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Swimmer's Ear (Otitis Externa) or Infection of External Ear : Care Instructions

 Posted by Dr Savyasachi Saxena on August 10, 2015 at 5:50 AM

 

Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is inflammation or infection of the ear canal.

This is the passage that leads from the outer ear to the eardrum. Any water, sand, or other debris that gets into the ear canal and stays there can cause swimmer's ear. Putting cotton swabs or other items in the ear to clean it can also cause this problem.

Swimmer's ear can be very painful. But you can treat the pain and infection with medicines. You should feel better in a few days.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

 

How can you care for yourself at home?

Cleaning and care

• Use antibiotic drops as your doctor directs.

• Do not insert ear drops (other than the antibiotic ear drops) or anything else into the ear unless your doctor has told you to.

• Avoid getting water in the ear until the problem clears up. Use cotton lightly coated with petroleum jelly as an earplug. Do not use plastic earplugs.

• Use a hair dryer set on low to carefully dry the ear after you shower.

• To ease ear pain, hold a warm washcloth against your ear.

• Take pain medicines exactly as directed.

• If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.

• If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.

 

Inserting ear drops

• Warm the drops to body temperature by rolling the container in your hands. Or you can place it in a cup of warm water for a few minutes.

• Lie down, with your ear facing up.

• Place drops inside the ear. Follow your doctor's instructions (or the directions on the label) for how many drops to use. Gently wiggle the outer ear or pull the ear up and back to   help the drops get into the ear.

• It's important to keep the liquid in the ear canal for 3 to 5 minutes.

• Have your child lie down, with his or her ear facing up. For a small child, you can try another technique. Hold the child on your lap with the child's legs around your waist and the child's head on your knees.

 

When should you call for help?

Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have a new or higher fever.

• You have new or worse pain, swelling, warmth, or redness around or behind your ear.

• You have new or increasing pus or blood draining from your ear.

 

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You are not getting better after 2 days (48 hours).

 

 

 

 

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): After Your Visit

 Posted by Dr Savyasachi Saxena on July 17, 2015 at 3:25 AM

 

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, also called BPPV, is an inner ear problem. It causes a spinning or whirling sensation when you move your head. This sensation is called vertigo.

The vertigo usually lasts for less than a minute. People often have vertigo spells for a few days or weeks. Then the vertigo goes away. But it may come back again. The vertigo may be mild, or it may be bad enough to cause unsteadiness, nausea, and vomiting.

When you move, your inner ear sends messages to the brain. This helps you keep your balance. Vertigo can happen when debris builds up in the inner ear. The buildup can cause the inner ear to send the wrong message to the brain.

 

Your Care Instructions

Simple exercises can help you regain your balance when you have vertigo. If you have Ménière's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), or another inner ear problem, you may have vertigo off and on.

Do these exercises first thing in the morning and before you go to bed. You might get dizzy when you first start them. If this happens, try to do them for at least 5 minutes. Do a group of exercises at a time, starting at the top of the list. It may take several weeks before you can do all the exercises without feeling dizzy.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

 

How can you care for yourself at home?

Exercise 1

While sitting on the side of the bed and holding your head still:

• Look up as far as you can.

• Look down as far as you can.

• Look from side to side as far as you can.

• Stretch your arm straight out in front of you. Focus on your index finger. Continue to focus on your finger while you bring it to your nose.

Exercise 2

While sitting on the side of the bed:

• Bring your head as far back as you can.

• Bring your head forward to touch your chin to your chest.

• Turn your head from side to side.

• Do these exercises first with your eyes open. Then try with your eyes closed.

Exercise 3

While sitting on the side of the bed:

• Shrug your shoulders straight upward, then relax them.

• Bend over and try to touch the ground with your fingers. Then go back to a sitting position.

• Toss a small ball from one hand to the other. Throw the ball higher than your eyes so you have to look up.

Exercise 4

While standing (with someone close by if you feel uncomfortable):

• Repeat Exercise 1.

• Repeat Exercise 2.

• Pass a ball between your legs and above your head.

• Sit down and then stand up. Repeat. Turn around in a circle a different way each time you stand.

• With someone close by to help you, try the above exercises with your eyes closed.

Exercise 5

In a room that is cleared of obstacles:

• Walk to a corner of the room, turn to your right, and walk back to the starting point. Now, repeat and turn left.

• Walk up and down a slope. Now try stairs.

• While holding on to someone's arm, try these exercises with your eyes closed.

When should you call for help?

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• Your vertigo gets worse.

• You want more information about vertigo.

• You want more information about exercises for vertigo.

NOSE BLEEDING (EPISTAXIS) -AFTER VISIT TO DOCTOR

 Posted by Dr Savyasachi Saxena on June 19, 2015 at 4:20 AM

 

Nosebleeds are common, especially with colds or allergies. Many things can cause a nosebleed.

Some nosebleeds stop on their own with pressure, others need packing, and some get cauterized (sealed). If your child has gauze or other packing materials in his or her nose, you will need to follow up with the doctor to have the packing removed. Your child may need more treatment if he or she gets nosebleeds a lot.

 

The doctor has checked your child carefully, but problems can develop later. If you notice any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

 

Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.

 

How can you care for your child at home?

• If your child gets another nosebleed:

• Have your child sit up and tilt his or her head slightly forward to keep blood from going down the throat.

• Use your thumb and index finger to pinch the nose shut for 10 minutes. Use a clock. Do not check to see if the bleeding has stopped before the 10 minutes are up. If the bleeding has not stopped, pinch the nose shut for another 10 minutes.

