about whether your child (or you) have had ear infections in the past and will want you to describe the current symptoms, including whether your child has had any symptoms of a cold or allergies recently. Your doctor will examine your child’s throat, sinuses, head, neck, and lungs.

Using an instrument called an otoscope, the doctor will look inside your child’s ears. If infected, there may be areas of dullness or redness or there may be air bubbles or fluid behind the eardrum. The fluid may be bloody or purulent (filled with pus). The physician will also check for any sign of perforation (hole or holes) in the eardrum.

A hearing test may be recommended if your child has had persistent (chronic and recurrent) ear infections

Modern  Treatment
The goals for treating ear infections include relieving pain, curing the infection, preventing complications, and preventing recurrent ear infections. Most ear infections will safely clear up on their own without antibiotics. Often, treating the pain and allowing the body time to heal itself is all that is needed:

*Apply a warm cloth or warm water bottle.
*Use over-the-counter pain relief drops for ears.
*Take over-the counter medications for pain or fever, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. DO NOT give aspirin to children.
*Use prescription ear drops to relieve pain.

ANTIBIOTICS
Some ear infections require antibiotics to clear the infection and to prevent them from becoming worse. This is more likely if the child is under age 2, has a fever, is acting sick (beyond just the ear), or is not improving over 24 to 48 hours.

However, for several years there was a tendency to over-prescribe antibiotics, leading to the increasing numbers of bacteria that are resistant to these drugs. Joint guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians are aimed at using antibiotics for ear infections when they are most needed. If the antibiotics do not seem to be working within 48 to 72 hours, contact your doctor to consider switching to a stronger antibiotic. Usually there is no benefit to more than two, or at the most three, rounds of appropriate antibiotics.

SURGERY
If there is fluid in the middle ear and the condition persists, even with antibiotic treatment, a healthcare provider may recommend myringotomy (surgical opening of the eardrum) to relieve pressure and allow drainage of the fluid. This may or may not involve the insertion of tympanostomy tubes (often referred to as ear tubes). In this procedure, a tiny tube is inserted into the eardrum, keeping open a small hole that allows air to get in so fluids can drain more easily down the eustachian tube. Tympanostomy tube insertion is done under general anesthesia. Usually the tubes fall out by themselves. Those that don’t may be removed in your doctor’s office.

If the adenoids are enlarged, surgical removal may be considered, especially if you have chronic, recurrent ear infections. Removing tonsils does not seem to help with ear infections.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT:
Click to see:–
Alternative Treatment for Ear Infections :
Alternative to Tubes for Ear Infection Treatment:
Natural Cures For an Ear Infection – More Than Home Remedies:

Prognosis:
Ear infections are curable with treatment but may recur. They are not life threatening but may be quite painful.

Prevention:
What can kids do to prevent ear infections? You can avoid places where people are smoking, for one. Cigarette smoke can keep your eustachian tubes from working properly.
You can reduce your child’s risk of ear infections with the following practices:

*Wash hands and toys frequently. Also, day care with 6 or fewer children can lessen your child’s chances of getting a cold or similar infection. This leads to fewer ear infections.
*Avoid pacifiers, especially at daycare.
*Breastfeed — this makes a child much less prone to ear infections. But, if bottle feeding, hold your infant in an upright, seated position.
*Don’t expose your child to secondhand smoke.
*The pneumococcal vaccine prevents infections from the organism that most commonly causes acute ear infections and many respiratory infections.
*Some evidence suggests that xylitol, a natural sweetener, may reduce ear infections.
*Avoid overusing antibiotics.

Click to see:
Taking Care of Your Ears;
What’s Earwax?;
What’s Hearing Loss?

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/ear_infection.html
http://healthtools.aarp.org/adamcontent/ear-infection-acute?CMP=KNC-360i-GOOGLE-HEA&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=ear_infection_acute
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/ear-infection-acute/overview.html

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Healthy Tips News on Health & Science

Vitamin D is a Key Player in Your Overall Health

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Vitamin D, once linked to only bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis, is now recognized as a major player in overall human health.In a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Anthony Norman, an international expert on vitamin D, identifies vitamin D’s potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity.

