Nuestros oídos merecen un cuidado especial. No voy a hablar de problemas que nos puedan ocasionar, sino de su higiene.
Una higiene correcta puede evitar problemas futuros según afirma Rosa Pérez en su videoblog( http://t.co/SEDx2Na.)
El conducto auditivo tiene forma de embudo. Dentro de él, en el llamado conducto auditivo, se forma cera que sirve de defensa ante agresiones externas, como cuerpos extraños o insectos que puedan entrar en él.
Se forma cera a diario y también se va eliminando de forma natural a través del oído y hacia el exterior. Si introducimos cualquier objeto en el oído, arrastramos esta cera y podemos causarnos una lesión.
En cambio, podemos limpiar el pabellón auricular tras la ducha, con un bastoncillo, sin apretar, secando los pliegues y retirando la cera que ha quedado en el exterior.
También es adecuado el uso de un irrigador de agua marina una o dos veces por semana, para retirar el exceso de cerumen y evitar la formación de tapones de cera.
Se puede usar en bebés a partir de los 6 meses, su uso es seguro y sencillo.
Ni se debe aplicar si tienes dolor en los oídos, infección (otitis), tímpano perforado o si te has sometido a una cirugía de oído recientemente, tampoco si tienes un tapón de cera o problemas de equilibrio.
Si eres diabético o tienes un trastorno en la inmunidad debes consultar con un profesional sanitario. Te indicará la mejor manera de cuidar tus oídos.
La piel de la parte externa del oído, el llamado pabellón auricular, puede verse afectada por dermatitis y procesos descamativos.
Si observas problemas en la piel de tus oídos, debes acudir a un profesional sanitario
**Publicado en: www.elblogderosa.es
01 May 2011
Video games may help clear airway of cystic fibrosis patients
Video games controlled by the player's breath can encourage youths with cystic fibrosis to use techniques that can help keep their airways clearer, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver. Cystic fibrosis, one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults, causes mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract. To clear mucus from the airways, patients must do breathing exhalation maneuvers called "huffing" several times a day. Many children, however, refuse, preferring to play video games instead, according to Peter M. Bingham, MD, lead author of the study.
"These are kids who are often lonely and frustrated with their medical treatments, and who turn to video games for fun," said Dr. Bingham, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Vermont and pediatric neurologist at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
The researchers decided to capitalize on their patients' penchant for video games by designing software that encourages them to use the breathing techniques. Instead of using a handheld controller, the game is controlled by a digital spirometer, a device that measures how fast and how much air the player breathes out.
In one game, created by students at Champlain College in Vermont, the player's breath drives the movement of a race car down a track and allows the player to fill up the gas tank and wash the car. In another game, the player explores a wilderness, looking for treasure. When the player encounters an animal covered in slime, he or she blows the slime off the animal to earn more treasure.
"The medical goal of the games was to increase breathing maneuvers that respiratory therapists believe can help keep the airways of cystic fibrosis patients clearer," Dr. Bingham said.
Before the study began, 13 children ages 8-18 years underwent pulmonary function tests. Then they participated in a game phase and a control phase for two to four weeks each. During both phases, they were given a computer and spirometer. During the game phase, they also had access to the games that were controlled by the spirometer.
Results showed that few subjects were carrying out the recommended huffing with any regularity before the study. During the study, subjects were huffing more than they did before the study, although there was no difference in the amount of huffing in the game period compared to the control period.
"Both parts of the study apparently got subjects focused on and involved with using the spirometer to do the recommended forced exhalations," Dr. Bingham said.
A surprising result was that even though subjects used the spirometer during game play and the control period, their ability to take a deep breath (termed vital capacity) improved significantly only after game play.
"We aren't sure why that improvement happened," Dr. Bingham said, "but it could be that the player's ability to carry out the vital capacity test improved simply because they were practicing this skill more often, and not because of an actual improvement in their lungs."
"In sum, we think that these results show that using spirometer games can be a good way to involve children in respiratory therapy," he said. "I think it's ethical and appropriate to meet kids 'where they are' with some engaging, digital games that can help them take charge of their own health."
**Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
"These are kids who are often lonely and frustrated with their medical treatments, and who turn to video games for fun," said Dr. Bingham, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Vermont and pediatric neurologist at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
The researchers decided to capitalize on their patients' penchant for video games by designing software that encourages them to use the breathing techniques. Instead of using a handheld controller, the game is controlled by a digital spirometer, a device that measures how fast and how much air the player breathes out.
In one game, created by students at Champlain College in Vermont, the player's breath drives the movement of a race car down a track and allows the player to fill up the gas tank and wash the car. In another game, the player explores a wilderness, looking for treasure. When the player encounters an animal covered in slime, he or she blows the slime off the animal to earn more treasure.
"The medical goal of the games was to increase breathing maneuvers that respiratory therapists believe can help keep the airways of cystic fibrosis patients clearer," Dr. Bingham said.
Before the study began, 13 children ages 8-18 years underwent pulmonary function tests. Then they participated in a game phase and a control phase for two to four weeks each. During both phases, they were given a computer and spirometer. During the game phase, they also had access to the games that were controlled by the spirometer.
Results showed that few subjects were carrying out the recommended huffing with any regularity before the study. During the study, subjects were huffing more than they did before the study, although there was no difference in the amount of huffing in the game period compared to the control period.
"Both parts of the study apparently got subjects focused on and involved with using the spirometer to do the recommended forced exhalations," Dr. Bingham said.
A surprising result was that even though subjects used the spirometer during game play and the control period, their ability to take a deep breath (termed vital capacity) improved significantly only after game play.
"We aren't sure why that improvement happened," Dr. Bingham said, "but it could be that the player's ability to carry out the vital capacity test improved simply because they were practicing this skill more often, and not because of an actual improvement in their lungs."
"In sum, we think that these results show that using spirometer games can be a good way to involve children in respiratory therapy," he said. "I think it's ethical and appropriate to meet kids 'where they are' with some engaging, digital games that can help them take charge of their own health."
**Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Maternal obesity puts infants at risk
Babies born to obese mothers are at risk for iron deficiency, which could affect infant brain development, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver. In nonpregnant adults, obesity-related inflammation hinders the transport of iron through the intestine, increasing the risk of iron deficiency anemia. When a woman is pregnant, iron is transferred through the intestine to the placenta, but it is not known how maternal obesity affects newborn iron status. Fetal iron status is important because 50 percent of the iron needed for infant growth is obtained before birth.
In this study, researchers studied 281 mother/newborn pairs. The women's body mass index was calculated before delivery, and a score of 30 or above was defined as obese. Investigators also determined infants' iron level by analyzing umbilical cord blood.
Results showed evidence of impaired iron status in newborns of women who were obese.
"These findings are important because iron deficiency in infancy is associated with impaired brain development, and we should understand all risk factors for iron deficiency in infancy," said Pamela J. Kling, MD, FAAP, principal investigator and associate professor of pediatrics/neonatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The researchers are investigating why obesity during pregnancy is a risk factor for poorer iron status at birth, Dr. Kling said.
"In nonpregnant adults, obesity has been linked to poorer dietary iron absorption and to diabetes, so both factors may contribute," she said. "Additionally, the link may be due to larger fetuses, because obesity during pregnancy results in larger fetuses, and iron needs are proportional to fetal size."
The study results also have important implications because the prevalence of obesity in women of childbearing age is increasing.
*Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
In this study, researchers studied 281 mother/newborn pairs. The women's body mass index was calculated before delivery, and a score of 30 or above was defined as obese. Investigators also determined infants' iron level by analyzing umbilical cord blood.
Results showed evidence of impaired iron status in newborns of women who were obese.
"These findings are important because iron deficiency in infancy is associated with impaired brain development, and we should understand all risk factors for iron deficiency in infancy," said Pamela J. Kling, MD, FAAP, principal investigator and associate professor of pediatrics/neonatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The researchers are investigating why obesity during pregnancy is a risk factor for poorer iron status at birth, Dr. Kling said.
"In nonpregnant adults, obesity has been linked to poorer dietary iron absorption and to diabetes, so both factors may contribute," she said. "Additionally, the link may be due to larger fetuses, because obesity during pregnancy results in larger fetuses, and iron needs are proportional to fetal size."
