Dr Lokesh ENT

Neck cancer refers to the formation of cancer cells in the throat or neck region of your body. Neck cancer is commonly seen in people above sixty years of age .But, people above forty can also have the chances of getting neck cancer. Though the symptoms of neck cancer can vary from one person to the other, 

Some of the common symptoms are stated as follows-

1. Neck cancer affects the voice box, so a change in your voice can be noticed.
2. Weight loss is also a symptom for neck cancer.
3. A person suffering from neck cancer can also suffer from dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing.
4. Sore throat in some cases can be considered as a symptom of neck cancer
5. Bleeding from mouth or through your nose is also a common symptom for neck cancer.
6. Ear pain in some cases is a symptom of neck cancer.
7. Coughing persistently is also regarded as a symptom of neck cancer.
8. Sometimes a lump in the neck is also noticed and it is usually painless.
9. Some people also encounter breathing problem.
10. In some cases a swelling of the neck, jaw or eyes can also be noticed.

Neck cancer involves certain risk factors too. Neck cancer can be treated in many ways. The following are few treatments available for neck cancer-

1. Surgery- Your doctor can conduct a surgery for removing the tumors from your neck region. The doctor may decide to do either a microsurgery or laser treatment or endoscopy.
2. Chemotherapy- If the tumor spreads to other regions or is large in size, then your doctor may recommend chemotherapy. 
3. Radiation- It is used to destroy the malignant cells. It is usually conducted after removing the tumor.

These three are the common treatments followed by doctors. Your doctor may also take help of other treatments like administering drugs to control the growth of cancer cells. But, sometimes treatments fail to work if the process of metastasis starts. So you should not ignore it, as soon as you encounter any of the symptoms stated above, visiting an oncologist is highly recommended.
 

Your hearing is one of the most important functions your body carries out and sometimes you realize that you are losing your sense of hearing when it is too late to get it back. There are two main reasons for this. One of the reasons is age, as the inner ear's hair cells break down and do not pick up sound well. Here are 7 ways to safeguard your hearing:

1. Try to avoid loud places: It is not advisable to go to places where you have to shout to be heard such as in a street, a concert or a construction site.
2. Buy low noise rating equipment: The equipments in your house will make sounds that you hear the most. Try to avoid these equipments by buying appliances with a low noise rating.
3. Wear hearing protection at loud places: However, it is true that it is not always possible to avoid loud noises. This is when you need to get hearing protection. Earplugs and earmuffs are two of the best ways to make sure that even when you are in a loud place, your hearing does not get affected. Earplugs and earmuffs generally reduce sound by 15 to 30 decibels which may be crucial to make sure that later in your life, you do not lose your hearing.
4. Avoid smoke: Smoking raises your chances of hearing loss. Second hand smoke does the same thing. Therefore, try to stop smoking if you are a smoker, and try to stop consuming second hand smoke if you are not a smoker.
5. Remove earwax properly: Earwax cannot be removed properly using a cotton bud. Remember this as otherwise; the earwax could muffle your hearing. Patient should go to doctor to get it cleaned. Mobile phone use should be restricted. 
6. Avoid medications which reduce hearing: Certain medications increase hearing loss. Therefore, double check with your doctor to make sure your medicines will not make you lose your hearing.
7. Get your hearing tested: Finally, get your hearing tested as identifying the problem early on can help stop worsen the situation. Doctor can also prescribe some nerve vitamins to minimise damage to hearing.

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