A viral infection characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes
lining the upper respiratory passages and usually accompanied by
malaise, fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing. Also called
coryza,
acute rhinitis,
common cold,
coryza.
This is the more elaborate definition of coryza.
this is what Wikipedia says about Catarrh
Catarrh is blockages or discharge from the common cold, but also:
- if blockage and discharge are both present, catarrh could be middle ear infection
- if the throat is sore or raw, catarrh could be tonsillitis.
- if forehead is tight and cheeks are tender and tight catarrh may be tonsillitis
- it may also take the form of adenoid infection. Swelling of
adenoids can also cover the opening of eustachian tubes, resulting in
barotrauma, if for example, riding an elevator, airplane, or jumping
into a bath.
Many people have chronic blockage, so it is as if they always have a cold.
Sometimes blockage clears outdoors, e.g. jumping into an
outdoor pool may be preferable to an indoor pool, since it appears that
barotrauma is often less of a problem outdoors than indoors.
Activities associated with ear fear
Blockage may result in discomfort with (and a possibly justifiable fear of)
- elevators,
- airplanes,
- driving in the mountains, etc.
- baths such as swimming pools, jumping baths, etc..
Even the shallow end of a swimming
bath can be troublesome;
barotrauma can result in as little as 4 feet of water depth.
Time-varying properties
Blockage is often time-varying, e.g.
some days are better than others, etc.. For example, a person can be
entering the baths from a height of 5m on week, and the next week can
be in severe pain entering from only the 1m board, or even just from
the side of the pool, in which case the person is said to be "having a
bad ear day".
Avoiding adverse effects
Open windows before slamming car
doors or trunk. (Power windows may be troublesome if doors are opened
and closed when the car is powered down.)
Use stairs rather than elevators (good exercise as well). This
will also avoid annoying other elevator passengers by selecting
intermediate floors with no actual intent to exit at those floors.
Running through sprinklers and
spray fountains
may be a good alternative to jumping into a pool because although the
spray gets water in the ears, it doesn't hurt because it doesn't make a
tight seal like when jumping into a pool, where sudden increase in
pressure can cause
barotrauma.
Wearing a lifejacket can help by reducing the depth of entry when
jumping into, or accidentally falling into, a bath or natural body of
water.
Related concepts
- Common cold
- Allergy
- Hay fever
- Rhinitis
- Sinusitis
Murthy