Wishing you freedom from Allergies!
Happy Women’s Day!
March 3: World Hearing Day: Take better care of your ears!
So a lot of patients come to me for ENT disorders, especially for ear problems,blocked ears, earache, wax removal, etc. I’ve seen a lot of patients try to treat themselves before they come to me. It makes things difficult.
What is ear wax?
Wax is a natural secretion of the body produced by special glands in the ear. It helps in removing any dirt, insects or foreign bodies in the ear. Wax naturally comes out on it’s own. However, for certain patients, if the wax is too hard or the ear canal is too twisted and narrow, the wax accumulates over a period of time. This can cause pain or blockage of the ear with difficulty in hearing. In that case it is advisable to visit your ENT specialist to get it cleaned.
Don’t use ear buds! They can push the wax inside. This makes it difficult to remove. You can damage your ear drum and hearing. If you get a nasty scratch in your ear canal it can get infected , or become a hair follicle infection which is extremely painful. In patients of diabetes it can even affect the surrounding structures and bones of the skull, a condition called skull base osteomyelitis, commonly called malignant otitis externa, which is a very serious condition difficult to treat. And sometimes the packed wax becomes so hard that it is painful to remove without giving general anaesthesia.
Don’t put warm oil in your ears, or ear drops without proper examination by your ENT specialist!
And don’t pour chemicals or hydrogen peroxide.
This can lead to painful difficult to treat fungal infections.
If you suddenly have symptoms of hearing loss, pain, ringing sounds in your ear, sudden dizziness with vomiting, please consult your ENT specialist urgently. Sudden hearing loss has a good chance of being reversed if detected early.
Children with hearing problems, colds should visit their specialists and be treated early.
For proper care, visit your ENT specialist
Sleep Disorders and Sleep Apnea
Sleep is one thing which no one can deny. Everyone needs sleep. Minimum 7-9 hours sleep is required for Adults. However, in today’s fast paced life, people are losing out on adequate sleep. The corporate lifestyle, targets, deadlines, meeting, presentations, all have taken a toll on our sleep hours. Not to mention electronic devices, social media, mobile phones which provide an unlimited source of entertainment cut in our sleep hours too. Sleep is being neglected which is not healthy.
Sleep is a phase of our body for resting the body. It is an essential phase for the body clock or circadian rythm tp function normally. This body clock regulates secretion of certain hormones and certain physiological processes. Growth hormone is secreted maximum during sleep. It is a very important hormone since it helps in tissue repair, delaying the aging process and in injuries. So beauty sleep is a genuine thing.
The body clock is subject to light and dark changes throughout the day. This all is affected by artificial lighting, especially mobile screens, laptops and television. The exposure of light delays our sleep.
Ancient myths and fairy tales have recognized the importance of sleep. Sleeping beauty, who had to sleep for hundred years. And in Indian mythology, Kumbhakarna was cursed with six months of sleep, on the condition that if he was awakened that would lead to his early death.
In a way, this condition is true for everyone. Lack of sleep is hazardous to our life and we do not realize this.
If we do not get proper sleep we increase the risk of heart disease , blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes.
So we can see how important sleep is in our life.
Next: Sleep disorders
Happy Diwali!
Wishing you all a happy pollution free Diwali! Say no to firecrackers as they worsen asthma and allergy.
Take off Those Headphones!
Be careful.
Nowadays it,s common for everyone to be using headphones, even commuters, to listen to music, watch tiktok videos, but we don’t realise the hazards of them
Headphones, especially noise cancellation headphones make us unaware of our surroundings. They’re appropriate for sitting comfortably and safe in flights and on buses, trains,etc, but if you’re walking on the road you’re totally cut off. You don’t realize what is happening around you, especially while crossing the road. In the past few years, the incidence of road traffic accidents has tripled due to the use of headphones.
Headphones can cause sensorineural hearing loss. Don’t listen to loud volumes for long periods of time. Heed the permitted levels set by mobile phones
Take care of your ears!
Our ears are very important to us. We Listen with them. They help us in communicating with others, various sounds in the surroundings around us. Ears help us to hear when danger is approaching , so we can get to safety quickly, especially while crossing a busy road.
Nowadays ears are important to us with the onset of smartphones and music. We use our ears for relaxation and entertainment.
However, As much as people take care of their eyes, we do not bother about our ears. We listen to loud sounds in public or with headphones, we attempt to clean our ears on our own, put oil and various substances in the ears.
Common problems of the ears:
Wax: Wax is formed naturally in the ear by glands similar to oil glands in the skin. It is a mechanism of protection from dirt, foreign bodies and pollutants.
Wax naturally comes out. It is not required to clean it on your own.
