Infants are particularly at-risk for ear infections

Children are at increased risk of contracting swimmer's ear

Kids may be more likely to spend time at the pool so they have that water exposure. They also tend to have narrow ear canals, a prime location for water to get trapped. Frequently wearing earbuds or excessively trying to rid ears of earwax, however, can also increase the chances of painful swimmer's ear infections at any age.

See why wearing earbuds—instead of over-the-ear headphones—can cause ear infections

Earbud headphones can heighten the risk of ear infections. They can lead to earwax buildup and create a dark, moist environment as you sweat—ideal conditions for germs to thrive. Wearing external over-the-ear headphones or ones that don't enter deep into the ear canal can help.

If kids have ear tubes, over-the-counter ear drop solutions to clear buildup shouldn't be used

Mixes of acetic acid or alcohol to help speed water evaporation in the ears shouldn't be placed into children's ears if they have a hole in the eardrum or if they had ear tubes inserted—hollow cylinders made of plastic or metal that are inserted into the eardrum by a doctor to help drain fluid and improve airflow in the middle ear. Alcohol or acids can cause irritation to the middle ear and intense pain as they pass through the hole or tube.

We hear because soundwaves are converted into electrochemical signals in our ears

This science teacher video systematically walks through the biology of the outer, middle, and inner ear. The explanation starts with the auricle, an external part that funnels sound through the auditory canal, and the tympanic membrane (the ear drum), which vibrates when sounds hit it. Beyond that, as the video details, is the eustachian tube, which is connected to the back of our throats and allows air to pass in and out to equalize ear pressure.

Pediatricians look for a list of behaviors to signal typical hearing development

These markers of typical hearing development among infants and toddlers include turning head to sound sources within the first five months of life, babbling by about 11 months, and trying to imitate simple words by 17 months of age.

Age-related hearing loss, known as presbycusis, is a top cause of hearing loss

This video walks through the biology of why presbycusis (prez-buh-kyoo-sis) occurs and its etiology. This type of hearing loss is gradual and typically starts with reductions in the ability to hear high-pitched sounds.

Learn how your earwax may be determined by genetics—and geography

Researchers have discovered that wet and dry earwax are associated with specific gene variations. Wet earwax is particularly associated with warmer areas of Europe, Asia, and the Americas, suggesting that dry earwax may have been evolutionarily advantageous in cooler climates.

We may be using Q-tips in our ears—even when we shouldn't—because they can stimulate pleasure nerves

People continue to use Q-tips inside their ears even though we know it's risky. Some clinicians suggest that beyond the desire to get water out, this may be because the nerve bundle called the vagus nerve, which spans from the brain to the large intestine, can be stimulated that way, causing a pleasurable sensation in other body parts including the heart, belly, or genitals.

Stuffy nose congestion occurs because of swelling of the inferior turbinates

These structures in the nose above the nose hairs swell and shrink constantly and are affected by head position. They can fill with blood during illness, causing the feeling of congestion, but also when a person changes position, especially when lying down. Medications can be used to shrink them, providing temporary relief.

Tinnitus is a rare side effect of COVID-19

The infection can affect inner ear cells, and a review of the literature across multiple studies concluded that hearing loss occurred in 3.1% of patients with the virus and tinnitus in 4.5%.

Western babies often are missing a key gut microbe common elsewhere

Studies show infants in Europe and North America often lack Bifidobacterium infantis, a microbe widespread in babies in Africa and South Asia that helps digest breast milk and train the immune system. Researchers link the gap to antibiotics, formula use, and sanitized spaces.

Newborns have a strong sense of smell

Babies are drawn to their mother's smell—and the particular odor of their mother's breast milk—within days, even as their vision remains blurry for months after birth. In the womb, the olfactory center also forms in the early stages of development.

Ménière's disease was first identified in 1861

This condition is named after the French clinician Prosper Ménière, who first identified it as being linked to the inner ear, noting it was a disorder of the semicircular canals. It tends to occur in people who are 40 years old or older.

Circadian rhythms shift as we age—making older adults want to go to bed earlier

Throughout our lives our internal biological clocks shift. Early-to-rise toddlers become hard-to-wake teens and eventually early-to-sleep seniors. Circadian rhythm fluctuations throughout our life cycle explain some of these changes.

