February 21, 2008

Types of Infections in Children

Generally, there are two types of infections that occur in the human body: viral infections such as the common cold, which are fairly simple and the more severe and complicated bacterial infections such as pneumonia. Because the immune system in babies is not as well developed as in adults, it is fairly common for babies to get some type of infection about every one to two months, tapering off as the immune system matures until it reaches a level about the same as for adults by the time the child is school age.Ear infectionsMost children have at least one experience with otitis media (middle ear infection) by the time they are one year of age. Symptoms include pulling on the ear, pain in the ear, fever, drainage from the ear and poor sleep. Because of the small size of the Eustachian tube in children, any type of upper respiratory infection can block the normal function of the tube due to swelling and added nasal discharge. The bacteria remain in the fluid behind the eardrum and cause pain, swelling of the eardrum itself and reduced hearing. Ear infections are typically treated with antibiotics. Children with repeated infections may have surgery to […]

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February 20, 2008

Types of Fungal Infections

Fungi are multi-celled plants that are parasitic. For example, most everyone realizes that a mushroom is a fungus. In the human body, fungi that cause infections are very small. There are beneficial fungi in the body, but often the parasitic fungi cause unpleasant symptoms. Fungi can be found on or in most parts of the body. Here are a few of the common areas where fungal infections can be found.Skin Fungal InfectionsThe common types of skin fungal infections include athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm, face fungus and tinea versicolor. The various types of skin fungi live on the dead surface of the skin in the warm and moist areas of the body. Both mold type and yeast type fungus can grow on the skin. Probably the most common type of skin fungal infection is known as athlete’s foot. This infection is more common amongst men than women and most often appears between the fourth and fifth toes. Candida is also known as a yeast infection and is common amongst women in the vaginal area. It can also appear as tiny cuts and cracks at the corners of the mouth. Treatment is by scrupulous attention to skin care and […]

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February 19, 2008

Types Of Ear Infections

Prevalence
Ear infections are the most common reason for parents to take their children to a doctor. Most children under the age of 5 years have one or more bouts of this painful condition. Infants’ eustachian tubes become easily clogged so the fluid builds up and infections occur. The eustachian tube leads from the middle ear located behind the eardrum to the back of the throat. Its purpose is to drain fluid and bacteria that accumulate in the middle ear
Common ear infection types
There are many types of infections in the ear but the most common type is known as otitis media. Otitis media is further divided into the acute phase and the chronic phase. Acute otitis media is a short painful episode while chronic otitis media either comes and goes or it lasts for a very long time. Otitis externa is a fairly common infection of the ear canal known as swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear may be acute or chronic. If the otitis externa or swimmer’s ear infection spreads from the outer ear into the bones and cartilage at the base of the skull it’s known as malignant otitis externa. The condition is rare and is usually caused by the growth […]

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