For someone suffering from Tinnitus, a perpetual sense of ringing in the ears is the main complaint. It s annoying, to say the least. But more importantly, it is a sign of hearing loss. This is why people need to see an audiologist if he/she has a sense of tinnitus for some time. An audiologist can treat this problem in different ways.

Diagnosis

The first step in treating tinnitus like any other disease involves determining the cause. The doctor may perform different tests such as-Hearing:

Hearing exam

During this test, one needs to sit in a soundproof room and wear earphones. Specific sounds will be played into the ears, one at a time, through these earphones. People have to indicate when they hear different intensities of sound. The results are compared with empirical results for comparable age. This helps the audiologist identify possible or rule out specific causes.

Movement

One may need to clench the jaw, move the eyes or neck, or even move the arms and legs as part of the test. If tinnitus symptoms get better or worse at any of these postures, the audiologist can identify the underlying disorder.

Imaging Tests

The doctor may suggest an MRI or CT depending on his suspicions.

TreatmentRetraining

 Treatment involves identifying an underlying problem, if any. If the tinnitus symptoms are due to some health conditions, the audiologist may take the following steps:

Clearing the Earwax

Impacted earwax can cause a variety of problems, including tinnitus symptoms. An audiologist can remove the ear wax.

Treating Vascular Conditions

Underlying vascular problems that require surgery or any other treatment may treat the condition.

Changing Medication

Tinnitus can also be a side effect of medication. If the doctor suspects that he may recommend reducing or stopping the drug completely. He may also recommend a different medication.

Noise Suppression

If there is no underlying health condition or medication responsible for tinnitus, the doctor may take recourse to noise suppression.  The patient may need to wear an electronic noise suppression device. These devices include:

White Noise Devices

These machines produce simulated sounds such as those of ocean waves, falling rain etc. This is often found to be effective in treating tinnitus. He may also recommend using pillow speakers, fans, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and humidifiers to suppress internal noise at night.

Hearing Aids

If a hearing problem is associated with tinnitus, the audiologist may prescribe hearing aid.

Masking Devices

Such devices mask the internal sounds of tinnitus and are worn in the ear in a similar fashion as hearing aids.

Retraining

This device delivers programmed music to mask the sound of tinnitus. This technique usually helps the patient get accustomed to the sound of tinnitus.

 Depending on diagnosis and findings, audiologists may also recommend medicines. Audiologists use medicines usually for severe tinnitus only, since these may have side effects. It may also help reduce symptoms.



 Tinnitus - How Can Audiologist Treat It?

What is Sinusitis?
For those of you who do not know what Sinusitis is, it is the inflammation or swelling of the sinus tissues which are hollow spaces in between the bones around the nose. The sinuses are healthy when there is constant flow in the air but when the portion gets blocked it fills with bacteria and viruses. This causes mucus and other unhealthy elements to remain blocked inside the nose.

Symptoms-
The symptoms of sinusitis are common and not critical or dangerous in nature. Over 40 million people get affected by this common disease every year.

Swelling or inflammation inside the nose because of a mild fever or common cold can cause the sinuses to get blocked and result to sinusitis.
If the drainage ducts inside, the nose gets blocked the health passage of air gets halted or disrupted.
A runny nose with a constant flow of water and the nose might also get blocked by pus inside.
Structural problems inside the nose which may lead to the narrowing of the nasal tract through which the air passes and comes back.
Deficiency in the immune system can lead to such a problem.
Allergies are also a common contributor to the cause of sinusitis because the nasal chamber gets blocked in the result.
Treatment-
Treating a condition of sinusitis is very common. Let us have a look :

The first thing which a doctor will prescribe you is an antibiotic doze of 7-8 days, which will help you to fight the blocked bacterias and viruses.
Warm compresses will help the nasal cavity to remain warm and wet, keeping it clean from pus and germs. Thus clearing the way for healthy inhaling of air.
Saline nose drops are also used to clear out the blockage in the nose and fight the germs building inside the sinuses.
Sometimes surgeries are also performed when no other medications work properly. It helps to widen the natural pathway which helps in draining between the sinuses and nose, resulting in the congested mucus to come out and again start a fresh process of taking air in. 