Kids often grow out of allergies to milk and eggs

Between 60% and 80% of kids with allergies to milk or eggs outgrow them by age 16. The immune system doesn’t always recognize and respond to baked forms of these allergens, so when kids eat muffins and other cooked food products, their immune system may become more habituated to them and overcome food sensitivities. Aging out of other allergies is less common.

Children under 5 account for 76% of all malaria deaths in Africa

The main hypothesis for why the disease hits this age group the hardest is that children this young have still-developing immune systems. Pregnant women and people with HIV/AIDS are also at higher risk of severe infection.

Candida auris spreads easily in healthcare facilities and causes high death rates

This fungus has spread rapidly in healthcare settings since the first US case was reported in 2016, and it has grown increasingly resistant to echinocandins, the antifungal medicine most commonly used to treat it. Often, it’s resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, contributing to its high death toll. It can most readily infect those with invasive medical devices like intravenous catheters and those with frequent or long-duration stays in healthcare facilities.

Broken or neglected air conditioners are risky for respiratory health

A well-maintained air conditioner can typically keep out unwanted pathogens, but units that are dusty or water-logged can foster germs and cause harm. AC units also remove moisture from the air, potentially causing mucus membranes to dry out and become vulnerable to infection.

Risk factors linked with ASD include older parents, preterm births, and toxic prenatal exposures

Though researchers agree that there is a strong genetic component to ASD development, certain environmental factors heighten that risk, with studies suggesting older parents, premature birth, maternal obesity, and air pollution exposure in utero all elevate risks of ASD development. There is no connection between receiving vaccines and ASD development.

Diphtheria was once a leading childhood killer before antibiotics and vaccines

In 18th- and 19th-century outbreaks, some New England families lost as many as eight children to diphtheria, and fatality rates in hospitals often topped 60%. The invention of antitoxins, penicillin, and vaccines dramatically reduced deaths.

The simplicity of immersed tube tunnels

Tunnels have traditionally bored holes through the earth below the water. On the other hand, immersed tube tunnels connect hollow, massive sections in trenches along the floor of the body of water. Each section is built on land, floated to the site, submerged, and connected. This method saves money by reducing expensive underground work, and it preserves an area's aesthetic appearance.

Why our ancestors didn't have crooked teeth

The ancient human fossil record is filled with specimens with pretty nice teeth. So why do modern humans have dental problems? Scientists can't be certain, but one hypothesis suggests the evolutionary shrinking of the human jaw crowded our mouths,...

It is impossible for astronauts to burp in space

Due to Earth's gravity, liquids and solids sink in our digestive system, while gases rise, allowing them to be forced back up the esophagus to be expelled through burping. In the microgravity environment of the International Space Station, burping would result in vomiting if it were possible.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

As deposits build up under the eye, the retina bends with macular degeneration

The retina bends due to the accumulation of proteins and other materials beneath it. That's considered the milder "dry" form of macular degeneration. Another form, called "wet" macular degeneration, is caused by abnormal blood vessels leaking fluid into the eye, which can rapidly affect central vision.

A look at the concentrations of water in the human body and various organs

When we're born, about three-quarters of our bodies are composed of water, dropping to an average of 55-60% for the average adult. The lungs are over 80% water, the kidneys and spleen about 80%, and the heart and brain are approximately three-quarters composed of water—about the same moisture as a banana.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

Ebola infects and disables immune cells, triggering a cascade of events that leads to small blood clots throughout the body, weakening blood vessels and interrupting blood flow to key organs.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

All rainbows are 'raincircles' caused by water droplets separating white sunlight into a spectrum of colors, but Earth's surface blocks the bottom half of the circle from our line of sight.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

Most of the observable universe's volume consists of voids and supervoids—enormous regions of space with little to no galaxies, stars, or light.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

El Niño, Spanish for 'the boy,' was named after Jesus Christ because the phenomenon resembled the weather changes observed around Christmastime.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, but became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

In 1963, a basement renovation in Turkey revealed a passageway to a hidden, multilevel underground city that once housed as many as 20,000 people