Do not take your ear for granted. Loss of hearing is a very common health problem than most people think. It can totally affect your quality of life and even relationships. Reasons like age, illness and genetic play a major role in hearing loss, along with this modern life with its ear-damaging elements like noise pollution, constant working of ears and toxins even medications affects the hearing ability.

When there are so many untreatable cases of hearing loss which is prevalent, prevention is the best way to keep the hearing sensation intact and for long years.

What causes hearing loss?

The main causes are advanced age, noise and medications.

Advanced Age

This is most common cause of hearing loss. People in the age group of 65-74 experience some loss of hearing and after the age of 75, the probability gets quite high. This may be due to noise and other damaging factors that wear down the ear’s mechanism over the years.

Due to Noise

Noise can wear down hearing if it is beyond a threshold and continuous. Many people get exposed to noise at their workplace. This can include carpenters, construction workers, soldiers, miners, factory workers and even musicians. Nowadays musicians wear earplugs that allow them to hear music without harming the ear’s inner workings.

Medications

There are more than 200 drugs and chemicals that have a track record of triggering hearing and balance problems. Many commonly used antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, aspiring, loop diuretics, drugs that treat malaria and erectile dysfunction are few that have marked hearing loss causing effects.

 Sudden hearing loss

Over several hours of just 3 days there can be a rapid loss of 30 decibels of hearing ability. A normal conversation is 60 decibels and sudden hearing loss usually affects only one ear. But still it is not clear why this happens in most cases.

Due to Illness

Conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes all put ears to maximum risk by interfering with the ear’s blood supply. A disease known as Otosclerosis is a bone disease of the middle ear and Meniere’s disease of the inner ear and both causes severe hearing loss.

Hearing loss can also happen due to trauma like a fractured skull or punctured eardrum. Infections and severe ear wax can also block ear passage and cause hearing loss.

Symptoms of hearing loss

Mild hearing loss may be present when you can have a one to one conversation but not with a background sound. Moderate hearing loss may be when you ask people to repeat themselves and severe loss may be when you need a hearing aid to hear someone.

Treatments

More often surgery is the best way to reverse hearing loss caused by otosclerosis, scar tissue, infection etc. Meniere’s disease is sometimes treatable with medications and change of diet. Loss due to infection can be treated with antibiotics and permanent hearing loss can benefit a lot with a proper hearing aid.

There are manifold reasons for a person to have watery eyes. They can be allergies due to body infections, a blocked tear duct and sometimes the very shape of our eyelids. Let us now see how these factors actually makes the eyes water continuously and make it difficult for you to keep the face tissues dry.

Allergies and watery eyes

People get allergies on a daily basis, but many ignore how it can affect the eyes. When you get exposed to pollen, pet dander, mites and fumes your eyes turn red, itchy and watery. If the condition persists then you look around for medication especially eye drops. If this does not help then you should visit for some prescription medicines and if the allergy is severe then you may even need an injection.

Infection like Conjunctivitis (Madras eye)

If the eyes look red along with watery eyes then you may be suffering from conjunctivitis or a kind of eye inflammation. You will also have blurry vision and pus or mucus in the eye with red inner eyelids. If you suspect Madras eye it is better to see a doctor immediately. The treatment will depend on whether the cause is bacteria or a virus or some other allergy. Try not to touch your eyes often, wash it with warm soapy water every time before you apply medicine and then wash your hands. Do not share your towels, clothes or anything that has touched your eye.

Blocked tear ducts

Watery eyes are caused by blocked tear ducts also. The eye has a mini plumbing system that makes tears. These tears wash across the eye and goes down a duct into the nose. When this duct gets narrow or blocked, the tears back up and the eyes get watery, irritated or infected. Signs of such a block may be crusty eyelashes, mucus, blurred vision and even blood in the tears. If you get watery eyes and eyes feel always irritated you should meet a doctor who will flush the duct with saline and insert tiny tubes in the duct to open the blockages. Sometimes a person may need surgery to build a new drain.

