Nothing can instantly ruin your day more effectively than
an eye or an ear that is either not working properly, or has
been interfered with in some fashion. That glued up, aching
ear that makes the world sound as if you were in a fish tank;
or the eye that you would gladly scratch out of it’s
socket can ruin your prospects before you are even out of
bed. Ear and eye problems constitute a huge percent of doctors
visits, whether it be here in Bali or some cosmopolitan city
back in the “real” world. Here are some of the
more frequent questions that pass my desk, with some common
sense remedies that could save you a lot of messing.
Q. A few weeks ago, while I was trekking, an insect flew
into my ear causing me a lot of distress. I was a long way
from medical help, and basically had to wait for the thing
to die before I got any relief. What should I do if this ever
happens again?
A. Drown it! Having some creature flapping around next to
your eardrum can be nothing short of torture. The sound has
been compared with having the exhaust pipe of a Harley Davidson
strapped to your ear. Drowning the beast is not difficult,
basically any clean solution can be used. Aqua, olive oil,
boor water. The most important thing to remember is that the
solution must be warmed to body temperature before pouring
it into your ear. Cold water on your ear drum will cause your
eyeballs to roll around uncontrollably (Nystagmus). Having
experienced this myself at the hands of an ill experienced
doctor; I can tell you that it’s no fun at all! Once
the insect has drowned, it should float to the outer ear canal
and be easily removed. You might try using Hydrogen Peroxide
(diluted 1:4 with aqua), as this tends to bubble and push
any debris to the surface. If the insect is firmly stuck,
seek medical attention to have it removed.
Q. Just this week our entire household has been affected
with “pink eye”. My Balinese staff say that it
is spread just by looking at someone, and that it travels
“on the wind”. For this reason they insist on
wearing dark glasses night and day to avoid passing it on.
Can this be so, and if not, how is it spread?
A. Well the sunglasses didn’t work did they? Sorry
to dispel the myth, but you could stare at someone all day
and they would not catch the disease. This form of highly
contagious eye infection is a bacterial conjunctivitis, and
is spread by direct or indirect contact. Door handles and
money have been proven to be the top offenders when it comes
to spreading this and other highly contagious diseases. Think
about it. How many times to you open a door each day? How
many other people have opened that same door? One person rubs
his irritated, infected eye, then opens a door somewhere,
and bingo…….every other person that opens that
same door, and then touches their face will catch the disease.
Fortunately it is not difficult to treat, but you should get
a definitive diagnosis from a health practitioner, who will
then prescribe the correct eye drops. You can prevent passing
this on to others by diligent hand washing, and avoiding close
facial contact with others until 24 hours after the treatment
has commenced.
Q. I have large sty on my lower lid, and have been all sorts
of advice from compressing with warm tea bags, to rubbing
it with a gold ring. What would you recommend?
A. I’d go for the warm tea bag myself. Heat is really
the only way that you can help this unsightly lump to heal.
The medical term for this is “hordeolum”, and
it is basically a pimple on the eyelid. Should this lesion
not show any improvement after 48 hours of applying heat,
it may need to be incised (by a medical practitioner).
Q. Every time I come on holidays I am plagued by ear infections.
This is really troublesome as I love swimming and surfing.
Is there any way that I can prevent this from happening? I
have tried ear plugs, but I still got the infection.
A. It sounds that you suffer from Otitis Externa, commonly
known as “swimmers ear”. As the name suggests
it is an infection that affects the external canal of the
ear, and can really put an end to your holiday. Prevention
is quite simple. Make sure that the ears are clean and dry
after bathing or swimming. There some commercially formulated
drops that will assist in preventing this condition. As far
as I know they are not available here in Bali. You can make
up your own solution by mixing 6 parts Alcohol 70% with 2
parts acetic acid (or white vinegar), and 2 parts sterile
water (aqua); administer 3 – 4 drops to each ear after
swimming or surfing. This is not a cure, but a preventative.
If infection is already established, then other remedies must
be prescribed by your doctor.
Q. My husband and I have been coming to Bali for many years,
as we both love the surf. Lately I have noticed yellow fleshy
lumps growing on the inner aspect of both eyeballs, and several
of his surfing friends seem to have a similar condition. It
is not painful and does not cause him any bother. What is
this and how should it be treated?
A. This is a very common complaint amongst surfers and others
who spend long hours in the sun. This growth is called a “Pterygium”,
and is a very insidious, slow growing lesion, that rarely
requires any treatment. Should the lesion grow towards the
pupil, it may interfere with the visual field. Excision is
then usually recommended.
Q. My 6 week old baby always seems to have watery eyes, and
they are sometimes sticky when she wakes up in the mornings.
I have given her a course of antibiotic eye drops, as my doctor
recommended, however they still seem to be watery. Is there
something wrong with her?
A. Many babies suffer from this condition. The eyes constantly
produce fluid that washes across our eyeball, keeping it moist
and lubricated. A small tube that runs from the inner aspect
of the eye to the back of the nose, drains excess fluid away
(this is why you can taste eye medicines shortly after you
drop them into your eyes). In babies this tube is very small
and often takes some time to become enlarged, this causes
the eye to constantly look teary. This will usually resolve
itself by the time the baby is about 6 months of age. Clean
the eye regularly with a moist cotton pad to clear away any
debris; should the eye look red, swollen or pus filled, then
you should consult your health practitioner.
Q. I have been wearing contact lenses for many years, and
a few days ago experienced bad pain in my left eye, my vision
is a little blurred, and I have become very sensitive to light.
I have had these symptoms before, and my Ophthalmologist in
the States told me that there was an ulcer on my cornea, and
prescribed antibiotic eye drops, and the ulcer went away with
time. With my current complaint I have consulted an eye doctor
in Denpasar, who says that I do indeed have the same condition,
but has prescribed antibiotic drops as well as steroid drops.
I am concerned after reading articles on the net that the
steroids may not be the correct form of treatment. Do you
have any comment on this?
A. Corneal ulcers are very tricky things to diagnose and
treat (correctly). They are considered a medical emergency,
and should be handled by experts in ophthalmic medicine. Some
type of infection; viral, bacterial, or fungal usually causes
this type of corneal lesion. The treatment differs for each
cause. Steroids are extremely controversial in this condition,
and while they may decrease scarring, they may also have other
undesirable effects, that could be devastating in the long
term. If you suffer from this condition frequently I would
suggest you give up the contact lenses. Repeated infections
on the cornea will cause scarring and eventually affect vision.
That’s about it from my desk for this week. A big “THANK
YOU “ to the negative people that got back to me last
week to register as donors…..But we still need more!
For all of those lucky people going away for the summer holidays
I wish you safe and happy journey, and look forward to having
you back in “Paradise” in Sickness and in Health!
“ Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse / Midwife,
and mother of three, who has been living and working in Bali
for past 15 years. She has assisted many traveller (... and
others) either as a flying medical escort or just a voice
on the end of the phone! Kim is happy to discuss any health
concerns that your may have. Her e-mail contact is info@chcbali.com
