We performed a study to determine if cerumen in the ear canal causes significant hearing loss and to ascertain if there is any correlation between the amount of cerumen and the degree of hearing loss. Our study was conducted on 109 ears in 80 patients. The results indicated that impacted cerumen does cause a significant degree of conductive hearing loss. We found no significant correlation between the length of the cerumen plug and the severity of hearing loss. Nor did we find any significant correlation between the presence of impacted cerumen and variables such as age, sex, ethnicity, or affected side.
To assess the antibacterial and antifungal properties of human cerumen by studying its effect on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Esherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans.
Rhinoliths result from neglected nasal foreign bodies that gradually increase in size. They are usually discovered incidentally during routine ENT examination or due to the associated symptoms such as nasal obstruction or persistent foul-smelling unilateral nasal discharge. A case of a 14-year-old girl was reported with a year history of the symptom. The foul-smelling nasal discharge noted by her mother was not the main concern to them. She was referred by her primary care physician as she complained of impacted ear wax. However, rhinolith was incidentally found upon routine clinical examination in the ENT clinic and was removed uneventfully.
Complications that arise from self-cleaning the external ear canal are common. This is a prospective study using standard questionnaire on the practice of ear cleaning in 50 subjects. A loose tip cotton bud was also shown to them to assess if it was acceptable to replace their current cotton bud. Thirty six percent of them clean their ears by introducing an object into the ear canal once or more a day. The commonest reason to clean the ears was the presence of earwax. Only 6% used a cotton bud to mop fluid from the ear canal. Almost all (92%) the subjects used a cotton bud to clean the ear. A complication rate of 2% was noted. A loose tip cotton swab was shown to the subjects. Despite explaining that it is safer and better, only 24% of the subject were willing to change to this loose tip cotton bud. Seventy four percent of the subjects cleaned their ear regularly because of earwax. The misconception of needing to clean the ear canal by introducing an object into the ear is rampant. This practice should be avoided and health care providers can play an important role in this.
Objective: To review the clinical characteristic of vertigo in children.
Method: A retrospective observational study was done on children who presented to a specialised vertigo clinic over period of six years. The patients’ case notes were retrieved from the medical record unit and reviewed. All patients were seen by an otologist who thoroughly took down history, completed ear, nose, throat and neurological examination.
Result: Seven different causes were identified in 21 patients (86%) while no diagnosis was reached in three patients (12.5%). The most common cause of giddiness was childhood paroxysmal vertigo (33%) followed by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (16.6%) and sensorineural hearing loss (12.5%). Other causes include chronic suppurative otitis media and anxiety disorder each accounting for 8.3%, one case of cholesteatoma and another case of ear wax each accounting for 4.1%.
Conclusion: It is not uncommon for the children to be affected by vertigo. Management of vertigo in children should include a detailed history, clinical examination, audiological and neurological evaluation. Imaging should be performed in selected patients. The main cause of vertigo in our series is CPV. The outcome of most of the patients is good.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of stingless bee honey (SBH) supplementation on memory and learning in mice. Despite many studies that show the benefits of honey on memory, reports on the nootropic effects of SBH are still lacking, and their underlying mechanism is still unclear. SBH is a honey produced by the bees in the tribe of Meliponini that exist in tropical countries. It features unique storage of honey collected in cerumen pots made of propolis. This SBH may offer a better prospect for therapeutic performance as the previous report identifies the presence of antioxidants that were greater than other honey produced by Apis sp. In this study, SBH was tested on Swiss albino mice following acute (7 days) and semichronic (35 days) supplementation. Experiments were then conducted using Morris water maze (MWM) behaviour analysis, RT-PCR for gene expression of mice striatum, and NMR for metabolomics analysis of the honey. Results indicate spatial working memory and spatial reference memory of mice were significantly improved in the honey-treated group compared with the control group. Improved memory consolidations were also observed in prolonged supplementation. Gene expression analyses of acutely treated mice demonstrated significant upregulation of BDNF and Itpr1 genes that involve in synaptic function. NMR analysis also identified phenylalanine, an essential precursor for tyrosine that plays a role at the BDNF receptor. In conclusion, SBH supplementation for seven days at 2000 mg/kg, which is equivalent to a human dose of 162 mg/kg, showed strong capabilities to improve spatial working memory. And prolonged intake up to 35 days increased spatial reference memory in the mice model. The phenylalanine in SBH may have triggered the upregulation of BDNF genes in honey-treated mice and improved their spatial memory performance.