“Your sinuses are air pockets that are lined with mucosal tissue. They help humidify, filter, and warm the air you breathe in, and they act as part of the immune system by clearing pathogens, such as bacteria,” says Abtin Tabaee, MD, an otolaryngologist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The sinuses are lined with microscopic hair-like cells called cilia, which help clear mucus from the sinus passages through small openings called “outflow tracts.” The sinuses also act as a cushion or buffer to help protect the skull and brain in the event of trauma to the face.

Types of Sinusitis

If your sinuses become infected, you have sinusitis; the medical term for this condition is “rhinosinusitis.” There are different types of sinusitis; the type determines the course of treatment.

Symptoms of all types of sinusitis may include a runny nose, postnasal drip, congestion (blocked or stuffy nose), pain or pressure around the eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead, headache, and fatigue. Other symptoms include cough, fever, a feeling of pressure in the ears, and a decreased sense of smell.

Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis is of limited duration; it most often occurs as a complication of a viral upper respiratory tract infection, such as the common cold.

“The average person has two to three episodes of viral upper respiratory tract infections per year; a small percentage of these infections develop into bacterial sinusitis events,” explains Dr. Tabaee.

Another type is recurrent acute sinusitis: having four or more bacterial infections in a 12-month period, with complete resolution between episodes.

Chronic Sinusitis

A person who has chronic sinusitis has persistent symptoms continually for three months or longer. A hallmark of chronic sinusitis is inflammation of the nasal and sinus passages. Contributing factors may include allergies, poor immune function, the presence of polyps (noncancerous growths), and narrow sinus cavities.

“Chronic sinusitis produces a self-perpetuating cycle of tissue injury and sinus dysfunction, which leads to further tissue inflammation and a more hospitable environment for pathogenic bacteria,” explains Dr. Tabaee.

Viral or Bacterial?

Most episodes of acute sinusitis are caused by a virus, but some are caused by bacteria.

“A person with a viral infection generally recovers within a week. The tip-off to a bacterial infection is that symptoms persist for up to two weeks,” says Dr. Tabaee. “Another sign of a bacterial infection is the ‘double peak’ phenomenon, in which symptoms improve after about a week and then become worse again.”

Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics and nasal steroid sprays.

For viral infections, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, and get adequate rest. Over-the-counter medications can be taken to manage symptoms, but antibiotics are not needed: Antibiotics work on bacteria but not on viruses.

Most people who have acute sinus infections are treated by their primary care physician. However, if your condition is persistent or recurrent, Dr. Tabaee recommends seeing an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat doctor).

Surgical Treatment

If chronic sinusitis can’t be controlled with medication, minimally invasive surgery may be needed.

“Surgery for sinusitis has few risks, but it can result in a significant improvement in the condition and the patient’s quality of life,” says Dr. Tabaee.

The most common surgery involves widening of the natural sinus outflow tracts and clearance of any obstructed bone and soft tissues. The procedure does not require any incisions.

Another technique, balloon dilation, involves inserting and inflating a balloon catheter that expands the natural outflow tracts.

If you have recurrent episodes of sinusitis or you have had symptoms for more than three months, see a doctor.

“Many patients with chronic sinusitis have been sick for so long that they are often amazed at how good they feel after receiving treatment,” explains Dr. Tabaee. “As well as getting relief from their sinus symptoms, they often report more energy, a better mood, and improvements in virtually all aspects of their lives.”

The post Some Sinusitis Symptoms Are Similar to the Common Cold appeared first on University Health News.

Regenerative farming or regenerative agriculture is a method of producing food. Proponents of this method claim that it has fewer, or even net positive, environmental and/or social impacts than other production methods. Regenerative agriculture has been in the spotlight recently due to the attention it has received from food producers, retailers, researchers, and consumers, as well as politicians and the mainstream media. However, at this time, there is no legal or regulatory definition of the term “regenerative agriculture.”

Researchers who wanted to determine if there is a common, widely-agreed-upon definition reviewed more than 220 journal articles and 25 websites. They discovered that the numerous definitions and descriptions of regenerative agriculture are based on methods and processes, such as the use of cover crops and the reduction or elimination of tillage, as well as outcomes (for example, improving soil health and increasing biodiversity). Other terms commonly used when describing regenerative agriculture are “water resilience,” “nutrient density,” “food security,” “reverse climate change,” and “carbon sequestration,” which refers to storing carbon in the soil and preventing it from being released into the air in the form of carbon dioxide.

What is anosmia? Is it related to the COVID-19 virus?

Anosmia is a loss of the sense of smell. It is a symptom commonly associated with COVID-19, but it also may be caused by nasal congestion, a cold or the flu, hay fever or other allergies, a sinus infection, nasal polyps, or a deviated septum.

Losing one’s sense of smell may not sound very serious, but the senses of smell and taste are closely linked, and lack of smell greatly reduces one’s ability to taste foods. For people who are underweight, especially the elderly, a loss of taste may result in decreased appetite and malnutrition. Anosmia also makes it difficult to detect airborne environmental hazards, such as a gas leak or smoke, or food odors that can warn you that the food is unsafe to eat.

Anosmia is one of the COVID-19 symptoms that may last for a month or longer after the initial infection has passed. Some research has shown that about 90 percent of people who experienced a partial or total loss or smell and/or taste from COVID-19 had significant improvements within eight weeks, but another study found that more than 12 percent of people with COVID-19 experience an ongoing total or partial loss of smell for more than three months.

