Dr. Vineet Jain

The nasal septum divides the nose into two nostrils or airways. When this septum is defective in structure or position, it can cause several physical difficulties like breathing problems, sleep apnea, bleeding, sinusitis, etc. The surgery to correct the nasal septum is known as septoplasty. The surgery is very common and has a high rate of success.
 
Reason: When the bone and cartilage separating the two chambers is crooked and deformed, it prevents the air from flowing properly through either one of the nostrils. People suffering from this condition often breathe through their mouth and this leads to respiratory tract infections. So, the septum is fixed with the help of septoplasty.
 
Procedure: 

1. First, your medical history is taken. A thorough physical examination is conducted and the nose is photographed from the inside and the outside. You may also be asked to avoid medication like ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin for a few days since these can increase the bleeding after surgery.
2. Septoplasty is performed under general or localized anesthesia and takes about 90 minutes. Incisions are made on the inside of the nose and the mucus membrane is lifted.
3. Then, the pieces of cartilage that are affecting normal functioning are repositioned or removed.
4. If the nasal bone is causing the septum to be wrongly aligned, then cuts are made on the bone and it is positioned correctly.
5. Sometimes, cartilage grafts (called spreader grafts) are put in between the upper nose cartilage and the septum to widen the narrow nostril.
6. After this, the mucus membrane is put back in place and stitched.

 
Post- surgical care: A nasal support is put inside the nose to help it heal and keep it straight. The support is removed after two days but there may be swelling and occasional nasal discharge for a few days. The tissues and cartilage become stable within 4 to 6 months. You are asked not to blow your nose or cough and sneeze too much as these might displace the nasal support. The head is to be kept at a higher level than the rest of the body while sleeping and physically demanding exercises are to be avoided in order to prevent nosebleeds.
 
Risks: Septoplasty is not performed if the patient had high level of blood sugar or high blood pressure. It is also delayed in case of any kind of infection in the nose, mouth or in the respiratory tract.

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

Here are 6 signs to watch out for that could indicate 'You need to get your Ears tested':

1. Your TV is blaring: Do you often find people around you shouting above the TV sound complaining that it's too loud? When you find it hard to hear the TV at the average volume and find yourself turning up the sound, this could signify a hearing loss. Doctors are seeing a growing number of patients visiting them after prolonged exposure to loud music and sounds.

2. You find it hard to hear phone conversations: Do you find yourself asking the person on the other end of the phone line to 'repeat' themselves, or find yourself pressing the phone instrument right into your ear? If you are trying so hard to hear, you might find yourself missing out on bits of the conversation as focussing to clearly hear the conversation is exhausting work. Getting a hearing test might be a good option if this sounds like you.

3. You have trouble hearing in noisy environments: When you are out dining with friends or family at a busy restaurant or accompanying a friend shopping in a busy street, all that background noise makes it difficult to hear what the people are saying. People with hearing loss often have problems masking out background noise.

4. Family members telling 'you're going deaf'?: Trust the views of the people closest to you, they never lie about your health. Family members often are the first to sense signs of hearing loss as they find themselves repeating things to you or calling out louder to get your 'attention'.

5. You find yourself staying away from social occasions, family gatherings or avoid being the first to start conversations

6. You find yourself leaning closer to people to follow the conversation or staring at their lips trying to lip-read what's being said. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ent Specialist.

Otoplasty is a surgical procedure where modifications are made in the shape and size of the ear. This procedure can only be carried put after the ears are fully developed, that is after the age of 5. This surgery can be used to improve the functionality as well as the appearance of the ear.

The reasons why people opt for otoplasty are-

• If the ears are relatively large in comparison to the face
• When the ear sticks out excessively from the head
• Problems caused by any previous surgery

Procedure

Incisions are either made through the back of the ear or through the inner creases of the ear. Once the incision is made, then the excess skin or cartilage is eliminated. After completion of the surgery, the incisions are closed by stitches. The entire process generally lasts for up to two hours.

After the stitching is done, the ears are covered with bandages. Once the bandages are removed from the ear, a loose headband is worn to provide support to the ears while sleeping.

