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Another very common ear problem problem which effects almost 20% of the world's population and over 50 million Americans is that of tinnitus.
WHAT IS TINNITUS?
Tinnitus (from the Latin tinnitus or "ringing") is the medical term for any sound or noise in the ear, both ears, or in the head. These can take a variety of forms such as ringing, roaring, clicking, hissing, buzzing, whistling, whooshing, swishing, or gushing.
Tinnitus comes in a variety of sounds, volumes and patterns. You may perceive its volume as ranging from subtle to shattering. It may also be a consistent sound (most common cases) or a sound that comes and goes.
It is important to note that tinnitus is not a disease, but rather a symptom associated with many forms of hearing loss, or of some other underlying health condition.
While tinnitus is a common problem it is not normally a dangerous or serious problem, and most often considered a nuisance. However there are few cases of tinnitus that are directly involved with aneurysm or a brain tumor (acoustic tumor). Failing to correctly diagnose and treat infections or problems in your brain on time can cause serious long-term health consequences.
CAUSES OF TINNITUS
The most common causes of tinnitus are natural hearing loss, exposure to loud noises, use of certain medicines, earwax blockage in the ear canal, an inner ear disorder called Meniere's disease, stress, depression, head or neck injuries, allergies, tumors, and problems in the heart and blood vessels.
Most of these listed causes of tinnitus create damage to the sensitive hearing nerves inside the inner ear. If the tiny nerves inside your ear are damaged, or destroyed, an abnormal stream of impulses is produced that the brain interprets as a sound. These impulses cause the noises that are associated with tinnitus.
In older people, tinnitus is often caused by natural hearing loss which lessens the sensitivity of the hearing nerves. However, tinnitus is starting to affect a growing number of younger people due to the general increase in noise levels in today’s society.
It's also interesting to note that over 200 types of medicines, including antibiotics, diuretics, and aspirin can cause tinnitus. If you have tinnitus and you are taking medicine, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your medicine could be involved.
PREVENTION OF TINNITUS
Prolonged exposure to sound and noise levels (even as low as 70 dB) can result in damage to your hearing. For this reason, earplugs can often help in preventing tinnitus and can prevent tinnitus from developing in later years.
Anyone who works around loud noises, such as musicians or D.J's, and those using loud electrical appliances, such as hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, or those working in noisy environments, such as building sites where earmuffs are impractical, earplugs are also helpful in reducing noise exposure. For those operating lawn mowers, hammer drills, grinders, and other construction type equipment, earmuffs may be more appropriate for hearing protection.
Proper headgear or other protection is recommended for those in contact sports as a blow to the head, especially one severe enough to cause concussion, can lead to tinnitus. General cleanliness is also important to prevent ear infection which may lead to tinnitus. And maintaining good cardiovascular health by exercising regularly may reduce the chances of developing tinnitus linked to blood vessel disorders.
TREATMENT OF TINNITUS
Unfortunately, there is no medical cure for tinnitus. However, an amazing book by Thomas Coleman entitled the Tinnitus Miracle has helped numerous people to overcome their tinnitus problems.
In the Tinnitus Miracle, Mr. Coleman provides every diagnosis tool possible to pin-point the exact cause of your tinnitus and then explains the best way to combat it.
All without the use of drugs and surgeries which are aimed only at treating the symptoms, not the causes!!
If you have been battling with tinnitus I recommend that you click here to take a look at the Tinnitus Miracle for yourself and eliminate your Tinnitus permanently in weeks, without using drugs, without surgery and without any side effects.
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Ear Infection Causes
There has been a lot of interest lately about ear infection causes. As a former chronic ear infection sufferer I thought I'd take some time to give you some information about this timely problem. And how you can help eliminate ear infections altogether.
EAR INFECTION CAUSES
Middle ear infections are primarily caused by bacteria and viruses.
During a cold, sinus infection, throat infection, or an allergy attack, the Eustachian tubes can become blocked. The Eustachian tubes connect the inner ear to the nasal passages in order to drain fluid from the ears and equalize pressure between the outside and inside of the body. When the tubes are blocked this stops fluid from draining properly from the middle ear. This stagnant fluid then provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria or viruses to grow into an ear infection.
The most common types of bacterial infections are Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called pneumococcus), Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.
However the vast majority of infections are caused by viruses, with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza (flu) virus being the most frequent types found. These viruses account for the rise in ear infections in the northern hemisphere from January to May each year.