Another possible long-term symptom is a change in smell and/or taste; for example, some people report that things have a “weird,” “strange,” or “bad” smell or taste after having COVID-19. Changes in tastes of certain foods have been described as bland, metallic, sweet, or salty.

If a total or partial loss of smell and/ or taste persists for several months after a COVID-19 infection, report it to your doctor; you may be able to “retrain” your sense of smell with the help of a therapist.

Is sudden cardiac death the same as dying from a heart attack?

Sudden cardiac death occurs when there’s an electrical malfunction in the heart, which produces an abnormal heart rhythm. Dying from a heart attack is usually caused by a blood clot that blocks a coronary artery. However, a heart attack can do damage to the heart that may, in turn, cause sudden cardiac death.

The post Ask Dr. Etingin: Regenerative farming; Anosmia; Sudden cardiac death vs. heart attack appeared first on University Health News.

Thanks to science, we have data that fills in the blanks. Well-publicized studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., in 2014 and 2016 have given us clarity and real data on the physics of sneezing. The MIT researchers’ discoveries addressed not only a sneeze’s potential distance, but how fast a sneeze travels.

How Far Does a Sneeze Travel?

The MIT research team, led by Dr. Lydia Bourouiba, set out in its 2014 study to measure how far a sneeze can travel. Dr. Bourouiba is an MIT professor and head of a department called Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory. She and her colleagues engaged 100 heathy volunteers and recorded them as they sneezed. When researchers required a sneeze, a simple nose tickle did the trick. High-tech cameras captured the action—the speed and force of the mucus, droplets, and snot expelled from the subjects—in minute detail.

The shocking answer uncovered by MIT: Sneezes can travel up to 200 feet. That’s about two-thirds the length of a football field. Imagine a quarterback in football airing out a bomb; strong-armed passers like Aaron Rodgers can heave a ball 67 yards in the air. That visual helps answer the question “How far does a sneeze travel?”

So how does it happen that a sneeze can travel so far?

Just like the data we’re typing into our computer can be “carried off” to that the great storage universe called “the Cloud,” we send our germs out in a cloud every time we sneeze. That’s right: When we sneeze (and also when we cough), we release gas clouds that preserve potentially infectious droplets and carry them far greater distances that previously thought.

These stop-action images from MIT’s sneeze study give you an idea of the force of a “multiphase turbulent buoyant cloud”—the droplet-carrying vehicle we expel during a sneeze.

John Bush, MIT professor of applied mathematics, co-authored the paper reporting on the study’s results. “When you cough or sneeze,” he wrote, “you see the droplets, or feel them if someone sneezes on you. But you don’t see the cloud—the invisible gas phase. The influence of this gas cloud is to extend the range of the individual droplets, particularly the small ones.”

Without the gas cloud, these smaller droplets would have a better chance of falling harmlessly on the ground within a few feet of the sneezer. Unfortunately, the gas cloud allows them to become airborne pathogens that travel anywhere from five to 200 times the distance. (We can’t help but think of them as hot air balloons carrying “travelers” that just happen to be germs.)

A Sneeze, Captured on Camera

In conjunction with sneezing volunteers, MIT researchers used technology to capture sneeze results. According to an MIT News report, “The researchers used high-speed imaging of coughs and sneezes, as well as laboratory simulations and mathematical modeling, to produce a new analysis of coughs and sneezes from a fluid-mechanics perspective. Their conclusions upend some prior thinking on the subject. For instance, researchers had previously assumed that larger mucus droplets fly farther than smaller ones, because they have more momentum, classically defined as mass times velocity.”

Instead, the small droplets, airlifted by our gas clouds, can be carried greater distances than even than the larger drops.

The researchers, in their paper, even have a name for those sneezed-out gas bubbles: “multiphase turbulent buoyant clouds.” So the next time someone sneezes without covering his nose, it’s okay to politely request that he keep his multiphase turbulent buoyant cloud to himself.

Upon publication of the first study’s results, newspaper and website headline writers glommed onto the “200-foot sneeze” angle. But keep in mind that not all sneeze debris travels that far. “The largest droplets rapidly settle within [about 3 to 6 feet] away from the person,” Dr. Bourouiba wrote.

Plus, there are “smaller and evaporating droplets that become trapped in a turbulent puff cloud,” Dr. Bourouiba added, and they remain suspended. Over the course of seconds to a few minutes, these smaller droplets “can travel the dimensions of a room and land up to [19 to 26 feet] away,” she noted.

When you feel a sneeze coming on, do a favor for those around you and let it escape into the crook of your arm.

Do Germs Travel by Sneeze?

Back to our original question: When we cross paths with a sneezing person, does it matter? Yes, and the sneezer doesn’t need to be a few feet away to spread his germs. The droplets can infect us even if the sneeze doesn’t land directly into our eyes or nose. MIT’s researchers point out that if the sneezer is all the way across a room, you’re still at risk.

Not to worry your inner germophobe, but… that “multiphase turbulent buoyant cloud” that’s carrying sneeze droplets can reach you from an entirely different room if common vents connect the rooms.

“The findings show that these clouds, particularly under usual conditions of temperature and buoyancy, have a tendency to go higher in the room and get sucked into the ventilation system,” according to co-author Bush. “I could be in this end of the building, and [yet] somebody could be in contact with my pathogens through from the ventilation system without me actually meeting that person.”

How Fast Does a Sneeze Travel?

Data collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology research team not only tells us how far a sneeze can travel, but it answers this question: “How fast does a sneeze travel?”

