Tag Archives: opinion
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear Staff Reporter / 24 August 2013 Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal. If you stick your finger in your ear, you’re feeling a little of the ear canal. But if you have swimmer’s ear and you stick your finger in your ear — YOW! Let’s find out more about this painful type of ear infection, which often affects swimmers. Swimmer’s ear — also called otitis externa — is different from a regular ear infection. Usually, when people say a kid has an ear infection, they mean otitis media, an infection of the middle ear. This sometimes happens when a kid gets a cold. But swimmer’s ear happens when bacteria grow in the ear canal, which is a passageway to the eardrum. In that canal, you’ll find delicate skin that’s protected by a thin coating of earwax. Most of the time, water can run in and out of the ear canal without causing a problem. For instance, you don’t usually get swimmer’s ear from taking baths or showers. Bacteria get a chance to grow when water stays in the ear canal. The protective covering of delicate wax and skin of the ear canal is disrupted. A lot of swimming can lead to these wet conditions in the ear canal. Bacteria grow and the ear canal gets red and swollen. Sometimes you can get an infection in the ear canal even if one hasn’t been swimming. A scratch or other irritation to the ear canal can also lead to swimmer’s ear. Symptoms of swimmer’s ear usually appear within a few days of swimming and include: Itchiness inside the ear. Redness and swelling of the ear. Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear. Pus draining from the infected ear. Although all age groups are affected by swimmer’s ear, it is more common in children and can be extremely painful. How do I protect myself and my family? To reduce the risk of swimmer’s ear: Do keep your ears as dry as possible: Use a bathing cap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds when swimming. Do dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or showering. Use a towel to dry your ears well. Tilt your head to hold each ear facing down to allow water to escape the ear canal. Pull your earlobe in different directions while your ear is faced down to help water drain out. If you still have water left in your ears, consider using a hair dryer to move air within the ear canal. Put the dryer on the lowest heat and speed/fan setting. Hold the dryer several inches from your ear. Don’t put objects in your ear canal (including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, paperclips, or fingers). Don’t try to remove ear wax. Ear wax helps protect your ear canal from infection: – If you think that your ear canal is blocked by ear wax, consult your doctor. Consul your doctor about using ear drops after swimming: Drops should not be used by people with ear tubes, damaged ear drums. Please note: Do not swim if you have had any ear surgery or ear tubes done without the approval of your doctor. Consult your doctor if you have ear pain, discomfort, or drainage from your ears. Swimmers have an essential role in helping to protect themselves, their families, and others from Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs). Continue reading
Group clashes leave 38 workers injured
Group clashes leave 38 workers injured Haseeb Haider / 23 August 2013 Two groups of workers clashed in a labour accommodation on Saadiyat Island early this week leaving 38 people wounded, sources said. The law-enforcement authorities controlled the situation and took some people into custody on Tuesday evening. According to witnesses, the incident happened when a group of Bangladeshi workers allegedly beat up some Pakistani workers around 8pm on Monday after an exchange of heated arguments between two workers of either nationality over the handing over of a key. Next day, Pakistani workers allegedly ganged up and roughed up Bangladeshi labourers and in the evening both groups again had a fight leaving at least 38 people wounded. The attack was a result of a long-brewing unease which started a couple of months back when Pakistani workers did not join Bangladeshis in their strike against low wages. The management fired and deported several workers replacing with Pakistanis, according to Farooq Langoov, Welfare Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy, who met with Pakistani workers and narrated their side of the story to this correspondent. Asharf Zaitoon, spokesperson for Abu Dhabi-based Arabtec Holding, told Khaleej Times that two colleagues from Pakistan and Bangladesh quarrelled with each other over the handing over of a key of the kitchen. Later, several other workers joined the minor quarrel. The spokesman also confirmed that all those who were taken to hospital have been discharged after being administered first aid. Zaitoon said those who were taken into custody soon after the brawl had also been released and they were all back to work. The incident did not affect the construction activities at the two main sites, including the Mid-field Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Louvre Abu Dhabi, he added. The Bangladeshi