What is the connection between malignant neoplasms and crabs?

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The more common term for malignant neoplasms, cancer, is Latin for crab, and the word "carcinogen," meaning a cancer-causing agent, comes from the Greek word for crab, "karkinos." What is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated things?
Cancer, both the disease and the astronomical constellation, derive from the Latin cancer or cancrum, meaning crab. The astrological sign, of course, is said to resemble a crab and the disease was so named by the ancient Greek physician Galen (129-200 A.D.) who noted the similarity between a certain type of tumor with a crab as well—the swollen veins around the tumor resembling the legs of a crab.

Old English adopted cancer directly from Latin and used it for a variety of spreading sores and ulcers. This early sense survives in the modern word canker. From c.1000 in a manuscript called Læce Boc (Leech Book), collected in Oswald Cockayne’s Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, Vol. II, 1865:

Gemeng wið þam dustum, clæm on ðone cancer.
(Mix with the dust, smear on the cancer.)

And from Wyclif’s 2 Timothy, 1382:

The word of hem crepith as a kankir

The word was being applied specifically to the disease we today call cancer by the beginning of the 17th century. From Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s Historie of the World:

Cancer is a swelling or sore comming of melancholy bloud, about which the veins appeare of a blacke or swert colour, spread in manner of a Creifish clees.

The astronomical sense of cancer is from the Latin name for the constellation of the crab. The name was known to the Anglo-Saxons, but only as a Latin name and was not assimilated into English until the Middle English period. It appears in Ælfric’s De Temporibus Anni, written c.993, in a list of the constellations of the Zodiac:

Feorða • Cancer • þæt is Crabba
(Fourth, Cancer, that is the crab.)

The Anglicized name appears c.1391 in Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolabe:

In this heved of cancer is the grettist declinacioun northward of the sonne...this signe of cancre is clepid the tropik of Somer.
(At this first point (head) of cancer is the greatest declination northward of the sun…this sign of cancer is named the tropic of summer.)

(Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition)  (+ info)

What are some good home remedies for an ear ache?

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I have an ear ache. Which is weird cause I used to get a lot of ear aches/ear infections as a child and I haven't had an ear ache for a long time. Our county fair is in town this week and it was a little chilly and windy yesterday and we went to a outdoor concert last night so I was out in the cold/windy air. Could the wind have caused the ear ache? When I swallow then my ear hurts, when I touch it then it feels bruised, and its also giving me a headache. I tried Murine Ear drops but that didn't help. Are there any home remedies I could try? I would like to at least try to get rid of my ear ache myself without going to the doctor.
Prop up your head slightly while you sleep.

Try a hair dryer... hold a dryer 18 to 20 inches from the ear and aim that warm air into your ear (make sure the dryer is in a low WARM not HOT setting).

Place a bottle of baby oil or mineral oil in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Let the oil sit in the water until it becomes hot. Place a drop or two of oil in the ear. It will help lessen the pain.

Chew a wad of gum. I'm sure you've heard of people telling you to do so to help with pressure in the ears on plane flights.

Mullein is an herbal folklore remedy for earaches.

Wiggle your outer ear. Does it hurt? If it does, you definitely have an infection. If not, you may still have an infection. All of the above can give you relief, but not a cure. Infections should never be ignored.  (+ info)

After stretching my ear down a gauge, How long do I wait before I can remove the plug to clean inside my ear?

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I know after I stretch my ear to a new gauge I can clean around the ear lobe and the plug. But when can I completely take out the plug, tunnel etc to clean inside my ear?
When can I completely remove the jewelery from my ear to clean inside my ear and around the jewelery? And what are some methods besides sea salt soaks to clean the piercings before i take it out?
I usually wait until the soreness goes away, or about a week or so.
The smell get's pretty nasty after a while D:

After a week I'm sure it's fine to remove the jewelry to clean inside your ear, just don't leave it out too long because it'll shrink down some.

Other methods I use is I put a little bit of scented lotion around my ear, but that's after I clean it.
Sea salt soaks are good though :)  (+ info)

How long does a infant ear infection take to go away with drops?

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My 13 month old has/had a ear infection. Her Dr. prescribed her ear drops and an oral antibiotic. The drops said instill 1 drop into both ears every 2 hours. And the Oral antibiotic was to be taken for 5 days. I gave her the ear drops every 2 hours except for over night to allow her to sleep through the night in peace. And I gave her the antibiotic for the 5 days like stated. With this going on for a whole week (5/6) days do you think the ear infection would be gone by now?
They can last for up to about 10 days. The drops only help with pain while the antibiotic heals. If your daugher only needed the antibiotic for 5 days then I am guessing that is was not very bad. I had to do it for about 10 days. Your daughter should start feeling better any day now.   (+ info)

How do you know if your ear piercings are fully healed or irratated?