Sinusitis - Signs & Symptoms You Must Not Ignore!

Common ear infections: What you should know about them

The most common ear infections happen because of bacterial or viral growth in the middle ear, the part which lies just behind the ear drum. Middle-ear infections can be very painful and children are most commonly reported in children. Most of these infections are caused by the blockage of the Eustachian tube, which connects the ear and the throat, causing the build-up of fluids and swelling. Here is a guide to the most common forms of ear infections and their symptoms, ranging from the acute to the chronic.

Acute infections have intense symptoms but can be cured with time and treatment. They generally last for shorter durations.

In Chronic cases of infections, the patient complains of recurrent symptoms multiple times. Chronic ear infections have the potential of causing permanent damage to the ear.

Symptoms reported by most patients with Ear infections:

1. Pain in the ear (Mild to severe):

This is caused due to increased pressure owing to the blockage of the Eustachian tube. Collection of fluid inside the ear would increase the intensity of pain in most cases. Children will keep tugging at their ear and most likely be cranky.

2. Redness and swelling:

Both of these are inevitable accompanying symptoms in case of any infection in the body.

3. Oozing of the fluids:

The blockage leads to the fluid being released from the ear which can be watery, thick yellow or mixed with blood depending on the severity and type of infection.

4. Fever

5. Difficulty in sleeping.

6. In some cases when the infection spreads, difficulty in balancing the body is experienced as body balance is maintained by ears.

7. The patient might also experience increased irritability.

8. Ear infections can also cause a hearing problem if the condition continues to go untreated.

Ear infections should be promptly dealt with to prevent long-term damages. So here is what should be done when you have ear pain symptoms.

1. Consult an ENT who will prescribe pain medication as the first line of treatment.

2. After the necessary tests are done, antibiotics are prescribed in most cases by the doctor. Other medications for palliative treatment (to ease the symptoms) are administered. However in a few rare cases, the infection might be because of non-bacterial causes in which antibiotics might not cure the state.

3. In case the problem keeps recurring, one must visit the doctor again and get further tests and treatment done.

As prevention is always better than cure, care should be taken to avoid all chances of carrying the infection to your ear. Maintain cleanliness in and around, especially in the case of children.

For further queries; we'd be happy to help!

Common ear infections: What you should know about them

Nosebleeds can be frightening and dramatic. Luckily, most cases of nosebleeds can be dealt with fair ease. Nosebleeds can be classified into two types depending upon the origin of the nose bleed, namely anterior and posterior.

Anterior bleed is the most common, and the bleeding is from a blood vessel which is present in the front part of the nose. These bleeds can be easily controlled by simple measures taken by doctors or at home.
Posterior nose bleeds are usually indicative of something more complicated and occur mostly in adults or elderly. The bleed can be caused by a rupture in arteries in the posterior part of the nose. These nosebleeds can get severe and may require admission to a hospital for treatment and management. They are the most common in kids in the range of 2 to 10 years and adults older than 50 years.
What can cause nosebleeds?

The most common cause of a nosebleed is probably trauma or an injury to the nose. External trauma includes a sharp blow to the nose, whereas internal injury comprises of injury from picking your nose continuously or irritation from cold.
Less frequently, an underlying condition can also result in nosebleeds. These conditions include diseases that make clotting difficult. The inability of blood to properly coagulate and clot can be contributed by blood-thinning agents like aspirin and warfarin. 
Disease in the liver can also cause problems in the clotting of blood. Rarely, cancer in the nose or abnormal blood vessels present in the nose can contribute to bleeding. Another cause of nosebleeds can be high blood pressure, but it is rarely the only reason.
What are the symptoms of nosebleeds?