The study results also have important implications because the prevalence of obesity in women of childbearing age is increasing.
*Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Study is the first to link sleep duration to infant growth spurts
A study in the May 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first to show that increased bursts of sleep among infants are significantly associated with growth spurts in body length. Results show that infants had irregular bursts of sleep, with 24-hour sleep duration increasing at irregular intervals by an average of 4.5 hours per day for two days. The number of sleep episodes per day also increased in intermittent bursts of an average of three extra naps per day for two days. These peaks in total daily sleep duration and number of sleep episodes were significantly associated with measurable growth spurts in body length, which tended to occur within 48 hours of the recorded bursts of sleep. Further analysis found that the probability of a growth spurt increased by a median of 43 percent for each additional sleep episode and 20 percent for each additional hour of sleep.
"The results demonstrate empirically that growth spurts not only occur during sleep but are significantly influenced by sleep," said principal investigator and lead author Dr. Michelle Lampl, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the department of anthropology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. "Longer sleep corresponds with greater growth in body length."
Lampl added that the results may be particularly helpful for parents, who can become easily frustrated by the variability and unpredictability of an infant's sleep patterns.
"On a practical, everyday level, it helps parents understand their infant's behavior and patterns," she said.
The study involved 23 parents who consistently recorded daily sleep records for their infant, providing 5,798 daily records for analysis. The median age of the 14 girls and nine boys at study onset was 12 days. All infants were healthy at birth and free of colic or medical complications during their first year. For a duration ranging from four to 17 continuous months, growth in total body length was assessed using the maximum stretch technique, which was performed semi-weekly for 18 infants, daily for three infants and weekly for two infants.
According to Lampl and co-author Michael Johnson, PhD, professor of pharmacology in the University of Virginia Health System, the exact nature of the relationship between sleep biology and bone growth is unclear. However, they noted that the secretion of growth hormone is known to increase after sleep onset and during the stage of slow wave sleep. This change in hormonal signals during sleep could stimulate bone growth, which would support anecdotal reports of "growing pains," the aching limbs that can wake children at night.
Although a statistically significant relationship between bursts of sleep and growth spurts was found in all infants, the correspondence was imperfect. Some sleep alterations occurred without a growth spurt, and not every growth spurt was preceded by a burst of sleep.
Lampl and Johnson speculate that in some cases growth may have occurred in other parts of the body. For example, another new study they are publishing this month found that infant head circumference grows in intermittent, episodic spurts. They also suggest that sleep may be only one component of an integrated, physiological system that underlies growth timing.
The study is also significant, added Lampl, because it adds a novel finding to the interdisciplinary, multi-faceted body of research targeted at answering the question, "Why do we sleep?"
"It opens another door to understanding why we sleep," she said. "We now know that sleep is a contributing factor to growth spurts at the biological level."
**Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
"The results demonstrate empirically that growth spurts not only occur during sleep but are significantly influenced by sleep," said principal investigator and lead author Dr. Michelle Lampl, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the department of anthropology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. "Longer sleep corresponds with greater growth in body length."
Lampl added that the results may be particularly helpful for parents, who can become easily frustrated by the variability and unpredictability of an infant's sleep patterns.
"On a practical, everyday level, it helps parents understand their infant's behavior and patterns," she said.
The study involved 23 parents who consistently recorded daily sleep records for their infant, providing 5,798 daily records for analysis. The median age of the 14 girls and nine boys at study onset was 12 days. All infants were healthy at birth and free of colic or medical complications during their first year. For a duration ranging from four to 17 continuous months, growth in total body length was assessed using the maximum stretch technique, which was performed semi-weekly for 18 infants, daily for three infants and weekly for two infants.
According to Lampl and co-author Michael Johnson, PhD, professor of pharmacology in the University of Virginia Health System, the exact nature of the relationship between sleep biology and bone growth is unclear. However, they noted that the secretion of growth hormone is known to increase after sleep onset and during the stage of slow wave sleep. This change in hormonal signals during sleep could stimulate bone growth, which would support anecdotal reports of "growing pains," the aching limbs that can wake children at night.