• When the bleeding has stopped, tell your child not to pick, rub, or blow his or her nose for 12 hours to keep it from bleeding again.

• If the doctor prescribed antibiotics for your child, give them as directed. Do not stop using them just because your child feels better. Your child needs to take the full course of antibiotics.

To prevent nosebleeds

• Teach your child not to blow his or her nose too hard.

• Make sure that your child avoids lifting or straining after a nosebleed.

• Raise your child's head on a pillow when he or she is sleeping.

• Put inside your child's nose a thin layer of a saline- or water-based nasal gel. An example is NasoGel. Put it on the septum, which divides the nostrils. This will prevent dryness that can cause nosebleeds.

• Use a humidifier to add moisture to your child's bedroom. Follow the directions for cleaning the machine.

• Talk to your doctor about stopping any other medicines your child is taking. Some medicines may make your child more likely to get a nosebleed.

• Do not give cold medicines or nasal sprays without first talking to your doctor. They can make your child's nose dry.

When should you call for help?

Call the nearby Hospital, anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• Your child passes out (loses consciousness).

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• Your child gets another nosebleed and it is still bleeding after pressure has been applied 3 times for 10 minutes each time (30 minutes total).

• There is a lot of blood running down the back of your child's throat even after pinching the nose and tilting the head forward.

• Your child has a fever.

• Your child has sinus pain.

Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• Your child gets frequent nosebleeds, even if they stop.

• Your child does not get better as expected.

 

 

 

 

Snoring and related care

 Posted by Dr Savyasachi Saxena on December 13, 2014 at 3:55 AM

 

What is Snoring ?

Snoring is a noise that you may make while breathing during sleep. You snore when the flow of air from your mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of your throat vibrate while you sleep. This usually is caused by a blockage or narrowing in your nose, mouth, or throat (airway).

Snoring can be soft, loud, raspy, harsh, hoarse, or fluttering. Your bed partner may notice that you sleep with your mouth open and that you are restless while sleeping. If snoring interferes with your or your bed partner's sleep, either or both of you may feel tired during the day.

You may be able to help reduce your snoring by making changes in your activities and in the way you sleep.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

 

How can you care for yourself at home?

  • Lose weight, if needed. Many people who snore are overweight. Weight loss can help reduce the narrowing of the airway and might reduce or stop snoring.

  • Limit the use of alcohol and medicines. Drinking a lot of alcohol or taking certain medicines, especially sleeping pills or tranquilizers, before sleep may make snoring worse.

  • Go to bed at the same time each night, and get plenty of sleep. You may snore more when you have not had enough sleep.

  • Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your side may stop snoring. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it closed. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back.

  • Treat breathing problems. Breathing problems caused by colds or allergies can disturb airflow. This can lead to snoring.

  • Use a device that helps keep your airway open during sleep. This could be a device that you put in your mouth. Other examples include strips or disks that you use on your nose.

  • Do not smoke. Smoking can make snoring worse. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.

  • Raise the head of your bed 4 to 6 inches by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. This may prevent your tongue from falling toward the back of the throat, which can make a blocked or narrow airway worse. Putting pillows under your head will not help.

 

When should you call for help?

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

 

  • You snore, and you feel sleepy during the day.

  • Your sleeping partner or you notice that you gasp, choke, or stop breathing during sleep.

  • You do not get better as expected.

Learning About Hearing Loss in Children

 Posted by Dr Savyasachi Saxena on November 7, 2014 at 3:45 AM

 

What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is a sudden or slow decrease in how well your child can hear. Depending on the cause, it can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent. Congenital hearing loss means your child is born with hearing problems.

In conductive hearing loss, sound is blocked before it reaches the inner ear. In sensorineural hearing loss, sound reaches the inner ear, but a problem in the inner ear, in the brain, or in the nerves that allow your child to hear prevents proper hearing.

An ear infection may sometimes cause a temporary or reversible hearing loss. The infection blocks sound from passing through the ear canal or middle ear to the inner ear. This is an example of conductive hearing loss.

Some hearing problems can delay your child's speech and language development. Early screening for hearing loss can help prevent problems related to speech and language development.

Hearing tests

Hearing tests are used to check for hearing loss in children and babies. There are many types of hearing tests. They help determine what kind of hearing loss your child may have and how severe it is.

Have your child get hearing tests as recommended by your doctor.

 

What are the symptoms?

If your child is not responding to voices or sounds as well as in the past, he or she may have hearing loss.

Some common symptoms of hearing loss include:

Muffled hearing and a feeling that the ear is plugged.

Trouble understanding what people are saying, especially when there is background talking or noise.

Listening to the TV or radio at a higher volume than in the past.

A delay in your child's speech development.

 

How can you prevent hearing loss?

Make sure your child avoids putting objects in his or her ear.

Never stick a cotton swab, hairpin, or other object in your child's ear to try to remove earwax.

Teach your child to blow his or her nose gently and through both nostrils.

Make sure your child avoids loud noise, such as loud music.

 

How is hearing loss treated?

Permanent hearing loss can be treated with hearing devices, such as hearing aids. If hearing aids don't work for your child, cochlear implants may be an option.

For temporary or reversible hearing loss, you can treat the problem that caused the hearing loss, such as having your doctor remove earwax or treat an ear infection.

Have your child wear a hearing aid as directed. See a person who can help you pick a hearing aid that fits your child.

Help your child learn a listening technique called speech-reading. It is not lip-reading. Speech-reading is paying attention to people's gestures, expressions, posture, and tone of voice. These clues can help your child understand what a person is saying.

Think about counseling for your child if he or she needs help adjusting to permanent hearing loss.

Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.

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