Due to dry eyes

When the eyes get irritated the immune system responds by making tears. The eyes may sting, burn and there will be redness. When too much of tears are produced, it will actually dry up the natural wetness of the eye. If it is a mild case then artificial tear drops can help. Other solutions include inserting artificial tear glands or therapies like light therapy and eye massage.

Eyelid shape and problems

Eyelids are important constituent of the eye’s drainage system. If one of the eyelids sags or turns outward, tears won’t drain properly and eyes will get watery. If it grows inward then it will rub against the eye and irritate it. All these will cause redness, mucus, dryness and sensitivity to light. If artificial tears and ointments do not bring improvement then surgery is the only option.

Problems with cornea

Cornea can also get inflamed and the condition is called Keratitis. There can also be minor

Scratches and open sores or ulcers on the cornea and this causes tears to work overtime. If the cornea is affected then the eye will be extra watery, painful and highly sensitive to light. When you close your eyes you’ll feel as if some particle is inside the eye. You can rinse the eye with saline solution or blink several times to get relief. You can also pull the upper eyelid over your lower eyelid; all these may flush out the object that’s causing the problem. If you suspect any infection it is better to see a doctor.

Other causes of watery eyes

There are few other causes for watery eyes like Bell’s palsy a nerve condition, eye injuries, exposure to chemical fumes, inflammatory disease, facial surgery and certain medicines.

There are many times when a person can feel that their emotions and moods seem to be out of their control. This feeling can remain for a short while or it can continue over a long period of time. If the feeling is for a long period of time then it is called a mood disorder. There are different kinds of mood disorders, the truth being that all these conditions can be treated.

What is bipolar disorder?

The bipolar disorder is found to be a major cause for extreme mood swings. The mood swings include a stage from depression to emotional highs called mania. When it is high, there is more energy and the thoughts may come quickly and the person gets unusually talkative. The person having a high stage may get lot of things done, but the behaviour will be unpredictable and unhealthy. The mood swings happen sometimes only a couple of time every year or if may be as often as several times a week.

What are the treatments?

The affected person has to be referred to a psychiatrist. The doctor will prescribe appropriate medicines, along with a psychologist, who will take care of talk therapy to help deal with problems in daily life especially at work and at home. The medications will include antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers to treat the main disease. I severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy may be required which involves a small dose of electric current being passed through the brain, under controlled conditions under supervision of doctors and trained personnel.

What is major depressive disorder?

This is also called the clinical depression, or commonly as depression. This is actually long periods of sadness that keeps reoccurring. When affected by this condition the person will have periods of extreme sadness that keeps coming back. The person may get angry or frustrated easily, lose interest in things they used to enjoy and even small chores will be overwhelming. There will be a sense of emptiness, hopelessness and tiredness. The patient will also have sleep problems; they may either sleep too much or too little. If this condition gets severe then the patient will have even suicidal ideas and may attempt to end his/her life.

What are the treatments?

The first step in treating major depressive disorder after consultation with a psychiatrist will be to have a session with a trained mental health professional or a therapist. This is called the psychotherapy or talk therapy. In this session the patient has a one-to-one talk with the therapist or may sit for a group session with other people having the same condition. The psychiatrist will prescribe certain medications as a follow up to help balance the mood.

What are the other related conditions?

The other related conditions include Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) where symptoms last for more than 2 years, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which happens due to change of seasons, Permanent Dysphoric Disorder (PDD) and Depressive Disorder due to various other medical conditions like thyroid disease and brain infection.

When abnormal growth of cells occur in the body then it is usually cancer. Bladder cancer is similar and it begins in the inner linings of the bladder, the organ that stores urine after it passes the kidneys. Bladder cancer can be detected early and when t related are highly successful to prevent the disease from spreading beyond the bladder. Though there is a tendency for bladder cancer to return, so regular check-ups are very much necessary.

WHAT IS THE WARNING?

