healthy ear

Try giving your child acetaminophen to help relieve pain and fever. Do not, however, give your child aspirin. Aspirin use in children with a viral illness has been associated with Reyes syndrome, an often fatal condition characterized by severe, sudden deterioration of liver and brain function. For a list of precautions to take when using over-the-counter analgesics,Weve covered most of the ear difficulties you will encounter, but there are more serious problems, such as deafness or tinnitus. Turn to the next section for an examination of other ear disorders.

Severe dizziness or vertigo a sensation that the room is spinning is scary and can stir worries that something is dreadfully wrong. If it happens to you, you should see a doctor immediately. Its possible that the root of your problem is labyrinthitis, an infection of the labyrinth a group of fluid-filled chambers in the inner ear. The labyrinth controls balance. Even though the vertigo will make it extremely difficult for you to function, the infection itself is not dangerous. Bed rest is usually the main treatment. Your doctor may give you medications to combat the dizziness, as well as the nausea and vomiting you may also experience. In most cases, symptoms clear up within one to three weeks. Recurrent episodes of vertigo should be investigated by a physician as they can represent some other underlying condition.

Hearing loss falls into two categories: conductive, which involves sound transmission abnormalities in the middle and outer ear, and sensorineural, which involves the inner ear. Conductive loss can usually be corrected; sensorineural is much more difficult to treat. Conductive hearing loss might result, for example, when impacted earwax prevents sounds from reaching the inner ear, where sounds are translated into electric nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain. Other causes of conductive loss might be an injury to the eardrum or a middle-ear infection.In sensorineural loss, there is nerve failure. Thus, even though sound vibrations reach the inner ear, they dont get sent on as impulses to the brain. This type of hearing loss results from nerve damage, which can be caused by old age, viral infection, loud noises, or the side effects of medication, to name just a few.

You might wonder about earwax and whether it needs to be cleaned out. Actually, even though earwax seems yucky, it serves a purpose. Your ear canal makes earwax to protect the ear. After it is produced, it slowly makes its way to the opening of the ear. Then it either falls out or is removed when you wash. If you want, you can clean the opening of your ear gently with a washcloth. Theres an old saying that you shouldnt put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Not all old sayings are true, but this one is! You can hurt your ear by poking around in there. Its not even a good idea to use a cotton swab. This can push wax deeper in your ear, where it can get stuck. Irritating the ear canal with a cotton swab can even lead to an ear canal infection.And definitely dont put anything sharp in your ear because it can cause bleeding or serious damage. If you think you have dirt or too much earwax in your ear, ask your mom or dad to help you clean it out.

Pierced ears may look pretty, but you need to take good care of them or things can get ugly! When you first get your ears pierced, leave the earrings in until your ears are completely healed. If you dont, your holes could close up. Youll also want to prevent infections in your newly pierced ears. Wash your hands before touching your pierced ears. Applying rubbing alcohol also can help keep germs away. With an adults help, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and apply it to both sides of the hole (with the earring still in your ear). Then twirl the earring several times to make sure the alcohol gets in and around the earring post.If you think one of your pierced ears may be infected, tell your mom or dad. An infected earlobe may be swollen, red, warm, and painful, and it may ooze a fluid called pus. Dont wait for it to get better by itself.

Sometimes, swimming can lead to a case of swimmers ear. Thats when your outer ear gets infected, causing swelling and pain. This happens when water gets stuck in your ear canal. This can irritate the skin, making it easier for bacteria to invade the skin and cause an infection. If you think you have swimmers ear, your mom or dad needs to call the doctor. Special ear drops can help you get rid of it.To prevent swimmers ear, dry your ears after swimming and shake out excess water, especially if you feel it stuck in there. Again, with your parents help, special ear drops can dry out any moisture in there. Drying your ears will keep you and your ears in the swim!

Now you know how to keep your ears happy underwater, but what about when its hot outside? When the sun is beating down, wear a hat or remember to rub some sunscreen on your ears, so they dont get fried. And when winter rolls around, keep them covered up with a hat or headband. Why? Because when its freezing outside, its easy for ears to get frostbitten.

he skin on the outer part of the ear canal has special glands that produce ear wax, also known as cerumen. The purpose of this natural wax is to protect the ear from damage and infections. Normally, a small amount of wax accumulates and then dries up and falls out of the ear canal, carrying with it unwanted dust or sand particles.Ear wax is helpful to coat the skin of the ear canal where it acts as a temporary water repellent. The absence of ear wax may result in dry, itchy ears, and even infection. Ear wax is formed in the outer third of the ear canal.

Cerumen varies in form and appearance from person to person. It may be almost liquid, firm and solid, or dry and flaky. The color of ear wax varies depending upon its composition. Glandular secretions, sloughed skin cells, normal bacteria present on the surface of the canal, and water may all be present in ear wax.

It is a mistake to believe that only noises loud enough to cause earache are capable of causing damage. The inner ear can still be harmed by noise, even when it doesnt send you a pain signal. A rule of thumb is that if you need to shout to be heard over the noise, its potentially damaging. Suggestions on how to protect your ears from noise include Avoid exposure to noise when you can. Consult with your occupational health and safety officer at work if you are concerned about noise levels in the workplace.When unavoidably exposed to loud noise, wear personal hearing protection such as earplugs, ear muffs or both. Wear earplugs in noisy environments, such as discos, rock concerts or motor racing events.Remember that everyday equipment, such as lawnmowers, power tools and personal stereos, may be loud enough to be damaging your ears.