Although a statistically significant relationship between bursts of sleep and growth spurts was found in all infants, the correspondence was imperfect. Some sleep alterations occurred without a growth spurt, and not every growth spurt was preceded by a burst of sleep.
Lampl and Johnson speculate that in some cases growth may have occurred in other parts of the body. For example, another new study they are publishing this month found that infant head circumference grows in intermittent, episodic spurts. They also suggest that sleep may be only one component of an integrated, physiological system that underlies growth timing.
The study is also significant, added Lampl, because it adds a novel finding to the interdisciplinary, multi-faceted body of research targeted at answering the question, "Why do we sleep?"
"It opens another door to understanding why we sleep," she said. "We now know that sleep is a contributing factor to growth spurts at the biological level."
**Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
EDs should be aware of sexually transmitted infection risk in patients
All adolescent females who show up in the emergency department (ED) complaining primarily of lower abdominal pain and/or urinary or genital symptoms should be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to the authors of a study to be presented Saturday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver. Previous studies have shown that when adolescents seek treatment for symptoms suggestive of an STI, they are not always tested, partly because health care professionals may not be aware of the risk of STIs in these patients. If not identified and treated, STIs can have serious long-term consequences such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, chronic disease and death in babies, and cervical cancer. The presence of an STI also can increase the likelihood of acquiring HIV.
Researchers, led by Monika Goyal, MD, sought to determine how common STIs are in symptomatic adolescent females. Over the six-month study period, 236 females ages 14-19 years who sought treatment at a pediatric ED for symptoms of lower abdominal, pelvic or flank pain and/or genitourinary complaints were tested for three of the most common STIs: Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis .
Results showed that 26.3 percent of the patients had an STI. The most common was chlamydia (20 percent), followed by trichomoniasis (10 percent) and gonorrhea (3.5 percent). In addition, 19 percent of patients infected with chlamydia also had trichomoniasis, while 6.7 percent had both chlamydia and gonorrhea.
"Adolescents represent a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections, and many providers are unaware of this association and the consequences that potentially occur due to infection," said Dr. Goyal, instructor of pediatrics and attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania.
In addition, other studies have shown that adolescents often do not have a primary care doctor and go to the ED for medical care instead.
"Therefore, ED providers should be assessing STI risks in adolescents who come to the ED for care, as this may be the only point of contact of these patients and an opportunity to intervene," Dr. Goyal said.
**Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Researchers, led by Monika Goyal, MD, sought to determine how common STIs are in symptomatic adolescent females. Over the six-month study period, 236 females ages 14-19 years who sought treatment at a pediatric ED for symptoms of lower abdominal, pelvic or flank pain and/or genitourinary complaints were tested for three of the most common STIs: Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas vaginalis .
Results showed that 26.3 percent of the patients had an STI. The most common was chlamydia (20 percent), followed by trichomoniasis (10 percent) and gonorrhea (3.5 percent). In addition, 19 percent of patients infected with chlamydia also had trichomoniasis, while 6.7 percent had both chlamydia and gonorrhea.
"Adolescents represent a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections, and many providers are unaware of this association and the consequences that potentially occur due to infection," said Dr. Goyal, instructor of pediatrics and attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania.
In addition, other studies have shown that adolescents often do not have a primary care doctor and go to the ED for medical care instead.
"Therefore, ED providers should be assessing STI risks in adolescents who come to the ED for care, as this may be the only point of contact of these patients and an opportunity to intervene," Dr. Goyal said.
**Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Oncólogos responden online las preguntas de los enfermos
Ante el diagnóstico de cualquier enfermedad, el paciente siempre espera recibir el mejor tratamiento. Si además se trata del cáncer, el diagnósitico y su posterior abordaje nunca parecen suficientes. Hoy en día esta situación parece tener los días contados gracias a la creación, en noviembre del pasado año, de la Fundación Avances Contra el Cáncer (FAAC). Una organización sin ánimo de lucro creada por el doctor Rodrigo García-Alejo, jefe de la Unidad de Oncología Radioterápica del Hospital Ruber Internacional de Madrid, cuyo objetivo se basa en indicar a los pacientes con cáncer cuáles son los medios diagnósticos y los tratamientos más indicados en caso y ayudar de forma económica a los afectados que no tengan los medios adecuados para luchar contra la enfermedad.