Amazingly, a sneeze can travel up to 100 m.p.h. As John Bush, MIT professor of applied mathematics, wrote, “Think of the cloud as being turbulent—that is to say, a very disordered, vigorous motion. If the characteristic speed in that cloud is larger than its settling speed, then it will be dominated more by that internal cloud motion than by its settling speed—meaning the smaller droplets go much further than the large drops.”

In the company of a sneezer, we instinctively turn away from the splatter—or we may slip outside to breathe in some fresh air. And, of course, we may be tempted to wash our hands—a good practice anyway to avoid the spread of germs. But because it’s difficult or near-impossible to see the droplet-bearing gas clouds produced by a sneeze, there may not be much you can do, other than to pray the droplets don’t get into your eyes, nose, or mouth—and, of course, to offer a quick “bless you” or “gesundheit.”

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

• Cold vs. Allergies: What’s the Difference?
• Getting Sick After Flying? How to Prevent That Cold or Nasty Sinus Infection
• Antihistamines: Uses, Types, and Side Effects of a Popular Allergy Medication
• Where Germs Hide: Our “Filthy 5” Everyday Items May Shock You!

Originally published in 2018, this post is regularly updated.

The post How Far Does a Sneeze Travel? appeared first on University Health News.

Primary headaches occur on their own without being caused by a medical condition like a fever or head injury. Tension headache, migraine, and cluster headache are the most familiar types of primary headaches. Headaches caused by another condition are secondary headaches, some of these types are also common. [1,2]

1. Tension Headache

This primary headache is the most common type of headache. The location is usually on both sides of your head. This headache causes a dull and constant pain. It may feel like a band tightening around your head, causing pressure in your face, head, and neck. Most tension headaches occur between 10 and 15 days per month and last anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. [1]

Tension headaches were once called muscle contraction headaches because they can be caused by stressful contraction of muscles in  your head or neck. Emotional stress, stressful postures, anxiety, and depression may all be triggers for this headache. [1]

Identifying your stress triggers and avoiding them may prevent stress headaches. Over-the-counter pain relievers are the most common treatment. [1-3]

2. Migraine Headache

Migraine headaches affect about 12 percent of Americans. Women are affected about three times more frequently than men. [1] The location of this headache is usually on one side of your head. The pain is moderate to severe and throbs or pulsates. Migraine headaches often occur along with nausea and are made worse by movement, light, noise, or odors.  [1-3]

A migraine attack can last from 4 to 72 hours. [2] Some people have migraine warning symptoms called an aura. These may include visual disturbances, numbness, weakness, or tingling. An aura may occur 30 to 60 minutes before the headache. [1-3]

Migraine headaches often run in families. The cause of migraines is not completely understood. Brain chemicals that activate pain producing nerves inside blood vessels of the brain may be part of the cause.  Attacks may be triggered by foods, lack of sleep, stress, hunger, smoking, and changes in the weather. In women, hormone changes of puberty and menstrual cycles may be triggers. [1-3] Migraine attacks can range from once a year to once a week. [2]

There are many types of migraine medications. They fall into two types. Medications that you take every day to prevent migraine attacks are called preventive medicines. You can also help prevent attacks by keeping a headache diary to identify and avoid your migraine triggers. Medications that you take to relieve the pain of a migraine are called abortive medications. These are taken at the first sign of an attack. [1]

3. Cluster Headache

A cluster headache often hits behind or around an eye.

Cluster headache is much less common than tension or migraine. The location of this headache is around one eye. The pain is very severe. Your eye may become swollen, red, and teary. Your eyelid may droop. You may also have a stuffy or runny nose. Cluster headaches are about six time more common in men. They are named cluster headaches because the headaches tend to start suddenly and occur a few times every day for a few weeks and then go away. The clusters may come back a few times each year. [1-3]

The exact cause of cluster headaches is not known. They usually occur between ages 20 and 50. Triggers can include smoking and drinking alcohol. There are several treatment options including electrical nerve stimulation, oxygen therapy, injections, and oral medications for both pain relief and prevention. [1]

Other Headaches With Specific Locations

For many primary and secondary headaches, the location of the headache is less important. However, location can be a key to diagnosis for these headache types:

4. Cervicogenic Headache

This headache causes pain on one side of your head or face along with a stiff neck. You may also have pain in your arm or shoulder. This type may be caused by a neck injury or arthritis of your upper spine.

5. Giant Cell Arteritis

This type of headache is caused by swelling and irritation of an artery that runs in front of your ear near your temple. It is also called temporal arteritis. You may have a jabbing or burning pain in your temple. It can be painful to touch the temple area. This pain is caused by inflammation of the temporal artery.

6. Sinus Headache

This secondary headache is caused by a sinus infection. The location of the pain is over a blocked or infected sinus. Pain may be between or above your eyes or over your teeth. This pain is usually on one side, but can be on both sides. You may also have nasal congestion, nasal discharge, or fever. Many people who think they have sinus headaches actually have migraine, which is much more common than sinus headache.

7. Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

Your TMJ is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your face. If this joint is swollen or injured it can cause pain inside or just in front of your ear. You may feel it on one or both sides of your face. Your jaw may also click or lock and pain may get worse with chewing. Arthritis, jaw clenching from stress, teeth grinding at night, and jaw injuries are some causes of TMJ. [3]

How to Diagnose a Headache

To get the right headache treatment and the meaning of your headache’s location, you need the right diagnosis. Let your doctor know if you have headaches that are getting worse or if you have headaches three or more time per week. If you are over age 50 and you start having headaches for the first time, let your doctor know. [1]

You can help your doctor diagnose your headache by keeping a headache diary. Keep track of your symptoms, the location of your headache, when they start and end, possible triggers, and things that help or make the pain worse. [1]

Most headaches are not dangerous, but some can be. These are some red flag headaches that need a doctor visit right away:

• A sudden and severe headache with a stiff neck
• Severe headache with fever, nausea, or vomiting
• The worst headache ever, with confusion, weakness, double vision, loss of consciousness, seizure, double vision, weakness, or numbness
• Headache after a head injury. [1]

SOURCES

1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Headache: Hope Through Research
2. World Health Organization, Headache disorders
3. National Headache Foundation, The Complete Headache Chart

The post Determine Your Headache Type by Its Location appeared first on University Health News.

