Kids and Adults can get ” Swimmer’s Ear” Otitis Externa

From kidshealth.org
About Swimmer’s Ear

Otitis externa — commonly known as swimmer’s ear — is an infection of the ear canal, the tubular opening that carries sounds from the outside of the body to the eardrum. It can be caused by many different types of bacteria or fungi.

But you don’t have to swim to get swimmer’s ear. Anything that causes a break in the skin of the ear canal can lead to an infection. Dry skin or eczema, scratching the ear canal, vigorous ear cleaning with cotton-tipped applicators, or inserting foreign objects like bobby pins or paper clips into the ear can all increase the risk of developing otitis externa.

Swimmers Ear pic from Kids Health

Signs and Symptoms

The primary symptom of otitis externa is ear pain, which can be severe and gets worse when the earlobe or other exterior part of the ear is pulled or pressed on. It may also be painful for a person with otitis externa to chew. Sometimes the ear canal itches before the pain begins.

Swelling of the ear canal may make your child complain of a full or uncomfortable feeling in the ear. The outer ear may become reddened or swollen, and lymph nodes around the ear may become enlarged and tender. There may be some discharge from the ear canal as well; it may be clear at first but then turn cloudy, yellowish, and pus-like. Hearing may temporarily be affected if pus and debris or swelling of the canal blocks the passage of sound into the ear. Fever is not common in typical cases of otitis externa.

Home Treatment

Otitis externa should be treated by a doctor. If left untreated, the ear pain will get worse and the infection may spread. To help relieve the pain until your child sees the doctor, you can place a warm washcloth or heating pad against the affected ear. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may also ease discomfort.

Cleck to read the rest of the article from Kid’s Health

A USER QUESTION FROM YAHOO! ANSWERS: Our 6 month old has ongoing feeding/reflux issues and has even been taken off the reflux meds as he is showing intolerance to them also (as well as every other low allergy food we have tried – pumpkin, potato, kumara, pear etc). Our gastro paediatrician has referred us back to the immunologist and mentioned eosinophilic esophagitis as a possibility. just wondering if anyone had a child with this?? i have googled it and he fits most of the symptom descriptions, except despite his low milk and food intake, he is a good weight.
Any experiences are very welcome! Thanks

From the CDC.
From watching calf roping at the rodeo to petting lambs at the county fair, there are many ways to explore the animal world this spring and summer. Exhibits such as petting zoos and fairs allow children of all ages to have the thrilling experience of coming face to face with animals. This interaction allows people to learn more about animals and helps to build an important human-animal bond.

Unfortunately, many people become sick every year because of a visit to an animal exhibit. It is important to remember that animals sometimes carry germs that are harmful to humans. When people forget to wash their hands after petting an animal or bring food into an area where animals are being housed, they are at risk for becoming ill.
Let’s make this spring and summer healthier seasons! Below are some tips to help you prevent illness when visiting animal exhibits.

Click to read more info from the CDC

Handwashing Station

If you are visiting an animal exhibit:
Hand-washing stations

* Find out where hand-washing stations are located.
* Always wash your hands after petting animals or touching the animal enclosure, especially before eating and drinking.
* Running water and soap are best. Use hand gels if running water and soap are not available.

handwashing station

Food and drinks

* Keep food and drinks out of animal areas.
* Do not share your food with animals.
* Do not eat or drink raw (unpasteurized) dairy products.

Children

* Children younger than 5 years old need supervision
* Never allow children to put their hands or objects (For example: pacifiers) in their mouth while interacting with animals.
* Hand washing should be supervised.

Elderly persons or others who might have a difficult time fighting off infections should use special precautions. Click here to find out more.

If you manage an animal exhibit:

Facility design

• Design the exhibit so that animal areas are separate from areas where people may eat food.
• Use signs to state where the animal and food areas are.
• Install hand washing stations at the exit for the animal exhibit. Make sure that some of the hand-washing stations are low enough for children to reach!

Lambs at the Fair

Education/information

• Educate visitors to wash their hands after handling animals.
• Do not allow visitors to kiss or otherwise allow their mouths to come into contact with animals or their enclosures.
• Train staff and educate visitors about preventing disease transmission from animals to humans.
• Use a variety of methods to provide information to
  the public. For example, use brochures, signs, and verbal instructions.

Donor heart removed 10 years after toddler’s piggyback heart transplant
n an unprecedented procedure reported online Monday in the medical journal Lancet, a donor heart was removed from a British girl, Hannah Clark, 10 years after it was grafted in a piggyback heart transplant. The procedure, known as a heterotopic heart transplant, was performed by Dr. Magdi Yacoub of Imperial College London and Harefield Hospital and involved grafting the donor heart, obtained from a five month-old baby, parallel to Hannah’s own heart.

Following the surgery, doctors found that Hannah’s heart had miraculously healed itself. Though they cannot explain how the regeneration happened, some researchers speculate that a small number of stem cells in the heart may have somehow been triggered in the crisis situation to heal the damaged tissue. If a treatment could be developed one day from this phenomenon many cardiac patients could be benefit.

Read Article

Bradly Jacobs MD has created 10 alternative tips for having a healthy summer.