Sometimes wax accumulates in the ear canal and causes deafness, pain and sometimes dizziness. This is normal for some people who have a narrow or twisted ear canal. Sometimes the wax itself is hard. It’s just a tendency for wax to collect for some people. They should not attempt to clean it on their own as this could lead to complications but to consult their local ENT doctor
Fungus: In case of damp weather, or moisture or instillation of oil or ear drops or self medication, fungus grows in the ear. This fungus is similar to the mold found on stale bread and food.
It can cause pain, blocking of ear and discharge.
Fungus can be removed by your doctor by syringing or under the microscope. Sometimes you may need 2 or more visits to the doctor to clean up your ear as fungus tends to grow again.
Insects: The ear canal is small. Sometimes small insects like ants, cockroaches, spiders, flies, etc can make their way into your ear . The humming of their wings and wriggling can be quite distressing
Cockroach and beetle legs have sharp spines which can scratch.
In that case don’t panic. Don’t pour oil or water or anything in your ear or attempt to pull them out. That can worsen the problem or cause injury.
If they are alive shine a torch light in the ear. Most insects are attracted by light and will come out easily
Maggots: In people with poor hygiene, terminally ill patients, sometimes flies enter the ear and lay eggs.
The maggots which hatch can cause pain and irritation. They can be removed by proper treatment
Consult your doctor immediately
Pus from the ear: This happens for people with colds, when the cold reaches the space behind the ears. With proper medicines it should clear up. Always consult your doctor, especially for small children
Foreign bodies; This is common in small children, mentally retarded people, etc Common things are:
- Seeds of fruits, like dry peas, peanut, tamarind seeds, wheat, riceetc
- rubbers, pen, pencil, stones
- small toys, thermacol, etc
- Beads and decorative jewellery
- The deadliest are small button cells of battery operated toys. The alkali in them can eat away tissue and bone and create a nasty situation.
- Adults commonly have cotton, sticks, etc in their ears.
Sometimes inert non living foreign bodies can sit in the ear for years together without harm and are discovered incidentally
Deafness: There are a lot of reasons for deafness. wax, colds, etc
Consult your doctor immediately if you have sudden loss of hearing. Medication helps in cases of nerve deafness.
Dizziness and Tinnitus: There are various reasons for this which your doctor will help you.
Here are some Do’s and don’ts about the ears:
Don’t
- Pour oil inside your ears. It’s a common traditional custom to put oil in your ears, one of grandma’s remedies. However, the oil will sit in a nook or corner in the ear canal and get infected with fungus, which takes a long time to treat.
- Insert ear buds inside your ears. People use keys, matchsticks, hairpins which are equally bad. You can damage your ear drum, hearing mechanism and go deaf. You can get a nasty boil in the ear canal which is extremely painful. In diabetic patients with uncontrolled sugar this can spread to the skull bones and can be fatal. This condition is known as Skull Base Osteomyelitis, formerly Malignant Otitis Externa
- Listen to loud noises for prolonged periods of time. Sounds around 120 decibels are known to damage the delicate structures in the inner ear and the nerves for hearing.
- Be aware of your surroundings. While walking in public, on the road don’t keep your headphones on
Do
- Consult your doctor for earache, pus coming from the ear, hearing loss, foreign bodies, giddiness etc.
- protect your ear from water especially in the rains
- follow the instructions on use of medicines and follow up regularly
एलर्जी परीक्षण
Monsoon woes! Allergies and respiratory illnesses
Monsoon has been very harsh this year. Lot of flooding, Natural disasters, waterlogging, etc. And monsoon leads to diseases, especially vector borne diseases. Monsoon too contributes to the following:
- Humidity and moisture encourages growth of fungus and dust mites in the house
- Pollen allergies increase due to flowering of seasonal plants
- pests like cockroaches and other insects thrive during this season
Diseases like allergies, viral fever, colds, stomach upsets are on the rise in this season.
To prevent progress of these diseases following precautions should be taken:
- Avoid collection of water in old vessels, tyres, etc
- Holes and potholes should be filled to prevent breeding of mosquitoes
- Wear long sleeved clothes and cover yourself to prevent insect bites
- Sleeping in a mosquito net is the best option
- Don’t wear wet clothes. Keep a dry pair at your workplace if possible
- In case of fever immediately contact your doctor
- Dont eat street food. Avoid eating out as much as possible
- Don’t travel in case of floods and waterlogging. Waters harbour leptospirosis
The views of the website are solely of the author. Please contact your doctor for further advice.
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!
31st May, World No Tobacco Day!
Tobacco is the Number one cause for asthma and allergic diseases. Passive smoking has equal or worse impact than smoking. Don’t expose your near and dear ones to a health hazard
Nucare ENT and Allergy 