What Is a Neti Pot?

A neti pot looks like a teapot with a long spout. You fill it with a saltwater solution that you pour into one nostril. As it runs through your nasal cavity and sinuses, it flushes out mucus and drains through the other nostril. This is called nasal irrigation.

Does the Neti Pot Really Work?

While it may seem like an odd practice, nasal irrigation has actually been shown to be an effective treatment for multiple conditions and is recommended highly by physicians.[1] Some of the conditions that can be treated using a neti pot include allergies (allergic rhinitis), chronic rhinosinusitis (chronic runny nose and sinus inflammation), and sinus infections.[2] Several research studies confirm the benefit of using a neti pot, and people who use nasal irrigation experience significant reductions in symptoms like runny nose and congestion.[1,3]

Why Does the Neti Pot Help?

Most researchers agree that many of the benefits of nasal irrigation come from the actual movement of fluid through the nasal cavity, which physically clears away mucus and debris. But the effectiveness of this strategy may be due to more than just that.

Nasal irrigation using a neti pot is done with a solution of salt and water. Researchers believe that the saline itself may actually play a role in making physiological changes, like lowering inflammation and enhancing the immune mechanisms in the sinuses and nasal cavity.[2,4] The type of salt used can even make a difference (see Step #1 below).

Above: Simple step-by-step process for using a neti pot.

How to Use a Neti Pot

Learning how to use a neti pot for the first time can be daunting; pouring water through your nose is not exactly a comfortable thing to try. But once you get used to the unique, odd sensation (don’t worry, it isn’t painful), you’ll be glad that you tried. And with practice, it will become easier to do.

Your neti pot should come with detailed instructions that can help walk you through how to use it. The basic process is as follows:

1. Prepare your saline solution.

Mix two cups of sterile, lukewarm water (be sure to use distilled or previously boiled and cooled water) with one teaspoon of salt. Choose an all-natural sea salt. Try finding Dead Sea salt; studies show that Dead Sea salt seems to confer some added benefit over regular saline solutions, as it likely has particularly effective anti-inflammatory effects.[1,3]

2. Set up over the sink.

Fill your neti pot with your saltwater solution, and get ready in a place you can let the water drain, such as over the sink or bathtub.

3. Flush your nasal cavity.

Tilt your head over the sink so that one nostril is pointed a bit up (try putting your head at a 45-degree angle). Place the spout into your nostril, and pour half of the solution slowly into your nose. Keep your mouth open to breathe. The liquid should drain out the bottom nostril. Stand up straight, spit out any liquid that runs into your throat (it’s okay if this happens), and gently blow your nose to get rid of any excess fluid. Repeat with the other nostril using the other half of the solution.

4. Repeat daily.

When symptoms are really bad, you can try using your neti pot in the morning and in the evening (preferably at least an hour before bed to reduce the chance of bothersome drainage while trying to fall sleep). Once symptoms subside, try using it a few times a week.

5. Keep your neti pot clean and dry.

After each use, clean thoroughly and let dry completely.

Don’t be afraid of using this extremely effective and low-cost home remedy. Find a neti pot today to start finding relief. Neti pots are available at most natural grocers, and they are also available online. Once you perfect your technique and get used to it, you’ll be able to control your symptoms and breathe easier thanks to this simple and natural technique.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

• How to Prevent Colds and Flu
• 9 Home Remedies to Relieve Flu Symptoms
• Identifying Type of Sinus Infection Is Key for Successful Treatment

SOURCES

[1] Laryngoscope. 2006 Jun;116(6):878-82.

[2] Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD006394.

[3] Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2012 May-Jun;2(3):252-7.

[4] Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2012 Jul;109(1):20-8.

Originally published in 2015 and regularly updated.

The post How to Use a Neti Pot to Stop a Runny Nose appeared first on University Health News.

Studies have found a high prevalence and wide array of respiratory viruses in people who have recently traveled.[2] Up to 20 percent of passengers may develop respiratory infections within one week after air travel and that flight attendants have significantly more respiratory infections than those who do not frequently fly.

Can Traveling Make You Sick?

So why does flying on a plane increase our susceptibility to getting sick?

• Spread of exhaled infected droplets. Airline cabins have lots of people in a crowded space who are there for long “exposure times,” so the risk of infection via airborne transmission could be high—especially if one or more passengers are infected with an airborne infectious disease. Droplets exhaled by an infected passenger may contain infectious agents such influenza. In fact, droplets have been shown to spread through the air from a single cough, a single breath, or a few seconds of speaking. Exposure to the row in front and the row behind occurs within 30 seconds and extends to seven rows within minutes.[3]
• Low air pressure and oxygen compromise immune function. The conditions of low air pressure and low oxygen have been shown to impair certain immune system functions for a few days after long flights.[4] Researchers, to test how typical airplane air pressure and oxygen levels affect the immune system, studied the effects of a simulated 10-hour flight at an average cruising altitude of 8000 feet and then measured markers of immune system function in 52 healthy volunteers. They looked at blood samples before and on days 1, 4, and 7 after the flight. The researchers observed a number of immune system changes in the immediate days following the simulated flight. For instance, the subjects’ lymphocyte responses were decreased. Lymphocytes include T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells. Lymphocytes are the primary type of white blood cells made by the immune system to combat viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. These immune changes, they concluded, “may contribute to an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections commonly seen after long-haul flights.”[4]

Venous Thrombosis: Another Health Concern Tied to Air Travel

The lower oxygen levels and prolonged sitting on long flights doesn’t just impair your immune system’s ability to fight infections, it also puts you at risk for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Together, these two conditions make up the third most common cardiovascular disease after heart attack and stroke.

