Dr. Lokesh Bhama

A cochlear implant is beneficial if you are deaf or have difficulties in hearing. Cochlear implants are not hearing aids which just raise the volume of the different sounds you hear; they are surgically implanted inside your head. The implant transmits impulses straight to the auditory nerves which send the signals to the brain.

Cochlear implants can help you with sounds such as telephones, alarms or doorbells ringing. You can even understand speech or listen to music again with the help of cochlear implants.

How Cochlear Implants Work?

Cochlear implants are for adults and children with sensorineural (hearing losscaused by damage to the inner ear) hearing loss.

The device consists of two parts:

• The receiver-stimulator: this part is surgically implanted under the skin.

• The speech processor: this part is placed externally, behind the ear.

The receiver-stimulator is placed first, and two weeks after the procedure, the speech-processor is installed. If there are sounds around you, the microphone on the speech processor will pick them up and transform them into electrical impulses. The receiver-stimulator receives these impulses through the electrodes inside them. The electrodes then send the electrical impulses to stimulate the auditory nerves, and ultimately, the sounds picked up will reach the brain.

Advantages Of Cochlear Implants-

Some advantages of cochlear implants include:

1. Being able to hear at normal volumes.

2. Understanding speech without the need to lip-read.

3. Listening to and talking over the phone get easier.

4. Being able to hear music better after the surgery.

5. Picking up loud, medium and soft sounds.

6. Modulating your own voice gets better, so others understand you easily.

Disadvantages/Risks Associated With Cochlear Implants-

The risks of cochlear implants are common surgical after-effects such as infection, bleeding and anaesthetic side-effects. Some other complications include:

1. Alteration in sense of taste due to nerve injury.

2. Paralysis or weakness on the face due to nerve damage.

3. Dizziness.

4. Tinnitus (Ringing in the ear).

5. Fluid leakage around the brain.

6. Device can be faulty or get infected.

7. Meningitis (An infection in the brain).

People Who Can Get Cochlear Implant-

You are eligible to get a cochlear implant if you have:

1. Profound to severe hearing loss.

2. Problems with the hearing aid.

3. A strong wish to improve your hearing.

4. Even children with severe hearing loss in both the ears can get a cochlear implant.

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. Surgeryis only done in cases where tonsillitis is chronic in nature. It is important that you drink fluids and restrict smoking to prevent tonsillitis.

Nasal allergies are very common, and as a result, not taken seriously by most people. In most cases you patiently withstand the coughing and sneezing which might last for an entire day and in the process might inadvertently damage your health by choosing to ignore it for the time being. Here are some of the commonly experienced nasal allergies and what you should do to get relief from them-

1. Runny or stuffy nose
The best option is to just avoid allergy triggers. For example, if pollen is your allergen, then avoid going out during the times pollen count when it is reported to be high. Or, if animals make you sneeze, then make sure to have your hands washed and clothes changed after playing with them. Do not over-use decongestant sprays at all. If these symptoms persist for more than half a week, then it's time to seek your doctor's advice.

1. Uncontrollable Sneezing
Again, the best option is to avoid; but in many cases, it becomes difficult for you to avoid the allergen. In those cases, try antihistamine. If that doesn't work, then you can also go for a nasal steroid spray, but again, make sure to not over-use it.

2. Post Nasal Drip

Usually, you unconsciously swallow your mucus. But, if the mucus quantity increases, it becomes thicker and results in post-nasal drip. It isn't much common, but you can practically feel the mucus dripping into your throat from the back of the nose. It can result in a lumpy feeling in the throat and can cause irritation. You can try drinking more fluids and using a nasal spray to reduce the mucus quantity. If that doesn't work, then it's time to seek doctoral advice.

3. Eyes that itch
Watery eyes that itch are annoying companions of nose allergy and though they might not be a serious hazard for the eyes, you cannot ignore them. Try wearing sunglasses when you go out into a reportedly high-pollen-count weather. It might be a better option to forego contact lenses; they can escalate the entire eye-itching problem. If it becomes too itchy, you can place a cold washcloth over your eyes.

Testing an Allergy

Allergy testing is commonly done by skin prick test, in order to diagnose the allergens. Once, the allergens are diagnosed, immunotherapy can be stared, which will help in improving the symptoms of and in many cases, it provides a complete cure.

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