FitSugar

You Asked: Pain in the Ear When Flying

FitSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
Whenever I fly I get this horrible pain in my ears, right as we're descending, about 15 minutes before we land. It's excruciating and sometimes I can't hear well a few hours after the flight. What causes this and is there any way to prevent it? I am traveling soon for my Summer vacation and am not looking forward to flying.
- Pain in the Ear

Great that you're taking a vacation. They are great for stress relief. It sounds like you suffer the condition aptly named airplane ear. More scientifically it's known as barotrauma or barotitis media, but whatever the name, the pain can be really intense and can cause ringing or bleeding in your ear, dizziness, or temporary hearing loss.

To hear what causes it and how to ease your pain

read more. This condition is pretty common and is caused by rapid changes in altitude or air pressure, which causes an unequal pressure between your middle ear and the air outside your ear. This makes your eardrum bulge outward or retract inward, which hurts, and can even cause a ruptured eardrum. You've probably also experienced it when swimming in deep water or driving through the mountains. Swallowing or yawning should help ease your discomfort because the Eustachian tube, which connects your middle ear to the back of your nose, opens and allows air to flow into or out of your middle ear, equalizing the pressure. If you're congested though because of a cold or allergies, this tube can be blocked, causing pain, muffled sound, and temporary hearing loss. To prevent this from happening on future flights, try taking an over-the-counter decongestant such as Sudafed about 30 to 60 minutes before your flight. This will help to dry up mucus from your nose and sinuses. While you're flying, chew gum or suck on a cough drop. This will encourage frequent swallowing, which helps to activate the muscles that open your Eustachian tubes. Also, don't sleep when the plane is descending, so you can be sure you're swallowing often. I hope this helps and happy travels. Source

Do Ear Candles Really Work?

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:45:00 PST

Ear candling – have you heard of it? Offered as a spa treatment or found at health food stores in do-it-yourself kits, this treatment is touted as a method to deep clean your ears. The long, hollow, tapered tubes (the candle) are made of muslin and coated with wax. Basically you stick one end in your ear, and someone lights the other end. As the hollow candle burns, the smoke and heat create a gentle vacuum that supposedly sucks out debris and excess ear wax to relieve sinus pressure, cure infections and improve hearing.

Each candle burns for about 20 minutes, until just about four inches of candle remains. After vacuuming your ears, if you cut open the candles, you'll see yellowish powder and tiny balls of yellow wax. Is that from your ear?

To find out

read more Experts say that what you find inside the cone is definitely not from your ear, but actually residue from the smoke or the ear candle wax. If the vacuum that the candle creates were powerful enough to suck earwax out of your ear, you wouldn't want it to because earwax is essential to normal ear functioning. Your body secretes it to help clean and lubricate your ear. It also prevents bacteria, fungi, water and bugs from hanging out in there. Ear candling doesn't work and can be very dangerous because wax from the candle can drip into your ear, or the burning candle could catch your hair on fire. Fit's Tips: If you have an excess of earwax or are experiencing pain or loss of hearing, then make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist and stay away from ear candles. Source

When an Earache Needs Medical Attention

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:30:00 PST

Last month we went over the signs and symptoms of realizing when a stomachache may require a visit to the doctor, recently I was confronted with a similar issue - an earache. I used to think that ear infections were just a problem for babies and small children, but adults can suffer from them, too. While earaches can be a symptom of a cold, that ache can turn into an infection. Since ear infections require antibiotics (earaches generally subsides when the cold goes away), your ears might need some medical attention.

Here are symptoms to look for when an earache has evolved into an ear infection, meaning time to visit your doctor.

Loss of appetite. This may be apparent in young children, especially during bottle feedings. Pressure changes in the middle ear as the child swallows, causing more pain.
Irritability.
Poor sleep. Pain may be more persistent when lying down as fluid is shifting.
Fever. Ear infections can cause temperatures up to 104°F.
Vertigo. You may have a sense of spinning.
Drainage from the ear. Yellow, brown, or white fluid that isn't earwax may seep from the ear, indicating the eardrum has ruptured.
Difficulty hearing. Fluid build-up in the middle ear prevents the eardrum from functioning properly. The sound is then unable to be transmitted to the bones of the middle ear and from there to the brain.

Source

Keep Ears Stylishly Shielded From the Elements

Heather Dale — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:05:34 PST

Cooler temps cramping your running style? Add wind to the mix, and you put yourself at risk for a nice little earache. Keep ears protected from the wind and cold by wearing something breathable that can be pulled down over your ears. Check out these chic solutions to get your ears warmed up during your next run!