For persons who contract the conditions, they carry a high risk of death and permanent complications. Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain, but often occurs without any symptoms. Pulmonary embolism is a complication of deep vein thrombosis in which one or more arteries in your lungs becomes blocked by a blood clot that has traveled to your lungs from your leg.

While these conditions are of most concern for people with chronic respiratory diseases, doctors who specialize in travel medicine and lung diseases have been trying to spread the word for years that all travelers need to take precautions to avoid venous thromboembolism. This involves avoiding excess alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks, remaining mobile, and exercising during the flight.

For air travelers with a history of venous thromboembolism, obesity, heart disease, significant medical illness in previous six weeks, immobility, pregnancy, or estrogen therapy (hormone replacement  therapy or combined oral contraceptive pill), experts advise that in addition to the above advice, travelers wear compression stockings, avoid sedatives, and avoid sleeping for prolonged periods in abnormal positions. They also recommend a preventive dose of blood thinning medication for those at high risk of clots, such as those who have recently had a stroke, major surgery, or trauma.

How to Avoid Catching a Cold on a Plane: Three Strategies

To reduce your risk of getting a respiratory infection while on a flight, here are three specific actions you should take:

1. Irrigate your nose (or your children’s) with a saline solution—both before and after the flight—by using a dropper or small squirt bottle. Nasal irrigation with a saline solution helps clean out at least some of the allergen, fungal, and viral pathogens from the nose and thus can help to reduce the risk of getting a sinus infection after flying. Keeping the nasal cavity moist in the dry atmosphere of an airplane cabin is also most beneficial.
2. Drink lots of water throughout the flight.
3. Take an herbal medicine with immune-boosting properties such as Echinacea for a week or two before the flight. Australian researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial to study whether a standardized Echinacea supplement is effective in the prevention of respiratory and other symptoms associated with long flights.[5] They gave 175 adults travelling for 15 to 25 hours Echinacea (root extract, standardized to 4.4 mg alkylamides) or placebo tablets starting 14 days before travel. The Echinacea group had lower respiratory symptom scores compared to placebo during travel. If you’re planning on traveling by air, you can give your own immune system a boost with Echinacea or other immune stimulating natural therapies starting at least two weeks before you travel. For more ideas on natural immune boosters for prevention of viral infections, such as Elderberry, Beta-Glucans, and Red Korean or American Ginseng, see our post “3 Immune System Supplements to Prevent the Flu this Winter.”

The post Getting Sick After Flying? How to Prevent That Cold or Nasty Sinus Infection appeared first on University Health News.

Clogged Ears Symptoms

Clogged ears typically cause irritation or discomfort in the form of a full feeling in the ears and muffled hearing. They don’t usually cause pain, unless you’re suffering from an ear infection. Clogged ears can lead to dizziness, so be sure not to make any fast movements if you’re struggling with this symptom.

Clogged Ear Causes

While there can be multiple factors behind a clogged ear, the most common cause lies in your sinuses. Since your sinuses are connected to your ears, it’s no surprise that congested sinuses can trickle into the ear canal, affecting the pressure inside. Whether you’re suffering from a cold or seasonal allergies, runny nose, congestion, and sinus infections are all to blame for a clogged ear.

Other causes of clogged ears include:

• Eustachian tube blockage or ear infection The Eustachian tube, which is also known as the auditory tube, connects the nasopharynx (space at the back of the nose) to the middle ear. A blockage of the Eustachian tube can cause symptoms such as popping, clicking, fullness, pain, or ringing in the ear. When the blockage occurs, fluid and mucus that should flow freely from the ear to the back of the throat becomes trapped in the middle ear, causing a clogged ear. These blockages are commonly caused by allergies, a cold, the flu, a sinus infection, or a structural problem in the ear. This type of blockage can easily cause infection.|

• High altitude Ever been in an elevator and suffered from a full feeling in your ears? How about while flying or scuba diving? A rapid change in air pressure can cause a clogged ear. Here’s how: your Eustachian tube is in charge of equalizing the pressure in your ear. When it’s exposed to a rapid change in altitude, however, it can’t always keep up, which can lead to a clogged ear.

• Wax build-up Ear wax is smelly and sticky, but it’s essential for good ear health. Ear wax’s main jobs include: keeping out dirt and debris and cleaning the ear canal. When earwax builds up and becomes dry, it can cause a clogged ear along with ear pain, ringing, and dizziness. The main reason for this blockage—using cotton swabs. Instead of cleaning the ear, the swab pushes earwax even deeper into the canal, causing a clogged ear. As my kids’ pediatrician always said, “the biggest thing you should put in your ear is your elbow.”