Blood in the urine is the most prominent sign of bladder cancer. It is either visible to the patient or it can be picked up during urine test. The urine usually looks darker than usual, brownish or rarely bright red. It should be noted that blood inthe urine is not caused by cancer alone but there may be several other reasons and they should be eliminated before concluding that it is cancer.

BLADDER CHANGES

Bladder changes can be due to several other reasons but bladder cancer can also cause changes in bladder habits. This may include:

Needing to go, with little or no output

Feeling to urinate more often

Painful urination

Difficulty in urinating

Sometimes these symptoms may be due to urinary tract infection or bladder stones and it has to be checked properly.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

SMOKING

Even today the exact causes of bladder cancer has not been pinpointed, but smoking is a leading risk factor. Smokers are four times more likely to get bladder cancer than people who do not smoke. Chemicals in the tobacco smoke are carried by the blood to the kidneys and into the urine. These harmful chemicals accumulate in the bladder, where they damage the cells and give rise to cancer.

EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS

Workers in the metal industry, mechanics, hairdressers and those working white dyes in the rubber, textiles and leather industry are more prone to get bladder cancer. They constantly have contact with harmful chemicals and this leads to their potentially developing bladder cancer.

OTHERRISKFACTORS
Bladder cancer can affect anyone but here are few prominent risk factors:

Men are three times more likely to get bladder cancer than women

Nine out of 10 cases occur over the age of 55

Europeans and whites are at greater risk

Family history of bladder cancer

Birth defects of the bladder

Chronic bladder irritation

 

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?

Usually surgery is the most common treatment. Transurethral surgery is mostly done for early-stage cancers. If the cancer has invaded more of the bladder, then a partial cystectomy or removal of portion of the bladder is done. Sometime a radical cystectomy or removal of entire bladder is required. For men the prostate and urethra may also be removed whereas for women, the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and part of the vagina also will have to be removed.

Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation are other modes of possible treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usually as you age you start noticing these mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes. Because they appear to be bags they are also called bags under the eyes. With aging the tissues surrounding the eyes and those supporting the eyelids tend to weaken. The fat helped support the eyes now move to the lower eyelids and cause them to look puffed up and baggy.

How will you prevent bags under the eyes?

There are several ways in which you can take action to prevent the appearance of bags under the eyes through small lifestyle changes.

Reduce Salt Intake

Usually water in your body tends to move from those parts which are low in sodium to those that have high sodium content. The area around the eyes is a prime example of this. So when you consume a food that is loaded with salt this can lead to a condition wherein puffiness of the eyes results in the morning.

Take care of allergies

When you have allergies like colds and sinus infection then water retention and puffy eyes are the result. The good news is that when you take those OTC medicines for your allergies, cold or sinus then they not only help in stopping your runny nose but prevent puffy eyes too.

Correct the sleep position

You may be a side or a stomach sleeper. When you sleep in a particular position then gravity causes fluid collection under your eyes and cause puffy eyes. The best position is to prevent the baggy eyes is to sleep on your back and add an extra pillow under your head.

Clean your make-up before bed

Try not to go to bed with your make-up on, since it can make the eyes water and lead to the morning-after puffiness. Wash your face thoroughly, especially the eyes with soap and water or use a remover every night before you go to bed.

Control your alcohol habit

When you drink alcohol it actually pulls the water out of your skin. Once the delicate area around the eyes get dry and weakened then it can sink into a pouch. If you did have excess to drink then drink some water before you go to bed and use a moisturizer around the eyes to prevent dryness and pouch formation.

Protect eyes from UV rays

You are very particular about protecting your body from harmful UV rays with sunscreen and body lotions but what about your eyes. Too much of exposure to sun can affect the skin on your face especially around your eyes and they sag or wrinkle. Use good sunglasses, sunscreen and some sort of hat to prevent eye puffiness.

Stop Smoking

Smoking can dry and weaken the skin on the face, so quitting smoking can prevent your face getting wrinkled and your eyes from getting droopy.

Cool down your eyes

Chilled spoons, cucumber slices or tea bags can be placed on your eyes to cool it down especially in summer heat. A cold compress can also help remove the puffiness.