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People say ear piercings heal from outside in. So how do you know when your ear piercing is FULLY healed? Its been 3 weeks and 5 days since i got my ears pierced
My ear has bled 2 times because someone hit them. Would all that heal before it hits the 6 week mark and ill be able to switch to dangle earrings? (I dont think their too heavy. Their dangle cross earrings)


Also, i clean my ear a lot because of the fact they bled. How would i know if my skin is irritated?
in 1 or 2 more weeks take out the original earings they may hurt at first but just take them out and see if theres puss or if they bleed . after that clean your ear without a earing in it , then put a fresh, clean pair of earings in. try that again in afew days or a week but for the dangling earings i would wait for afew more months of chainging studs it could take even a year for them to heal completely and not to hurt -hope this helped  (+ info)

How can I stop ear ringing? I need to get rid of tinnitus, any ideas?

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I have tinnitus, which we all know is a ringing in the ears. I need to stop ear ringing, because it is really starting to bother me. So, what is the best way that I can naturally cure the ringing in my ears? The faster I can stop ear ringing, the better!
The best way for you to stop ear ringing is a combination of some simple medicine, combined with all natural cures. I cannot speak for everyone else, but to cure my tinnitus I combined two aleve per day, or the recommended dosage with some simple home remedies.

However, this alone did not cure my tinnitus. Learning some quality relaxation strategies and home remedies really is the way to go. Here is where I found some great information, and maybe it can help you out as well. http://stop-ear-ringing.blogspot.com. This should help stop the ear ringing, at least it worked well for me.  (+ info)

How do I treat an adult ear infection at home?

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I have some antibiotic ear drops from the doctor, but what else can I do to help clear up my ear infection? Also, how long does an ear infection typically last? I'm a 31-year-old female who's never had an ear infection!
Supprisingly ear infections can be viral as well as bacterial. If you have allergy symptoms as well your ear tubes may not be draining and you need a decongestant. If your ear infection has a fever or is getting worse and not better then you probably need an oral antibiotic.

If they gave you topical antibiotic drops then the infection may be localized to the drun or external canal though some drops absorbe well through the drum.


If the physician thinks it may be viral then tylenol or motrin for the pain combined with ear drops.

Some people use warm (to body temprature) clove oil drops in the ear as a pain releiver. They should not be used at the same time as the antibiotic drops and you should consult with your physician to make sure that they wont cause more harm than good.  (+ info)

What is ear wax, and is there a way to control the amount a person accumulates?

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I am curious as to the need and reason for people to have ear wax. And was also wondering if there is a way people can control the amount they have as it seems people have different amounts, Can you decrease your ear wax?
Earwax is not really wax, but a secretion the body manufactures. Its purpose is to protect the eardrum from contaminants such dust and small insects.

People have different levels of ear wax buildup. It's best to use those ear was removal tools every so often. If excessive ear wax is a problem, you may have to set up an appointment with an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist to have your ears cleaned of wax build-up every year.

One cannot change the way the body produces ear wax, but you can regulate the buildup.  (+ info)

What is the best way to dislodge ear wax?

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I suffer from terrible build-up of ear wax. Despite having tried many ear wax treatments available from the pharmacy - Earex, Otex, etc, the good old olive oil, and putting the shower head to my ears to try to blast it out with water, my current round of ear wax refuses to budge. I am virtually deaf in both ears as a result and it is really irritating me.

Can anyone offer a remedy?
My doctor used a syringe (not a needle) and flushed my ear out with water. It dislodged a huge piece of wax and it hurt! Some doctors say irrigating your ear can hurt the eardrum though. Honestly I use a bobby pin! I know many people will say this is unsafe and it is...but it works! I know you can hurt your ear canal or drum but it works wonders and many people I know do this.
Do it at your own risk my friend.

EDIT: My boyfriend says take some peroxide and water it down and pour it in your ear and that softens and dissolves the wax...worth a try.  (+ info)

How long will it take my ear to stop ringing from an ear infection?

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My ear has been ringing for a month. I finally got to see the doctor and he found some yellow fluid in my ear and put me on antibiotics. That was two days ago but my ear still feels the same. How long will it take?
does it feel the same? well if it dont it be gone in a couple of days or weeks.  (+ info)

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