• A tumor An acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous growth that grows slowly over years. It develops on the cranial nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. As they grow, these tumors can press on nearby cranial nerves and possibly the brain stem, depending on their size. The first symptoms people usually notice are: gradual hearing loss, a clogged ear, and ringing in the ear

• Swimmer’s ear For some, swimming can cause an ear infection. Water that remains in the ear after swimming can result in a clogged ear. Also known as swimmer’s ear, this blockage can encourage the growth of infection from bacteria or fungus.

Clogged Ear Treatments

A clogged ear will often unblock itself as the pressure regulates. In cases where the clogged ear is persistent, however, you may want to try other options to improve your symptoms. Here are a few suggestions:

When to See A Doctor for A Clogged Ear

In most cases, a clogged ear will resolve itself in time. Once you’ve cleared up your sinus issues, your clogged ear should go the way of that annoying pimple you had last week. If your suffering won’t let up and you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms, it’s time to seek help from a medical professional:

• Fever
• Pain in the head, face, or ear
• Swelling in the head, face, or ear
• Symptoms that recur or last for over a week

Fly More Comfortably with a Clogged Ear

If you must fly while congested, take a nasal or oral decongestant half an hour before take off. This will help to both relieve and prevent further pressure. If you’re still suffering form a clogged ear, try the Valsalva Maneuver (see the “Clogged Ear Treatments” Chart to learn how). Also, chew gum or suck on a hard candy, especially during take off and landing, to open your Eustachian tubes.

For related reading, please visit these posts:

• Preventing and Treating Ear Infections in Children
• Middle Ear Infection Symptoms
• Throat Cancer Symptoms: Take Heed of These Serious Signs
• Zinc: Does It Really Fight Off a Cold?

This article was originally published in 2018. It is regularly updated. 

The post How to Prevent and Treat a Clogged Ear appeared first on University Health News.

Don’t worry. You don’t need to hole up at home in a face mask anytime soon. Just because you’ve been exposed to a virus doesn’t mean you’ll get sick. Much of the time, your immune system can fight off a virus before it makes you ill. You may not even know you have one.

Still, it’s always good to be informed, so here’s your guide to viruses and what you can do to prevent them.

What Are Viruses?

The word virus derives from Latin, meaning “slimy liquid” or “poison”—pretty fitting considering some of the nasty side-effects they produce. Viruses are tiny, highly infectious microorganisms, or germs. They consist of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA, but never both) housed inside a protein shell.

While there is much debate over whether viruses are alive, most scientists believe they are inanimate. The reason: Viruses can’t thrive or multiply without glomming on to, and inherently taking over, a living host cell.

How Many Viruses Exist?

Yellow fever was the first virus discovered, in 1901. Since then, scientists have found 219 virus species that can infect humans, and are identifying three to four more each year. The more common viruses include:

• Cold virus
• Flu virus
• Warts
• Measles
• Mumps
• Zika
• Ebola
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
• West Nile virus
• Hantavirus
• Smallpox
• Rabies
• Dengue
• Foot-and-mouth disease

How Do Viruses Spread?

As we mentioned earlier, viruses contain DNA or RNA inside their protein shells. Once a virus encounters a living host cell (animal, plant, or human), it launches its attack. The virus hijacks the healthy cells (these can be pretty much anywhere in the body—e.g. the liver, lungs, or blood), inserting its DNA or RNA. The virus then uses the cell’s energy to replicate itself and spread. In the process, it may kill, damage or change host cells, which can cause sickness.

What is the difference between viruses and bacteria? Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms measuring a few micrometers in length. As tiny as they seem, however, they are still 10 to 100 times bigger than viruses. Bacteria travel in groups of millions.

Unlike viruses, which can reproduce only after they’ve hijacked a living cell, bacteria can survive on their own both inside and outside other organisms. Sometimes, they can even subsist in extreme conditions such as intense heat or moisture.

Most of the time, bacteria don’t cause harm to people, but in some instances, they can cause troublesome conditions like strep throat, urinary tract infections, and tuberculosis. In some cases, these can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

Can Antibiotics Fight Viruses?

The short answer is no. Antibiotics are successful only at treating certain types of bacterial infections (e.g., pneumonia caused by the flu virus).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “about 30 percent of antibiotics, or 47 million prescriptions, are prescribed unnecessarily in doctors’ offices and emergency departments in the United States.” The effect: Some 2 million people are becoming infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the United States each year. A whopping 23,000 of them are dying as a result.

In most cases, your body’s best defense for a viral infection is your own immune system—even if you’re producing thick, yellow, or green mucous. Chances are, your body will kick into gear and beat that virus into submission. Just give it time, plenty of fluids, and rest. If your symptoms worsen or you have more serious underlying illnesses, such as asthma or a heart condition, see your doctor.

How Can I Prevent Viruses from Making Me Sick?

The best way to prevent yourself from becoming sick is to avoid getting a virus in the first place. Here’s how:

• Get vaccinated. Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from vaccines. As we age, our T-cells stop working as well as they used to. The result: weakened immune systems and a higher susceptibility to contracting diseases and infections that we can’t fight. Immunizations can help us avoid getting preventable illnesses.
• Wash your hands. This oldie but goodie is a simple way to prevent germs from monopolizing our healthy cells.
• Cover your cough. Sneeze and cough into your elbow, not your hand. That helps keep the germs contained. Use a tissue, not a handkerchief, when you blow your nose. Then throw it away immediately.
• Don’t share. For once, it’s okay to be selfish. Sharing cups or cutlery is a sure-fire way to catch something, especially during cold and flu season.
• Stay home. Do everyone a favor and keep your sickness to yourself. If you’re unwell, tuck yourself in with a warm beverage and Netflix.
• Clean up. Use disinfectant spray on doorknobs, telephones, TV remotes, sinks, and kitchen countertops to cut down contamination.