Risks associated with the surgery

There are certain risks associated with this surgery, like:

• Formation of the scars due to the surgery
• An asymmetric appearance of the ears as the healing process may affect it
• Decreased skin sensitivity in the adjoining area
• The stitches in the ear can cause inflammation in the skin. It may also lead to an abnormal shape where the ears have a pulled back appearance
• Like other surgeries, bleeding and infection may occur

Post procedural care

The following precautions should be taken after completion of otoplasty:

• The headband should be used constantly after the surgery for about two months
• Direct exposure to the sun should be avoided
• If rash forms after the bandages are removed then consult a medical professional.

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. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ent Specialist.

Hearing is one of the five senses that you or anyone else relies on for communication and a whole host of other things. Among the five senses, touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight, it is often hearing, which is the most easily affected. You don't have to be a senior citizen to experience hearing loss as it is quite common among younger people as well. This problem is also getting widespread with each passing day.

Before coping with hearing loss, the first job is to detect it:
If you have a hunch that you or any of your loved ones is suffering from hearing loss, it is important that you get it diagnosed. Some of the common symptoms of hearing loss will be:

1. Hearing difficulties while talking to someone over the phone
2. Straining to hear conversations with family members or friends in household situations 
3. People usually need to repeat what they talk to you with a louder voice
4. You often hear complaints that you keep the TV too loud.
5. In crowded situations, such as family gatherings or a restaurant, you have problems listening to people.

Although this condition tends to affect senior citizens, an increasing trend shows younger people i.e. people mostly in their 40 and 50s and even younger than that suffer from this condition.

How to deal with hearing loss?
Some of the options to deal with hearing loss are mentioned below.

1. Once diagnosed with hearing problems, change your ways of communication: If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with hearing problems, it is important that both adjust your ways to deal with the problem. Rather than getting angry at the other for not being able to communicate effectively, develop and strategize ways to make communication less problematic and erratic.
2. Cochlear implants: This is a newer technology, which has gained popularity in the past decade or so. These are directly implanted into the inner ear and are designed to bypass the damaged areas of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. These have become very popular, although, are not a replacement of natural hearing. It is only prescribed for people who have severe hearing loss or are deaf.
3. Hearing aids: Although selecting a hearing aid is difficult as the patient needs to be comfortable, once selected it is one of the best solutions for the hearing impaired. The functionality of these devices can be extended with the hearing assistive technology or HAT devices that can focus the audio waves depending on the situations and give a more tailored approach for every individual's needs. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Ent specialist.

A blocked nose is not only annoying, but is extremely discomforting. Several reasons can be held responsible for it and common cold is certainly not the only one. Some other reasons include:
1. Flu
2. Allergy
3. Sinus

Therefore, the remedial measures for blocked nose vary, depending on the cause that led to it. Some of the ways by which you can redress this problem are:

1. Use a humidifier: Sinusitis is often held responsible for a clogged nose, a condition that is almost always accompanied by severe pain. In such a situation, placing a humidifier in a room proves to be extremely beneficial. This machine treats blocked nose by converting the water to moisture. This fills up the room and significantly increases the humidity of the room. Therefore when you breathe, the humid air soothes the inflamed blood vessels in the nose and helps you to breathe properly.
2. Take a hot shower: When you find it difficult to breathe, a quick hot shower can go a long way in curing the discomfort. The logic that operates is the steam generated from the hot shower thins the mucus and also considerably reduces the inflammation in the nose, allowing you to breathe normally.
3. Drink lots of water: Though the suggestion may seem incredible, drinking water actually helps in un-blocking that blocked nose. When you drink a lot of water, the mucus in the nostrils is thinned, at the same time it pushes back the accumulated fluids, thereby curbing the condition of blocked nose.
4. Using a saline spray: This is one of the most ancient and trusted ways of treating blocked nose. By administering a saline or a nasal spray, the moisture in your nostrils increases and radically diminishes the inflammation.
5. Use warm compresses: Using a warm compress has been the most reliable form of medication in times of high temperature and also at times of blocked nose. The compress that was dipped in hot water, when placed on the nose and forehead helps to unblock the nasal passages. The soothing effect of the warm compresses reduces the inflammation and facilitates the process of breathing.