All Resources about Ear Infection

Ear surgery, also called otoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to improve the appearance of prominent or protruding ears. It is one of the few cosmetic surgeries that can be performed on children, since an individual’s ears typically stop growing by age five. Children and adults with severely protruding ears are often the subject of persistent teasing by their peers, resulting in psychological stress and mental anguish. Ear Surgery can eliminate this problem by pinning protruding ears back so they lie closer to the head. In fact, it is recommended that children with severely protruding ears undergo otoplasty at a very young age so the problem can be corrected before any teasing begins. Young children also tend to recover faster than do adults, making it an ideal time to perform the surgery.

Most ear surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis, although some doctors prefer to keep children overnight for extra monitoring. The surgery itself is usually only one to two hours long, depending on the complexity of the procedure. General anesthetic is recommended for young children. Older children and adults will generally undergo otoplasty with just a local anesthetic to numb the ear and the surrounding tissue. A two to three inch long incision is made in the natural crease just behind the ear to hide the incision from view. This exposes the underlying cartilage, a soft pliable tissue that gives the ear its unique shape. Depending on the extent of the protrusion, the doctor will either weaken the cartilage and bend it into its new shape or remove excess cartilage to achieve the desired results. The cartilage is secured using permanent sutures to keep it from moving back into its natural shape. Once the cartilage is secure, the incision is closed and sewn back up.

Following the surgery, patients wear a thick, tight dressing to cover and protect their ears. After a few days, a more lightweight bandage can be used. Ear surgery patients may find they experience mild to moderate discomfort during the first several days of the healing process, but this pain can be easily controlled by over the counter medications such as Tylenol or through a doctor-prescribed prescription pain reliever. Recovering patients may find it difficult to sleep initially, since many people rest their head on their ears while sleeping. A soft pillow may help to alleviate some of this discomfort. Sutures are removed approximately one week after the procedure, assuming the surgeon did not use dissolvable sutures.

Complications arising from ear surgery are rare, but like any surgery otoplasty is not completely risk free. Your surgeon will discuss potential side-effects of the procedure with you in advance of the day of your surgery so you are aware of what to expert post-surgery, and so you have realistic expectations of the procedure. Complications may include nerve damage that results in a temporary loss of sensation in the ears, scarring, infection, a localized reaction to the sutures used, or asymmetry of the ears.

Individuals interested in learning more about ear surgery and how it can improve their appearance should make an appointment with a plastic surgeon with strong track record of successful otoplasty experience.

Popularity: 51%

Filed under: Ear Infection Treatment | No Comments »

Ear mites are external parasites infecting cats and dogs. Once cursed, pets seem to have the problem for life. The mites Otodectes cynotis are large enough and easily visible with the naked eye. Ear mites as the names says, lives in the ears as well as on the head and skin of the pets. In just 3 weeks, a mite egg can develop into an adult mite. The adult mite can live its entire life on the pet, enabling it to be highly contagious and can also cause severe inflammation.

Ear mites are highly contagious and readily transmit from host to host by physical contact. You pet can get easily infected if it socializes with other infected animals. Treatment for ear mites is a must for all the household pets.

Shaking of the head and ears is the most common sign of ear mite infection. Dogs scratch at their ears, rub their face and in severe cases, they may even bleed behind their ears to relieve themselves from the pesky little critters. Though some pets can still be infected and not show any signs of itching or head shaking.

Ears that seem very itchy and have dark debris, down in the ear, are the telltale signs that your pet’s ears have visitors. Dark brown to black debris accumulates in the ears of infected pets and the mites may be visible as small moving white specks on the debris. Secondary infection with bacteria or yeast is common in ear mite infections and may complicate the diagnosis.

Any natural oil-based ear medication will ultimately drown the mites as the oil covers the mite’s breathing pores eventually suffocating them.

Keep your pet and its environment treated for fleas. This also kills any ear mites that might be around to re-infect your pet.

To remove ear mites, mix ½ ounce of almond and vitamin E. Put a dropper or two in each ear and massage it well. Let your pet shake its head and clean out the opening with cotton swabs. The oily mixture smothers the mites and helps healing. Refrigerate the mixture between uses, warming it before use.

Soak a cotton ball in mineral oil and swab the ear canal. The oil soothes skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Give your pet mild flea baths during the treatment period to squelch any wayward mites.

Consider using an anti-yeast medication, since secondary yeast infections are commonly found with ear mite infestations.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions mentioned in the article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader, not the site, and the writer.

Popularity: 73%

Filed under: Remedies For Ear Infections | No Comments »

Your pet dog or cat or tiger or lion can be inflicted with ear infection and the question is, do you have the ear to “listen” to their pains and suffering when they have ear infection? Or to put it specifically, do you have the eyes and the ears to look for an ear product for pets? It’s a good thing you have or else you wouldn’t come here looking for one.

As a responsible pet owner, what would you do to contain the cause of pet ear infection or maybe, even prevent its inception? Offline or online, there are several proven effective ear care methods that would likely to work to hamper the harmful activities of fungus, bacteria or mites deep down in the long, narrow and intricate ear canal of your pet.

There are some preventive measures that you might already be aware to prevent ear infection in your pet. Some of these are general and regular cleaning of its ears, trying to see to it that no excess water gets inside the ears and of course, giving them the best nutrients that they can get from their foods. Always remember, although foods are the basic needs of animals other than human and plant life forms, it is also true to animals that what they eat can also be dangerous for them.

For example, it’s always a no-no to feed a dog with chocolates and you know why? It’s because they are prone to allergic reactions. There are foods that can affect their skin and their fur and there are foods that can make them feel so itchy that they will not stop scratching their ears, for instance, even if there are evidences of blood. Doing this can also result to animal ear infection.

Now, however, if the case is getting severe, if there are some recurring infections, conventional treatment will not be able to solve the problem or bring about a sustained or permanent healing for your pet’s condition. It is time to consult a veterinarian where he can prescribed antibiotics and other medications.

If you should opt for a more holistic approach in the treatment, the application of topical pet herbal supplements will guarantee to get rid of the root cause of the problem and not just to neutralize ear parasites. And it would be a relief to know that herbal supplements has no side-effects unlike conventional medicines that has a debilitating effect, ranging from a loss of appetite to vigorous vomiting that could cause certain death.

You might say, “Hey, it’s just an ear infection and why would my beloved die from it?” Actually, your pet will die because of your negligence and not because of ear infections or any other diseases or illnesses.

Just as with humans, you have to be very attentive to your pet’s needs and they really need your utmost care and concern. So, do you have the ear for its ear infection? Don’t waste another second to find an ear product for pets and when doing so, you’re not just concerned about your pet’s health but you’re also concerned with the unconventional love and relationship you have with your pet.

Popularity: 50%

Filed under: Preventive Measures In Ear Infection | No Comments »