How to cure sinus infection: Take a dose of 'good' bacteria

Adding a dose of the 'good' bacteria to the sinuses may help treat some chronic conditions of the disease, a new study has claimed. So, you are suffering from sinus infection and want to know how to cure sinus infection, read on.

In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers discovered that some chronic sinus problems may be caused by a depletion of 'good' bacteria and the presence of 'bad' bacteria in the sinuses.

Adding back good bacteria to the sinuses will work to treat the condition analogous to the way probiotics may treat certain intestinal problems, MyHealthNewsDaily reported.

The study analysed the populations of bacteria present in the sinuses of 10 people with chronic sinus problems, known as chronic rhinosinusitis, and 10 healthy people.

They identified the bacteria species by looking at their genes.

People with chronic sinus problems had fewer types of bacteria in their sinuses compared with healthy people, and a significant reduction in bacteria that produce lactic acid.

In addition, they had an increase in a bacteria species called C tuberculostearicum.

When the researchers gave mice antibiotics to eliminate the normal bacteria in their sinuses, and then gave them C tuberculostearicum, the mice developed symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis.

However, mice that received the lactic acid bacteria L sakei in addition to C tuberculostearicum did not develop symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis.

The results add to a growing body of research showing that the bacterial community in the human body as a whole, and not the presence of a single harmful species, is responsible for the development of certain diseases, the researchers said.

The study suggested that L sakei could be used to treat or prevention of chronic sinus problems, the researchers said.

Patients commonly receive antibiotics for sinus infections, but the findings suggest a more appropriate therapy would be providing them with 'good' bacteria, the researchers added.

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I don't have 6,000 boyfriends: Emma Watson

"Harry Potter" actress Emma Watson says she gets upset when she is linked to every boy she is photographed with.

The 22-year-old, who is currently dating an American student Will Adamowicz, said she is no serial romancer as opposed to what people think, reported Daily Mail.

"It's difficult on my dating life, because anyone I get photographed with is automatically my boyfriend. So it just makes it look as if I've had, like, 6,000 boyfriends," she said.

The actress says she tried her best not to be spotted with boyfriend Adamowicz at the Coachella music festival earlier this year, but still hit the headlines when they were spotted kissing.

"My friend got me tickets for my birthday, and what am I going to say? 'No, I'm not going to go because I don't want to be photographed'? But it was a huge crowd, and I thought there was no way anyone could get pictures of me, but somehow they found me," Watson added. 

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E-cigarettes can damage your lungs: study

Electronic cigarettes used by smokers trying to quit the lethal habit of smoking can actually cause lung damage, a new study has claimed.

Scientists warn that the devices can trigger changes to the lungs, despite the fact that they are being marketed as a potentially safer alternative to normal cigarettes.

The study also added new evidence to the debate over the safety of alternative nicotine-delivery products.

Electronic cigarettes are devices that deliver nicotine through a vapour, rather than smoke. There is no combustion involved but the nicotine in the device is still derived from tobacco.

There has been much debate over the safety and efficiency of the products, but little scientific evidence to support either claim.

Researchers from the University of Athens in Greece aimed to investigate the short-term effects of using e-cigarettes on different people, including people without any known health problems and smokers with and without existing lung conditions.

The study included 8 people who had never smoked and 24 smokers, 11 with normal lung function and 13 people with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.

Each person used an electronic cigarette for 10 minutes. The researchers then measured their airway resistance using a number of tests, including a spirometry test.

The results showed that for all people, the e-cigarette caused an immediate increase in airway resistance, lasting for 10 minutes. In healthy subjects (never smokers) there was a statistically significant increase in airway resistance from a mean average of 182 to 206 per cent.

In smokers with normal spirometry (measuring of breath) there was a statistically significant increase from a mean average of 176 to 220 per cent.

In COPD and asthma patients the use of one e-cigarette seemed to have no immediate effect to airway resistance.

"We do not yet know whether unapproved nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes, are safer than normal cigarettes, despite marketing claims that they are less harmful. This research helps us to understand how these products could be potentially harmful," Professor Christina Gratziou, one of the authors and Chair of the ERS Tobacco Control Committee, said.

"We found an immediate rise in airway resistance in our group of participants, which suggests e-cigarettes can cause immediate harm after smoking the device. More research is needed to understand whether this harm also has lasting effects in the long-term," Gratziou said.

The result was presented at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Vienna.

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More than 50% men rely on women to pick their clothing

Behind every man's wardrobe there is a woman!

According to a new survey, more than half of British men confessed that they depend on the women in their life to pick out their outfits for the next day.

A poll of 1,000 men by a menswear brand found that every one in four men asks their girlfriend or wife to shop for clothes for them, the Daily Mail reported.

Only 6 per cent of British men said they enjoy clothes shopping.

On the rare occasions men do choose their own outfits, half admit they still ask their partner or mother to 'approve' the ensemble before they leave the house.

One in 20 even ask their mothers to shop for their latest gear.

When shopping for themselves, one in three pick their new clothes for comfort alone. Only 9 per cent will choose according to the latest trends.

The survey by Jacamo also found that when men are left alone with their wardrobe one in six admitted they do not care about how they look and throw on any old item.

One in three said they get dressed in less than two minutes.

A quarter said they ponder over an outfit for 20 minutes while one in 20 take more than an hour trying to figure out what they are going to wear.

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