But an adult does not necessarily need to be sick to get an ear infection. Sometimes, the infection is caused simply by mucous being blown into the Eustachian tubes by blowing the nose or failing to clean the liquid out of the ear with a cotton swab after taking a shower or being in the water
SYMPTOMS
There are a number of symptoms associated with both bacterial and viral infections. These include such things as ear pain, fullness in the ear, hearing loss, ringing, discharge from the ear, nausea, vomiting , and vertigo.
Discharge from the ear canal is often caused by the infection known as swimmers ear (otitis externa). A painful ear with decreased hearing is often the result of a middle ear infection (otitis media).
PREVENTION
There are a number of simple steps you can take to help prevent getting an ear infection.
Firstly, try not to catch colds. To do this, stay away from people who have colds, if possible. Wash your hands regularly. And try not to touch your nose and eyes.
You can also avoid places where people are smoking as cigarette smoke can keep your Eustachian tubes from working properly.
TREATMENT
Typically, doctors will prescribe antibiotics to combat ear infections, either in the form of topical drops or oral medicine. But unfortunately, recent studies show that antibiotics are ineffective in almost 90% of ear infection cases, and when antibiotics are repeatedly used for middle ear infection in children, it increases the chances of further infection by 200 - 600%! (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Additionally, the majority of ear aches are caused by infection from viruses, which antibiotics are useless against!
I've found that the best way to cure an ear infection is a program called Nature's Amazing Ear Infection Cures developed by an Australian naturopath, Elizabeth Noble, that you can read more about by clicking on the above link.
The information contained in this amazing guide will help keep both you and your loved ones, particularly children who are more susceptible to ear infections, safe from unecessary pain and suffering.
As a former chronic ear infection sufferer who is now pain-free, I highly recommend taking a look at Nature's Amazing Ear Infection Cures for yourself and take the natural and healthy route to protecting your body from ear infections.
EAR INFECTION CAUSES
Middle ear infections are primarily caused by bacteria and viruses.
During a cold, sinus infection, throat infection, or an allergy attack, the Eustachian tubes can become blocked. The Eustachian tubes connect the inner ear to the nasal passages in order to drain fluid from the ears and equalize pressure between the outside and inside of the body. When the tubes are blocked this stops fluid from draining properly from the middle ear. This stagnant fluid then provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria or viruses to grow into an ear infection.
The most common types of bacterial infections are Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called pneumococcus), Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.
However the vast majority of infections are caused by viruses, with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza (flu) virus being the most frequent types found. These viruses account for the rise in ear infections in the northern hemisphere from January to May each year.
But an adult does not necessarily need to be sick to get an ear infection. Sometimes, the infection is caused simply by mucous being blown into the Eustachian tubes by blowing the nose or failing to clean the liquid out of the ear with a cotton swab after taking a shower or being in the water
SYMPTOMS
There are a number of symptoms associated with both bacterial and viral infections. These include such things as ear pain, fullness in the ear, hearing loss, ringing, discharge from the ear, nausea, vomiting , and vertigo.
Discharge from the ear canal is often caused by the infection known as swimmers ear (otitis externa). A painful ear with decreased hearing is often the result of a middle ear infection (otitis media).
PREVENTION
There are a number of simple steps you can take to help prevent getting an ear infection.
Firstly, try not to catch colds. To do this, stay away from people who have colds, if possible. Wash your hands regularly. And try not to touch your nose and eyes.
You can also avoid places where people are smoking as cigarette smoke can keep your Eustachian tubes from working properly.
TREATMENT
Typically, doctors will prescribe antibiotics to combat ear infections, either in the form of topical drops or oral medicine. But unfortunately, recent studies show that antibiotics are ineffective in almost 90% of ear infection cases, and when antibiotics are repeatedly used for middle ear infection in children, it increases the chances of further infection by 200 - 600%! (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Additionally, the majority of ear aches are caused by infection from viruses, which antibiotics are useless against!
I've found that the best way to cure an ear infection is a program called Nature's Amazing Ear Infection Cures developed by an Australian naturopath, Elizabeth Noble, that you can read more about by clicking on the above link.
The information contained in this amazing guide will help keep both you and your loved ones, particularly children who are more susceptible to ear infections, safe from unecessary pain and suffering.
As a former chronic ear infection sufferer who is now pain-free, I highly recommend taking a look at Nature's Amazing Ear Infection Cures for yourself and take the natural and healthy route to protecting your body from ear infections.
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