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Access to adequate amounts of vitamin D is also believed to be beneficial towards reducing the risk of cancer.

Norman also lists 36 organ tissues in the body whose cells respond biologically to vitamin D, including bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and uterine tissues.

According to Norman, deficiency of vitamin D can impact all 36 organs. Already, vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle strength decrease, high risk for falls, and increased risk for colorectal, prostate and breast and other major cancers.

An unrelated study also suggests that low vitamin D is associated with Parkinson’s disease. The majority (55 percent) of Parkinson’s disease patients in the study had insufficient levels of vitamin D.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics has doubled its recommendation for a daily dose of vitamin D in children, in the hopes of preventing rickets and promoting other health benefits.

The new guidelines now call for children to receive 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day, beginning in the first few days of life.

“ … Evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits,” said Dr. Frank Greer of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Featured

Fans Lower Risk of Sudden Baby Death

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Using a fan to circulate air lowered the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in a study of nearly 500 babies.

SIDS is the sudden death of an otherwise healthy infant that can’t be attributed to any other cause. It may be caused by brain abnormalities that prevent babies from gasping and waking when they don’t get enough oxygen.

Researchers interviewed mothers of 185 infants who died from SIDS, and mothers of 312 infants of similar race and age. The mothers answered dozens of questions about their baby’s sleeping environment. Researchers found that fan use was associated with a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS.

However, placing babies on their backs to sleep is still the best advice for preventing SIDS. Experts also recommend a firm mattress, removing toys and pillows from cribs, and keeping infants from getting too warm.

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Lowering Cholesterol in Kids Starts with Diet, Exercise

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According to guidelines recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, statins may be needed to prevent harmful plaque buildup.

At first blush, the new guidelines on cholesterol control in children were shocking. Statins, one of the most frequently prescribed drugs for adults worldwide, could be prescribed for some children as young as 8, according to recommendations released last week by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But the vast majority of children will never in their pre-pubescence or teens pop a pill to lower cholesterol. Nor will their parents want them to. “I hear it every time I see parents,” says Dr. Alan Lewis, a pediatric cardiologist and director of the lipid clinic at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. ” ‘I don’t want my kid taking a pill.’ ”


You may click to see:-
>For youths at risk for high cholesterol, statins are the best remedy

>There are statin alternatives — but check with a doctor first

 

For most children, the new guidelines will simply serve to alert parents that their kids could be accumulating plaque in their arteries that will set them on a road to early heart attacks or strokes. “My own practice and the new guidelines emphasize the importance of lifestyle as the approach to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Lewis says.

Whether you’re a kid or a grown-up, here’s how to adopt that lifestyle.

Diet and exercise

Children ages 2 to 10 who test in the acceptable range (total cholesterol less than 170 milligrams per deciliter of blood) should simply keep up the good work. Those who test in the borderline range (total cholesterol 170 to 199) need to make some changes in what they eat and how much they exercise. (For adults, total cholesterol of less than 200 is desirable; 200 to 239 is borderline high; above 240 is high, carrying with it twice the risk of heart disease as a level below 200.)

It’s children who test at elevated levels, above 200, who bump into the controversial recommendation of taking a statin as part of their preventive therapy. Even then, “you should always start with lifestyle modifications,” says Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, chairman of the department of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver and lead author of the guidelines.

For starters, dietary fat intake should be lowered to less than 30% of calories, with saturated fat, found in meat and whole-milk dairy products, less than 10% of calories and no more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.

If that doesn’t do the trick, Lewis says, cut saturated fat to 7% of calories, keeping total fat below 27%. Trans-fatty acids should be all but eliminated, with the recommendation at less than 1% of calories. (The American Heart Assn. recommends that all adults keep dietary fat below 30% of daily calories, with no more than 7% of daily calories from saturated fat, and less than 1% from trans fats.) Kids as young as one year, according to the new guidelines, can cut out whole milk and start drinking reduced fat milk. The biggest influence on blood cholesterol is the mix of fats in the diet. Saturated fat, found mostly in animal products but also in coconut and palm oils, increases blood cholesterol levels the most.

