A MUM has revealed she nearly died from a brain infection after using a cotton bud to clean her ears. Jasmine Small, 38, spent months being able to hear out of her left ear - but claims she was initially dismissed by doctors. She also had pain when cleaning her ears and would often have smelly, brown discharge - and sometimes blood. The mum-of-four, from New South Wales, Australia, was given antibiotics but said they didn't help. Eventually in 2017, she was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist, who carried out a CT scan.Loose strand He discovered an infection deep inside her ear - extremely close to her brain - caused by a loose strand of cotton from an ear bud. Ms Small told 7 News: “He [the doctor] said, ‘what have you put in your ear?’ I said, ‘cotton buds’. He said, ‘how far do you go down?’’ “He said, ‘if you put this off any longer you probably would’ve died’.” She was told she'd have to … [Read more...] about Mum nearly dies from brain infection after using a cotton bud to clean her ears
Brain infection
This man’s brain infection lends caution to cleaning your ears with cotton swabs
Growing up, we were told that cleaning our ears were a part of standard hygiene. But there’s more and more evidence steering people away from this practice because it can do more harm than good. Recent evidence includes the story of a 31-year-old man from England who develop a potentially life-threatening infection after the tip of a cotton swab became stuck inside his ear canal. The infection affected not only his hearing, but spread to the lining of his brain and caused neurological symptoms. All of this culminated in a seizure and being rushed to the hospital, Live Science reports. The man's symptoms, however, started long before his seizure occurred, according to the report. He had been experiencing pain and discharge from his left ear for about 10 days prior to the seizure and had experienced headaches on the left side of his head that were so severe, they made him vomit. Additionally, he started having trouble remembering people's names. RELATED … [Read more...] about This man’s brain infection lends caution to cleaning your ears with cotton swabs
Woman with rare brain infection claims she thought she was ‘the Messiah’ after waking from coma
Evie Moore said she woke from a coma believing that she was a "messenger from God" after developing a brain infection. (PA Real Life) A council worker has relived the extraordinary moment when she awoke from a coma thinking she was "the Messiah" after a rare brain infection turned her into "a different person." Convinced she was "a messenger from God," despite not being religious, Evie Moore, 23, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, spent two months in hospital being treated for encephalitis - a serious inflammation of the brain. "I remember lying on the floor next to my hospital bed and creating the sign of the cross," Moore, who also temporarily forgot who her parents were after the condition - which causes the body's immune system to start attacking healthy brain cells - struck, told PA Real Life. "Then, when the junior doctor came to see me, I'd say, 'Hello, I’m a messenger from God and I’ve been sent from heaven.’" FAMILY MOURNING DAD'S … [Read more...] about Woman with rare brain infection claims she thought she was ‘the Messiah’ after waking from coma
Amoeba From Tap Water in Neti Pot Tied to Fatal Brain Infection In Seattle Woman
U.S. NEWS 12/10/2018 07:27 pm ET "The message we want people to hear is that if you use the neti pot, you should not use tap water directly," a CDC expert said. By David Lohr A fatal brain infection reportedly took the life a Seattle woman who doctors believe improperly used a neti pot. The 69-year-old woman, whom health officials are not identifying due to medical privacy regulations, had been suffering from a chronic sinus infection, according to a report published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. In January, she had a seizure and was taken to Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. A scan of the woman’s brain revealed a lesion on the right side. Doctors remove tissue samples and sent them to Johns Hopkins University’s neuropathology department in Baltimore. In the interim, the patient’s health continued to deteriorate, and subsequent scans showed the lesion was growing. “When I operated on this lady, a section of her … [Read more...] about Amoeba From Tap Water in Neti Pot Tied to Fatal Brain Infection In Seattle Woman
Careful use of neti pot advised after woman contracts rare but fatal brain infection
Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. SUBSCRIBE Dec. 7, 2018 / 9:46 PM GMT By Shamard Charles, M.D. A report this week about a Seattle woman who died from a brain-eating amoeba after using a neti pot has users of the nasal irrigation device worried. But doctors say the infection is exceedingly rare, and note that careful use of the neti pot is very important. The 69-year-old woman, who had a chronic sinus infection, used tap water filtered by a Brita water purifier, according to a report published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Fortunately, these amoebic infections are quite rare, but we have documented that some have occurred due to use of tap water in neti pots," Dr. Jennifer Copeland, a medical epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC News on Friday. "The message we want people to hear is that if you use the neti pot you … [Read more...] about Careful use of neti pot advised after woman contracts rare but fatal brain infection