Clockwise from top left: Lululemon Brisk Run Headband ($22), Nike Women's Reversible Thermal Headband ($16), Land's End ThermaCheck 100 Fleece Ear Wrap ($24), Saucony DryLete Ponytail Skull Cap ($18), Lululemon Brisk Run Toque ($24), Reebok Women's Microfleece Hat ($12), Saucony Run Vibe Beanie ($20)

How to Ease Back Onto Your Bike

Heather Dale — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:09:50 PDT

Now that the weather is warming up, are you getting back into a sport that wasn't suited for colder days? My Memorial Day weekend activity of choice was biking, and let me tell you, it was good to get my biking muscles in motion again after such a long Winter!

But just like any other sport, it's not all sunshine and roses when you go from zero to full steam ahead . . . literally. I hopped on my bike and ended up going on the longest, steepest route. Needless to say I learned my lesson. Here are some primary annoyances (and lessons learned!) from my bicycling excursion this past weekend.

Pump it up: As soon as I hopped on my bike, I realized the tires were low in air since my bike hasn't moved in the past three to five months - fail. It's always good to have your own portable compact air pump. That way you aren't stuck having to find a gas station or bike shop. And if your bike is extra special, you'll have all the pump attachments you need when you want to go for a ride.
Get out your screwdriver: Without revealing too much of my bike flair, I have - ahem - some bells, and other accessories adorning my bike. As soon as I took off for my bike ride, everything started to move around and almost fell off! Note to self: quickly take a screwdriver to all of your bike's gear to make sure things are tightened up after sitting all Winter long.

Keep reading for more of my gripes!

How Much Do You Know About Ear Infections?

LilSugar — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:30:01 PST

In a surprising announcement last week, the Centers for Disease Control announced that ear infection diagnoses had plummeted by almost 30 percent over the past 15 years. Doctors aren't quite sure why the nasty earaches are on the decline, but some are crediting a drop in the number of US smokers, an increase in the number of breastfed children, and an increase in vaccinations for the good news. Coincidentally, on the same day the report was released, my son was diagnosed with a double ear infection, reminding me that that we can't quite count them out yet. Take our quiz and see just how much you know about ear infections.

Take the Quiz

DrSugar Answers: Best Medicine to Take For a Headache?

DrSugar — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:31:52 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she gives us the skinny on OTC pain medications.

Dear DrSugar,
Do the different types of over-the-counter pain relievers work better for different problems? What should I take for a headache - is aspirin better than ibuprofen? What should I take if I have a fever or the flu? Is there one that's best for dealing with swelling for twists and sprains? What about a pulled muscle? I look in my medicine cabinet and don't know what to take for what ails me. Thanks!
- Pained and Confused

This is a great question since there are so many options for over-the-counter pain relief available, making it quite difficult to keep straight which one is good for different problems! To learn more about the different OTC pain medications and which one to use for different medical problems, keep reading!

Five Ways the Healthcare Reform Bill Will Help Kids

babysugar — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:00:02 PDT

The headlines were glaring – almost nine percent of US children are living without health insurance, fearing every cold, cough, or earache they encountered each year. With the House of Representatives’ passage of the Senate’s bill, those 8.7 million tots can rest a bit easier.

As the healthcare reform debate dies down, the country’s youngest citizens are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new bill. Here are five ways the new legislation will help children.

Beginning this year, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage to children with pre-existing health conditions.
Also beginning this year, insurance companies will no longer place lifetime caps on policies, or drop a patient if he gets sick.
Insurance companies will be required to pay for preventive services, including medical procedures as vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.
For parents of older kids, you will now be able to keep them on your insurance until they are 26-years-old.
The Children's Health Insurance Program, which helps lower-income families, will be maintained in its current condition, even by states that are looking to cut costs.

Don't Try This at Home: Remedies to Avoid

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:30:22 PST

I have a slew of home remedies tucked in my noggin that I pull out when needed. Tummy ache? I whip up some fresh ginger tea (it's also good for colds). Honey soothes my sore throat, and when I've had a tough workout and am left with sore muscles, an apple cider vinegar wrap does the trick.

Those home remedies are safe and actually work, but some cures and treatments you may have heard about can actually be dangerous and make the issue you're trying to alleviate worse. Here are a few to stay away from.

Ear candles: These long, hollow, tapered tubes are made of muslin and coated with wax. You stick one end in your ear and light the other end. As the candle burns, the smoke and heat create a gentle vacuum that supposedly sucks out debris and excess ear wax to relieve sinus pressure, relieve stress, and improve hearing. The amount of suction created by this tiny candle isn't enough to suck out anything, and ear wax shouldn't be removed anyway. Your body secretes wax to help clean and lubricate your ear. Ear candling doesn't work and can be very dangerous because wax from the candle can drip into your ear, or the burning candle could catch your hair on fire. If you have an earache or sinus pressure, see your doctor instead.

To see what other remedies you should avoid,