Fiber, in the form of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, can lower cholesterol. It binds bile and blood cholesterol to form waste, which the body eliminates. If a fiber supplement is used, the guidelines suggest a dose of the child’s age plus 5 grams a day, up to a dose of 20 grams a day at age 15. Long-standing government recommendations suggest that young kids 2 to 3 should get three ounces of grains a day, building up to seven ounces by age 14 to 18. A slice of whole-grain bread, one-half cup of cooked brown rice and one-half cup of cooked oatmeal add up to about three ounces. Fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, and young children should get a cup of each, building up to two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables for kids 14 and older.

The new guidelines recommend exercise in general, though without a recommended amount. Exercise in adults has been shown primarily to increase levels of HDL, the protective cholesterol, though it has little effect on lowering LDL. But exercise can also lead to weight loss, and weight loss has been proven to lower total cholesterol in adults.

Children with less than ideal cholesterol levels could need up to six months of lifestyle changes before results are seen.

One study of children 8 to 11, published in the May 10, 1995, Journal of the American Medical Assn., found that those who kept their total fat calories to 28% and saturated fat to 8% of calories dropped levels of LDL cholesterol by an average of 15 points over three years, compared to those in a control group who ate their normal diet.

For children whose cholesterol is mildly or moderately high, the reduction could get them into the normal range. The National Institutes of Health-sponsored study, the Dietary Intervention in Children Study, also found that after three years, children who were in the group that received aggressive nutrition education consumed 67% of their calories from heart-healthy foods, compared to 57% in the group that received no counseling.

Studies of adults have shown that bad cholesterol can be lowered by 5% to as much as 20% by lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking.

Losing excess weight, which requires lowering calories and fat consumption and increasing exercise, is the most successful strategy for lowering cholesterol. “Before starting a statin, try losing 20 pounds,” says Dr. David Becker, cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

“In most kids, you’d want to work on this for three to six months before you go to a more aggressive treatment,” Daniels says. If during that time physicians see evidence of improvement in lower cholesterol numbers and lost weight, the lifestyle treatment could continue without adding a drug.

Leading by example:

For adults and children alike, it’s clear that increasing physical activity while changing eating habits to include more fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains and fish and less saturated fat and sugar is easier said than done. But children have an advantage. Their bad habits are relatively new, not ingrained for decades, and might be easier to overcome.

“If children can be introduced to these more healthful lifestyle features — healthy diet, exercise, weight control — then we have a chance that this becomes natural for them,” Lewis says. Making the changes is labor intensive, often involving a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist and a physician advising the entire family. “The children and the family share the same food at the table, the same gene pool,” Lewis says. “It’s really important to get the whole family involved.”

And often, lifestyle changes work. “Adoption of a nutritional approach can usually reduce the serum cholesterol,” Lewis says.

“And if it’s mild to moderately elevated can often lower it to within the normal range. For the majority of children, the nutritional approach is really all that they need.”

Sources: Los Angles Times

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Pediatric

How To Prevent Diaper Rash

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It has been said that if there were no diapers, there would be no diaper rashes. Even with meticulous care, all infants will occasionally develop an irritated bottom. Preventing the rash is a parent’s goal, but if an infant does get one, home treatment will usually keep the irritation from turning into more than just a nuisance.

CLICK & SEE.>..diaper rashes

Diaper rashes are actually caused by a combination of factors. First and foremost, the area under a diaper is warm, moist, and poorly ventilated, conditions ideal for the development of a rash. Second, the infant’s outermost layer of skin is soft and thin, making it highly susceptible to injury from bacteria, fungi, and the chemicals found in urine and stool. Third, the sequence of wetting and drying makes the skin more susceptible to the constant rubbing of a diaper against the skin. Add other conditions, such as skin or food allergy, diarrhea, and the use of medications (antibiotics, for example) it’s a wonder that a baby’s bottom is not always irritated.