«Cuanto más matizas un diagnóstico en un paciente, más posibilidades se abren desde el punto de vista del tratamiento. A veces en las compañías de seguros o en la Seguridad Social no cubren algunas pruebas y hay que explicarle a la gente que eso existe y se puede hacer», explica García-Alejo. Máximo prestigioDespués de una conversación del doctor García-Alejo con Carmen García Mateo que venció un cáncer de mama y conocedora de que otros pacientes cercanos a ella no les había ido tan bién, se plantearon, según García-Alejo, «hacer algo para informar a la gente. Por ello, junto con Carmen y mi mujer decidimos poner dinero y montar la asociación». Para darle forma, continúa, «contacté con una serie de especialistas de reconocido prestigio en el campo de la oncología y, a través, de la web: www.avancescontraelcancer.com todo aquel que lo desee, previo donativo sin cantidad fija para recaudar fondos, puede enviar su caso a través del correo electrónico y lo responde, en un plazo máximo de dos días, el especialista en la materia.
Además, también contamos con expertos en psicología, reproducción y consejo genético, pero esperamos englobar a más especialistas». Para dar una información actualizada de todas las novedades sobre oncología, la web dispone de los apartados «experto opina» y «noticias» donde se cuelgan las últimas publicaciones de las revistas científicas. No obstante, todo aquel que desee enviar una consulta debe tener claro, según su creador, que «nosotros no decimos nada que no esté avalado por las sociedades americanas de referencia en la materia. De las consultas que hemos tenido, cerca del 70 por ciento de las respuestas que enviamos decían que el paciente llevaba un buen tratamiento y que confiara en su médico y en los protocolos que le han aplicado. Si creemos que necesita hacer una prueba médica específica y no tiene medios, la fundación le ayudará».
Iniciativas como ésta suponen, además, un pilar de apoyo para todos los afectados. Carmen García Mateo relata que aunque «yo tuve la enorme suerte de disponer de los medios necesarios y el conocimiento de los médicos para vencer el cáncer y eso que en un primer momento no me hicieron un diagnóstico adecuado. Además, hay que tener en cuenta que cuando te dicen que tienes un cáncer se produce una desorientación, tanto del paciente como del entorno familiar que puede llegar a incapacitar. Considero que tenemos la obligación de ayudar a los demás porque salvar un vida es lo más importante».
*De interés para los afectados: Fundación Avances Contra el Cáncer (FACC)web: http://www.avancescontraelcancer.com/
**Publicado en "LA RAZON"
¿Qué son las dianas terapéuticas?
En la última década se ha producido un avance vertiginoso en el tratamiento de las enfermedades oncológicas debido al desarrollo de específicos medicamentos dirigidos a las denominadas DIANAS TERAPEUTICAS. Una diana terapéutica es una parte de la célula capaz de reconocer un fármaco en concreto y producir una respuesta.
Diseñado fármacos específicos para estas dianas terapéuticas se puede conseguir detener el crecimiento de las células cancerígenas y favorecer la destrucción de las mismas. Para los pacientes oncológicos, las dianas terapéuticas son cada vez más específicas y consiguen incrementar el beneficio del paciente en calidad de vida y supervivencia.
Las nuevas moléculas contenidas en las dianas terapéuticas tienen unos mecanismos de acción totalmente diferentes a los clásicos de la quimioterapia o las radioterapia, debido a su especifidad.
Diseñado fármacos específicos para estas dianas terapéuticas se puede conseguir detener el crecimiento de las células cancerígenas y favorecer la destrucción de las mismas. Para los pacientes oncológicos, las dianas terapéuticas son cada vez más específicas y consiguen incrementar el beneficio del paciente en calidad de vida y supervivencia.
Las nuevas moléculas contenidas en las dianas terapéuticas tienen unos mecanismos de acción totalmente diferentes a los clásicos de la quimioterapia o las radioterapia, debido a su especifidad.
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