Nosebleeds usually occur from one nostril. Sometimes, if the bleeding is excessive, the nostril can get filled with blood and it can cross the nasopharynx and overflow into the other nostril and result in bleeding from both nostrils. The blood can also go into the throat and one may spit out blood from the mouth or vomit out blood (hematemesis).
Excessive blood loss can cause dizziness, confusion, lightheadedness, and can also cause fainting. Excessive blood loss from nosebleeds is not very common.
Although, nosebleeds are rarely a complication, it is advised to consult a doctor if the occurrences are too frequent.

Nose Bleeding - Things That Can Cause It!

Tonsillitis is a disorder of the tonsils present on the back of your throat. The tonsils acts as a defensive mechanism in the body as they prevent the body from infections. This is a contagious condition and can occur at any age. It is widely prevalent among school going kids.

Tonsillitis may be classified into two types:
1. Chronic tonsillitis: this type of tonsillitis tends to last for an extended duration with symptoms of bad breath and tenderness in the lymph nodes.
2. Recurrent tonsillitis: this is a form of acute tonsillitis which repeats itself over a year.

Causes
Tonsils prevent various virus and bacteria from entering the body through the mouth by producing antibodies. The tonsils, however, may become vulnerable to these infections. A virus that causes common cold or the bacteria that causes strep throat may result in tonsillitis. The most common cause of this disorder is the strep bacteria. School going children are especially vulnerable to this disorder because they are most prone to various infections.

The various viruses that may cause tonsillitis are:
1. Enterovirus
2. Herpes simplex virus
3. Epstein-barr virus
4. Influenza virus
5. Adenovirus
6. Parainfluenza virus

Common symptoms
The various symptoms of tonsillitis are
1. Swallowing difficulties
2. A sore throat
3. The sore throat may result in bad breath
4. You may experience fever and chills
5. Pain in the head, ear and stomach
6. You may experience stiffness in the neck and the jaw
7. Swollen tonsils with possible redness
8. Changes in voice
9. Symptoms of cold

Treatment
The treatment for tonsillitis is usually antibiotics and in some cases, tonsillectomy. The antibiotics help in getting rid of the bacterial infection. Surgery is only done in cases where tonsillitis is chronic in nature. It is important that you drink fluids and restrict smoking to prevent tonsillitis.

Causes and Symptoms of Tonsillitis

What is Sore Throat?
A sore or dry throat is an unhealthy and painful scratchy feeling inside the throat which is coupled with pain while swallowing and can cause really bad irritation. A sore throat usually resolves on its own because it is a mild health problem.

Causes of Sore Throat-
A sore throat is caused by many important risk factors. Let us have a look at some of them:

Viral infection: It is the most common cause of a sore throat and several viruses are present which can result in a sore throat of many intensities.
Toxins like cigarettes, smoke or pollution can also lead to an acute sore throat because of the unhealthy chemicals present in these things.
A bad injury or infection in the throat can lead to a chronic sore throat. Sometimes when people should loudly for long periods also result in a sore throat because the tissues burn away of tear apart.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease also causes a sore throat when the acid from the stomach retreats back to the esophageal tract.
The development of cancer cells or tumor results in a sore throat and blocks the entire throat tract.
Treating a Sore Throat:
Sore throats are easily curable and sometimes they tend to go away on their own. Let us have a close look at the remedies:

Gargling with warm salt-water will hell you to get rid of sore throat because saltwater helps to wash away the viruses and germs.
Honey mixed in tea is an excellent detoxifier and helps your body and throat to get rid of the unnecessary foreign objects stuck in the tract.
Consuming fenugreek also helps in killing the bacterias which are causing the sore throat.
Chamomile tea is a proven relief during throat sores. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities that help the throat to get relief and heal overtime.
Drink warm water or liquids which will constantly keep the throat wet and warm leading to the decline of the bacterias present.
Antibiotics can also be taken for 5-6 days if you think no other remedy is working in the right way. However, try not to give antibiotics to children of young age and stick to home remedies. 

Sore Throat - What Causes It?

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