and Pakistani diplomats amicably resolved the issue in cooperation with Arabtec Holding officials on Thursday afternoon. Farooq Langoov said the minor dispute had been resolved and for future, a mechanism had been devised to sort out any misgivings among workers, in order to avoid any brawl. He appreciated the UAE authorities and Arabtec Holding for their cooperation in resolving the issue amicably. Stressed from day’s hard work, construction workers of different nationalities clash with each other on minor issues like queuing up for food. But, Zaitoon said that his company had allotted separate accommodation to Pakistani workers on their request. “Now they have been relocated to Al Yas Island,” he said. On measures Arabtech has taken to stop such incidents from repeating in the future, he hoped this would not be repeated again due to the composition of the company’s labour accommodation. The company has people of up to nine nationalities staying together in harmony in certain labour accommodation. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
‘UAE capable of hosting big football events’
‘UAE capable of hosting big football events’ James Jose / 22 August 2013 Fifa, the world’s governing body for football has backed the UAE to host a successful Under-17 World Cup. Inaki Alvarez, the Fifa Deputy Director of Competitions said that the UAE was capable of hosting an event of such magnitude and with success. Inaki Alvarez, Fifa Deputy Director of Competitions; Mohammed bin Bdoua, Tournament Director; during the Fifa and LOC venue inspection at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday. — KT photo “I see UAE as very capable. I have no doubt that they are capable of hosting this event. They have already hosted several World Cups. So, they can do this. This is the biggest one as far as that is concerned. But they are very capable, I have no doubt,” Alvarez told the Khaleej Times at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday. Alvarez and his team were in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and were wrapping up their final round of inspections of the six venues — Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi — along with the Local Organising Committee (LOC). The inspections began last Friday in a bid to finalise preparations for the tournament, which plays out from October 17 to November 8. The official draw of the Tournament will be held in Abu Dhabi next Monday. “Most of the international football stars you see playing today started their careers at the Fifa U-17 World Cup. This is a developmental tournament and with the UAE’s focus on building a legacy in football, it seemed like the perfect fit to bring the event here,” he said. “The beauty about this tournament is that every host city takes the Fifa U-17 World Cup and makes it their own, and the UAE is no different. I am confident that this event will be a great experience for the country as a host nation, for the participating teams and for the fans coming down to support their players,” he added. Hosting a world class sporting event is not new to the UAE. The UAE successfully hosted the Fifa Club World Cup twice. Alvarez refused to be drawn on rating one city over another and said that the focus was on getting them to a state of readiness. “I’m not going to rate one city over another. They are all working hard we need them to get to the finish line at the same time, in a good quality and in a state of readiness. That is what we need to focus on right now,” he said. Alvarez was pleased with the progress made but added that a lot more needs to be done. “We are just finishing completion of the second last visit of all the venues, the stadiums, all the training sites and hotels. And right now, we are 55 days from kick-off. It is a very critical time for us. So, what we can report is that on the infrastructure side atleast, we have seen a lot of progress. Much more remains to be done yet. But we see that it is moving in the right direction. So, we are optimistic in that sense. “The other area that we really have to start focussing on is the people’s side, the organisation. I think here we need to show more attention because this is the details – about hospitality, about customer service. We have time but we need to be focussing on it,” said Alvarez. The Fifa’s Competitions team will be back for the last round of scheduled inspections from October 2–8 during which they will do a dry run of all the systems at the stadiums. He stressed the importance on ensuring that the infrastructure and organisation in place for the tournament are in line with Fifa’s international quality standards. “What needs to improve is the coming together as venue organisations. One hand knows what the other hand is doing and the timings and the levels of service. We want to provide and want to show the world. On the physical side, my main concern right now is the training site. The teams spend most of their time at the training site. We have 25 of them if we include the referees. We need to make a push to get them to the standard that we are looking for,” he said. james@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