Read Article

While most everyone knows to lather up on sunscreen before going outdoors this weekend and the big “don’t” of drinking and driving, there are some additional easy steps to take to make sure your holiday is healthy and pain-free:

1. Get Spicy to Stay Cool. Eat spicy foods to help you stay cool. Believe it or
not, spicy foods dilate your peripheral blood vessels, making you perspire which cools your body.
2. A Coat in Summertime. Coat both meats and the grill with olive oil to ensure great flavor, but avoid potential carcinogens. Many of us like the flavor of meats with a bit of char (blackening), but research has shown this method can create cancer-causing substances called heterocyclic amines.
3. The Secret’s in the Sauce. Choose leaner meats and marinate them for 24 hours to enjoy flavor without all the fat this Memorial Day. Fatty meats make for tasty barbequing, but you can use leaner, healthier meats and make them more tender and enjoy even more flavor by marinating them. http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/food-nutrition/kitchen/stock-shelves/pantry-staples/grilling-marinate-peaches-asparagus-halibut
4. Scream for Ice Cream. Substitute grilled fruit for fat-laden ice cream or cake this Memorial Day. The dry heat of grilling intensifies and caramelizes the natural sugars in fruits. For more ideas on healthy summer desserts, like cantaloupe kabobs, go to: http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/food-nutrition/kitchen/get-cooking/cooking-techniques-grilling?section=section_03
5. Chill Out. If you’re planning a picnic this weekend, keep food fresher and prevent bacteria by using large chunks rather than small cubes. Large chunks of ice last longer and keep foods colder. Just put some water into a sheet cake or baking pan, freeze it and poof!, you have bacteria-fighting ice!
6. A Bug’s Life. Try natural alternatives to beat those pesty mosquitoes. You can spray on a diluted liquid garlic concentrate. Or apply vinegar or soybean oil on your skin to prevent the bugs from biting. For more information, go to: http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/?id=10540
7. Headache Relief in a Glass. In these hot summer months, drink a glass of water to relieve headaches. Often headaches are caused by dehydration and can be alleviated by taking aspirin, but it’s usually the beverage consumed when taking the aspirin that helps to immediately relieve the symptoms.
8. Get Red-dy to Ward off Sunburn. In addition to sunscreen, load up on red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. These have carotenoids that may help naturally reduce sunburn risk. Sunburn is a major risk factor for skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S. http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/food-nutrition/healing-foods/foods-healthy-skin/skin-cancer
9. Pool’s Open. Fill up empty water bottles and use them for resistance exercises in the pool. It’s a fun and easy way to tone and strengthen muscles.
10. Time for Lights Out. Pull out your alarm clock this long weekend. You may be tempted to stay up late, but keeping a regular schedule will actually help you sleep better and make your sleep more restful and restorative.

Plan ahead to enjoy a safe, fun and healthy summer with family and friends. Practicing smart grilling, staying safe in the sun and drinking plenty of fluids can help you make the most of your summer!

SEASONAL TIPS
SUMMER
from http://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov

As the weather warms and we spend more time outside, families face new risks. Here are some hints to avoid poisonings that occur most often in summer:

Food Poisoning

• Always wash hands and counters before preparing food. Use clean utensils for cooking and serving.

• Store food at the proper temperatures. Refrigerated foods cannot be left out at temperatures above 40 degrees F (5 degrees C). The following foods, and others, can quickly spoil and become unsafe: party platters, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, eggs, mayonnaise, and cooked vegetables.

• Wash hands with hot, soapy water after handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Wash cutting boards, utensils, and dishes after use with these foods.

• Use a thermometer when cooking and reheating foods. That will help you to know when they are done and safe to eat.

• Do not let food sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

• Watch for signs of food poisoning. They include fever, headache, diarrhea, stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting.

Insect Bites

• Be alert to insects that may bite or sting. After a sting, the site will show redness and swelling. It may be itchy and painful. Be careful around bees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets.

• Some people are allergic to insect stings. To these people, a sting may cause serious problems and even death. Go to a hospital right away if you are stung and have any of these signs: hives, dizziness, breathing trouble, or swelling around eyes and mouth.

Snake Bites

• If a poisonous snake bites you or someone you know, call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222) right away.

• The experts at your poison center will determine if the snake is poisonous. They will tell you what signs to watch for and what to do.

• If the snake is not poisonous, you will need to wash the wound. You also may need a tetanus booster shot. Check with your doctor to find out.

Spider Bites

• Most spider and tick bites do not cause harm. But, there are some spiders that can cause illness in some people. Two common spiders that can harm you are the female black widow and the brown recluse. A bite from one of these spiders can cause serious problems in a child, a senior, or a person in poor health. But these bites rarely cause death.

• The female black widow is a black, shiny spider. It has a red or orange hourglass shape on its underside. Within 2 hours after being bitten by the female, you may feel stomach pain, dizziness, and muscle stiffness. You may have trouble breathing.

• The brown recluse is a yellowish-tan to dark brown spider. It has a small body and long legs. The brown recluse has a dark violin shape on its body. Within 36 hours after being bitten, you may see or feel signs of poisoning. You may feel restless. You may have fever, chills, nausea, weakness, a rash, or joint pain. A blister or wound may develop at the bite site. The wound may be shaped like a bull’seye (a blister with rings around). If the wound worsens, see a doctor. Most likely you will not need antibiotics. States known to be home to the Brown Recluse are AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, NE, NM, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX.

Plants

• If you are allergic to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, touching it can cause blisters on your skin.

• Be sure that everyone in your family can identify these plants. Remember, “leaves of three, let it be.”

• If someone touches poison ivy, poison sumac, or poison oak rinse right away with plenty of running water foratleast 5 minutes.

• Unless you are a plant expert, do not pick your own foods to eat in the wild.

• Poison hemlock and water hemlock can be fatal to people. Their roots, or tubers, can look like wild carrots or parsnips.

MORE INFO