Remember, diapers are used to keep urine and stool off the infant’s clothes and environment. Since all babies must wear diapers, the best any parent or caregiver can do is to try to prevent a rash from developing. Parents usually discover through trial and error just which diapering routines or products work best for their infant.

Here are some suggestions that will help:

· Never leave a baby alone on the changing table or any surface above the floor. Even a newborn can make a sudden turn and fall. Keep all supplies together in one place so the infant is always attended.

· Make sure the baby is always clean and dry. Promptly change the infant whenever the diaper is wet or soiled and gently clean the area with a soft washcloth. Do not over clean as scrubbing only damages the skin. Avoid harsh soaps – water alone is probably all that is needed. Gently pat the diaper area with a soft towel and leave the area exposed to air for a few minutes before putting on a new diaper. When the skin is completely dry, apply a light diaper cream containing zinc oxide. Although these white creams are not totally necessary, they do create a barrier so that stool and urine will not irritate the skin.

 

  • Choose diapers that have sufficient absorbency to keep the baby dry longer. Some of the new disposable diapers have chemicals that draw moisture away from the skin. These diapers absorb tremendous amounts of fluids – I recently took my 17-month old granddaughter swimming and her diaper weighed more than her when we got out of the pool! Change brands if a particular disposable diapers irritates the child.

  • Keep diapers and outer clothing fitting loose. The tighter the diaper and clothes, the less air gets to the baby’s skin.

  • Talcum powders should not be used. If babies inhale the powder, it can irritate the lungs and cause pneumonia. Cornstarch based powders may be less dangerous, but are not necessary since the new disposable diapers have a smooth inner lining.

Additional measures parents can take once a rash appears include:

 

  • Remove the diapers whenever possible. Fresh air is a great healer and without urine and stool touching the skin, the rash might clear up on its own. To keep any mess to a minimum, place the child diaperless on a surface that is easily washed or lay the baby down on soft towels with a waterproof sheet underneath. When the weather is nice, a few minutes’ exposure to sunshine may be helpful.

  • Disposable diapers can be altered to breathe easier by snipping the elastic bands around the legs in several places. Tearing holes in the plastic liner of the disposable diaper will also help allow more air in.

  • The diapers should be changed even more frequently than before. Until the rash is better, wake the baby up at least once during the night to change a wet diaper.

  • Instead of wiping the baby’s skin with a washcloth, use a running stream of plain water from the sink or a squeeze bottle. A cotton ball dipped in baby oil will gently remove any remaining diaper cream or stool from the irritated skin. Pat the area thoroughly dry before applying a new layer of diaper cream so that the medication does not seal in any moisture.

  • Avoid baby wipes since they contain alcohol, perfumes, and other chemicals that will irritate already inflamed skin. Sometimes the less applied to the baby’s skin the better off the infant will be!

  • Sometimes a diaper rash is caused by a yeast infection. This type of irritation is usually bright red, covers a large area, and is surrounded by red dots. Yeast diaper rashes are frequently seen following bouts of diarrhea or after a child has been on antibiotics. An over-the-counter antiyeast medication, such as MonostatR may be helpful, or see the child’s pediatrician for a prescription cream.

Most diaper rashes can be treated at home and usually clear up in three to five days. However, if the baby’s bottom becomes raw, bleeds, develops blisters or open sores, spreads beyond the diaper area, or causes enough discomfort to interfere with sleep, call the child’s physician for additional advice and help.

While diaper rashes are very common, parents still get upset and when their child’s bottom becomes red and irritated. Neighbors and relatives occasionally make parents feel guilty by reporting that their children never had a diaper rash! Parents should not blame themselves or their baby sitter when their infant develops a diaper rash. It is definitely not a reflection of poor hygiene or lack of care. True, diaper rashes are unsightly and worry parents, but given an infant’s tender skin,they are almost unavoidable!

Click to see also :->Diaper Rash Myths

Sources:KidsGrowth.Com

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