For related reading, please see these posts:

• • Preventing the Flu
  • Getting Sick After Flying? How to Prevent That Cold or Nasty Sinus Infection
  • 11 Best Flu Remedies Backed by Scientific Studies“
  • HPV-Related Throat Cancer on the Rise Among Men

This article was originally published in 2018. It is regularly updated.

The post Viruses 101: A Guide to What’s Making You Ill appeared first on University Health News.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says a person with strep throat should stay home until his fever has ended or, usually, 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Left untreated, step throat can have rare but serious complications, such as rheumatic fever, kidney damage, tonsil/throat abscess, scarlet fever, and toxic shock syndrome. Untreated strep throat is contagious for two to three weeks, according to experts.

Strep Throat Symptoms in Adults

One of the most noticeable strep throat symptoms in adults is that the sore throat comes on quickly and lasts 48 hours or more (a viral, non-strep sore throat usually starts with a little irritation and lasts only a day or two). Other common strep throat symptoms in adults include:

• Enlarged tonsils
• Fever of 101°F or higher
• Headache
• Inflamed (red) throat
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Painful swallowing
• Rash (scarlet fever)
• Red spots in the mouth and throat
• Stomachache
• Swollen neck glands
• Uvula inflamed, swollen, and may have whitish patches
• Vomiting
• White/yellowish patches on tonsils

If your symptoms involve a cough with mucus, watery eyes, runny nose, or vocal changes, chances are it’s not strep throat. These symptoms are more likely to have a viral cause. Strep throat is caused by a bacterial infection. Viruses cannot be controlled with antibiotics, but bacteria can.

Strep Bacteria

Strep throat, a.k.a. streptococcal pharyngitis, is caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes. The bacteria are highly contagious and responsible for scarlet fever, toxic shock syndrome, cellulitis, and impetigo, as well as strep throat.

“Humans are the primary reservoir for group A strep,” according to the CDC. “There is no evidence to indicate that pets can transmit the bacteria to humans. The incubation period of group A strep pharyngitis is approximately two to five days.”

In other words, if you were near someone with strep throat a couple of days ago and the symptoms are appearing, well, guess what? You probably have the bacteria now, too. You can catch it by breathing in respiratory droplets containing the bacteria. The bacteria also can spread if the droplets land on a surface and you touch the surface and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. That’s why strep throat cases increase in the colder months, when everyone is pretty much crowded inside at school, work, and social gatherings.

Diagnosing Strep in Adults

It’s difficult for a physician to positively diagnose strep throat without doing a throat swab for the bacteria. While the typical strep throat symptoms in adults do lead your doctor in the right direction, the rapid antigen/strep test they do with a throat swab sample is the deciding factor. Other problems—including Fusobacterium necrophorum—can have similar symptoms and cause severe sore throats.

In a 2015 analysis of 312 college students at University at Alabama at Birmingham, investigators found that F. necrophorum was detected in more than 20 percent of patients with sore-throat symptoms. They found only 10 percent for Group A strep.

“This is the first study in the United States that shows that F. necrophorum causes a significant number of cases of pharyngitis in this young adult population,” said Robert M. Centor, M.D., the study’s lead author. “It is also the first to show that F. necrophorum pharyngitis and streptococcus pharyngitis share similar clinical signs.”

Strep Treatment

If antibiotics are started within the first 48 hours of strep throat symptoms in adults, not only will you usually feel better, but you will have reduced the risk of complications. Although you become contagious days before symptoms develop (remember that the incubation period is two to five days), once you start on antibiotics, the contagious period usually is eliminated after 24 hours.

It’s extremely important to realize that even if you start to feel better before you finish your prescribed antibiotics, you must finish the complete prescription (usually 10 days). Stopping before that time can cause the bacteria to gain strength and return, and your risk of complications increases. Not completing antibiotic prescriptions also is believed to be one of the reasons for increasing drug resistance.

PlusCare.com lists these antibiotics as the most common prescribed by providers for strep throat:

• Penicillin
• Amoxicillin
• Amoxicillin Clavulanate Potassium
• Azithromycin
• Clarithromycin
• Clindamycin
• Cefdiner

Remember, too, that if your physician says, “Please let us know how you’re doing,” it’s not just a polite comment to show that he or she cares. It matters in your recovery. If your symptoms don’t improve within five days—or worsen at any point—contact your provider immediately. You may need a different drug.

How to Manage Strep Symptoms

In addition to taking an antibiotic, drink plenty of liquids. Water, soup, and herbal teas may help. Avoid caffeine, which will only further dehydrate you (remember that fevers are dehydrating).

On the positive side, strep throat is a good excuse to eat more ice cream! Cold drinks, ice chips, and ice cream can help soothe your throat. Throat lozenges, hard candy, cough drops, and throat spray can also help numb your throat a bit.
In addition, you should:

• Gargle with salt water (a half teaspoon in a cup of water) to help remove mucous and bacteria.
• Eat soft foods
• Avoid smoking and avoid smoke
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers
• Eat marshmallows, says health.com, as the gelatin in them “coats and soothes”
• Consume honey, which is both soothing and somewhat antibacterial
• Get plenty of rest (of course!)

