Dr. Anjan Jyoti Bhuyan

Nose bleeding happens because of the presence of a lot of blood vessels in the nose and the reasons for nose bleeding are nose picking, low levels of Vitamin K, colds and allergies and nose membrane getting dry along with so many other reasons. But there are ways with the help of which it can be prevented and stopped.

Let’s first learn how it can be instantly stopped.

1. Sit comfortably: When your nose starts bleeding, you should sit in a comfortable position. Do not stand or lie down because in these positions, blood may pass on to your throat which could be harmful. Tilt your face forward and let a piece of cloth soak in all the blood.
2. Hold the nose: During nose bleeding, one should hold and pinch the nose for at least 10 minutes continuously. If it still doesn’t stop bleeding then hold it for 5-7 minutes more. Holding or pinching the nose is necessary because bleeding can stop if direct pressure is put on nose for a longer time.
3. Apply ice: Applying ice can be a great way of instantly stopping nose bleeding. Ice usually compresses and tightens the blood vessels because of which bleeding stops. Ice should preferably be applied on cheeks and nose. Alternatively, you can keep the ice in your mouth also for short intervals.

Nose bleeding can be prevented by taking the following measures:

1. Elevate the nose while resting. Take 2-3 pillows while sleeping.
2. Do not blow or scratch your nose forcefully.
3. Keep your blood pressure in control because it will help in preventing nose-bleeding to a great extent.
4. Avoid smoking because it delays the healing process.
5. Make sure the room you sleep in isn’t dry. Keep a check on humidity of your room.
6. Need to take special care in winters because the nose membrane gets dry mostly in winters.
7. Drink plenty of water and citrus food to keep your nose moist and avoid milk, wheat and fried food.
8. Do not overuse cold and allergy medicines.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

There are a number of parts in the human body, which cannot be easily accessed. In times of disease or other complications, it becomes difficult for doctors and other medical practitioners to access those areas of the body in order to facilitate proper treatment. This not only leads to aggravation of the disease and further complications, but also prolongs the agony. However, technological advancements have made it possible for surgeries and other medical interventions to become easier.

Surgery for the skull base using endoscopy has become the chosen path these days. The reasons for these are as follows:

1. The intrusion is minimum.
2. There are no ugly scars or stitch marks.
3. The patient feels the least amount of pain as compared to any other method of operation.
4. It is likely to be far more effective.

The people who choose to go for this sort of an operation are most likely to be suffering with problems with regard to:

1. Skull
2. Spinal cord

Since bones and cartilages makeup a major part of the skull structure, the medical practitioner who will be entrusted with the job of taking care of the complexity should be well-versed with the history or cause of the development of the following:

1. Cysts that have developed over the years
2. Problems which a person may be born with
3. Cancerous swellings which may aggravate as the years go by
4. Tumours which may not be that harmful as long as they are taken care of swiftly
5. Fluid leaks which may make their way to other parts of the body

Different skull bade surgeries are done through nasal endoscope by an ENT surgeon. For example pituitary tumor surgery, repair of brain fluid leakage surgery, etc.​ Usually, below given are two types of endoscopic skull base surgery, which may be required for a person:

1. The minimally invasive type, which does not cause much of an opening
2. Open surgery where an incision has to be made in the facial area or somewhere in the vicinity of the complication

Nonetheless, both these measures are equally beneficial and effective as far as outcomes are concerned. Patients who come up with such complaints usually have symptoms like inability to hear properly, numbness, headache and dizziness, and facial pain. These are some of the preliminary signs when a person should get a check up immediately. Also, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be considered to be some of the options that can be used in conjunction with the endoscopy method of skull base surgery. That way, the chances of a positive outcome will be higher. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

The ear has three parts – outer, middle, and inner – through which sounds waves pass through. On reaching the inner ear, the sound waves are transmitted through a fluid medium which is carried through to the brain to produce “sound.” Hearing loss can be due to problems anywhere in this circuit – from the outer ear to nerve issues in the middle ear.

There are two main types of hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss, where problems in the outer or middle ear cause problem conducting sound waves into the inner ear
Sensorineural hearing loss, where there is a problem in the nervous portion of the hearing process

Causes

Conductive hearing loss occurs due to poor conduction of sound waves to the middle ear, where it is processed to perceive the sound. Conductive hearing loss can happen due to the following reasons:

1. Wax: Excessive wax accumulated in the outer ear can prevent passage of sound into the middle ear
2. Infection: The outer or middle ear could be infected, affecting passage of sound waves
3. Tear in the eardrum: The eardrum is a membrane through which sound waves pass. A tear due to trauma or injury can hamper this process, leading to hearing loss.
4. Impact: When there is a bang on the head, there could be temporary hearing loss due to disruption of the hearing system
5. Hereditary: A lot of times, hearing loss is hereditary and an exact cause may not be traceable
6. Ear tumor: Middle ear tumors can also cause conductive hearing loss
7. Abnormal growth: Abnormal bone growth in the middle ear can cause blockage, leading to hearing loss
8. Post-surgical: The ear is a highly complex structure, and while surgical corrections are being done to treat a condition, it is very likely that other parts can be damaged

Symptoms

In most of the conditions mentioned above, there are some sound waves which pass through, so conductive hearing loss is often partial, wherein the person can hear but it is faint. Very rarely, it is complete where the person goes completely deaf.

Management

This would depend on the cause of the hearing loss.

1. Clearing up the wax can lead to improved hearing
2. A tear in the eardrum or fluid buildup would need surgical repair to restore hearing
3. Infections might require treatment with antibiotics and pain killers
4. Tumors or bone growths would also require surgical correction for restoring hearing
5. For outer ear blocks, audiometry is done only after the blocks are cleared
6. If post correction, the hearing is not completely restored, hearing aids can be used, which often results in complete restoration. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ent Specialist.