How to Prevent Strep Throat

Since most people are contagious before symptoms of strep throat in adults become obvious, it can be difficult to avoid the bacteria, especially in crowded areas. Some tips for prevention of strep throat are common, good hygiene practices we sometimes forget:

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching surfaces in public areas with your hands; for instance, hit automatic door openers with your arm instead of your hands.
• If your home is dry, as in dry heat from the furnace, you may want to install a humidifier of some type. The moist air can keep your mucus membranes moist, too. Dry mucus membranes are more susceptible to the bacteria.
• Never share cups, forks, spoons, plates, and so on.
• If you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with your arm instead of your hands, and be sure you wash your hands frequently, to avoid spreading any bugs.

The post Strep Throat Symptoms in Adults appeared first on University Health News.

A bacterial infection can be serious, especially if it enters the bloodstream, due to the high potential for drug resistance (see sidebar). Sepsis is a real concern with any bacterial infection. If you suspect a bacterial infection, you need to make a doctor’s appointment. Without proper treatment, a bacterial infection could cause your illness to worsen. For example, strep throat, without treatment, may lead to tonsillitis, ear infection, sinus infection, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, heart damage, and kidney inflammation, according to ShareCare.com.

Harmful bacteria find their way into your body in different ways, making good hygiene your best defense. (By the way, the Food & Drug Administration says hand sanitizers are not a defense against bacteria). Bacteria can be ingested or spread sexually or through other skin-to-skin contact—and can be found on towels, clothing, and sporting equipment or in your food. Wounds, scratches, and even pimples can open the door for bacteria to grab hold.

Bacteria take advantage of any opportunity presented. Damaged teeth—even when not painful—may have a chip or crack that can allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream. That may result in a bacterial infection, but it could also lead to cancer (lung, kidney, pancreatic), hepatitis, and cardiovascular disease. Signs of leaking bacteria include: periodontitis, bad breath, sore or bleeding gums, or gum or cheek inflammation. And, of course, food poisoning is a well-known bacterial infection. The usual culprits are Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella Eneteritidis (salmonella), and Listeria monocytogenes or Listeria Monocytogenes (listeria).

The Battle Between Good and Evil Bacteria

In a study published in Current Biology, researchers at the University of Oxford showed that bacteria approach conflict in much the same way as an army, responding to a threat with a coordinated, collective retaliation.

The research team studied pairs of E. coli strains as they fought against each other. Each strain uses a specific toxin to try to overcome its competitor. A strain is immune to its own toxins, but it can kill other strains. This type of competitive interaction plays a key role in how individual bacteria establish themselves in a community, such as the human gut. By engineering the strains to have a fluorescent-green color, the authors were able to clearly follow their combat in real time.

Not all strains of bacteria fight the same way. Each approaches conflict with a different level of attack, some being hyper-aggressive and others more passive. The researchers noted that strains can detect an attack from an incoming toxin and respond quickly to warn the rest of the colony and mount a counter attack together.

“Our research shows that what appear to be simple organisms can function in a very sophisticated manner,” says senior author Kevin Foster. “Their behavior is more complex than we have previously given them credit for. Much like social insects, such as honeybees and wasps, and social animals like birds and mammals who use alarm calls when under predation, they are capable of generating a coordinated attack.”

Since the human body plays host to vast numbers of bacteria, particularly our gut microbiome, this effectively means that there is a bacterial war going on inside us. Understanding bacterial competition can help us to understand how bacteria spread, where, and why.

“We know from other studies that toxins are important for whether or not a particular strain will establish in a community. But understanding how bacteria release toxins and out-compete others is very important for understanding the spread of infection,” says Foster.

Bacterial Infection Symptoms

Symptoms of a bacterial infection vary with the actual illness the bacteria causes, but can include:

• An area painful to the touch
• Chills
• Cough, with phlegm
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Headache
• Inflammation (warm and red)
• Muscular pain
• Pain
• Respiratory distress or pain
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Swelling in the area
• Vomiting

What types of illnesses can arise from a bacterial infection? There are numerous, from boils to pneumonia, from septic arthritis to urinary tract infections (see list in sidebar).

Bacterial Infection and the Flu

An infection with both the flu (which is caused by a virus) and bacteria can be a fatal combination, say scientists from the University of Vienna. The influenza virus attacks the upper-respiratory tract—the nose, throat and bronchi—and, rarely, also the lungs. Although people die from the flu every year, a main cause of death in people having the flu is a secondary bacterial infection.

When someone has the flu, susceptibility to bacterial infection increases. One type of bacteria that the immune system usually prevents from spreading and harming us is Legionella pneumophila. (Infection with Legionella pneumophila is called Legionnaires’ disease.) However, in some circumstances, such as when we’re infected with influenza virus, Legionella can cause pneumonia, which if left untreated can leave the lung permanently damaged and even cause death.

“In our model system, an infection with influenza and Legionella was fatal,” says lead author Amanda Jamieson. “We expected that this would be caused by the bacteria growing and spreading like crazy, but what we actually found was that the number of bacteria didn’t change, which was a big surprise.”

The researchers showed that the damage to the lung tissue caused by a co-infection with flu and Legionella is not properly repaired, as the influenza virus suppresses the body’s ability to repair tissue damage. In case of an additional Legionella infection, this may lead to fatal pneumonia. However, treatment with drugs that activate tissue-repair pathways significantly improved the outcome. This suggests that new treatment options to deal with co-infections of flu and bacteria should be explored.

For related reading, please visit these posts:

• “The Startling Dangers of Tooth Infection“
• “Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning? How to Tell the Difference“
• “H. Pylori Natural Treatment Protocol“
• “E. Coli: How to Protect Yourself from This Bacteria’s Dangerous Strains“

The post Bacterial Infection: Be Careful—It Can Become Deadly! appeared first on University Health News.