Med First ENT Centre

This article is about Dry Cough - that common cough which can come at any time, can cause immense distress during the day to you as well as people around you, and sometimes keep you awake at nights! What are the common causes? POST NASAL DRIP -  Nasal allergies, nasal infections, enlarged adenoids are some of the commonest causes of a post nasal drip- there are constant irritating secretions from the nose and nasopharynx which causes cobblestoning of the throat mucosa leading to constant irritation in the throat and a cough. GASTRO OESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISORDER (GERD)/ LPR  - Though GERD and LPR (Laryngol Pharyngeal Reflux) are slightly different disorders, it is now well understood that acidity and reflux are a common cause of chronic dry cough. These patients normally have a cough that is worse on lying down. They will typically complain of a choked and dry throat on waking up in the morning.  ASTHMA -  As yet undiagnosed Asthma can cause a dry cough. This cough is usually

There are three paired major Salivary Glands in the human body and countless minor salivary glands. The Major Salivary Glands are - Parotid (in front of the ear, on the cheeks), Submandibular (high in the neck, just below the jaw bone on each side) and the Sublingual (on the floor of the mouth). Stones are sometimes formed in these glands which cause extreme discomfort, pain and swelling. Why do they occur? Salivary Gland stones can occur due to the following conditions: Poor Oro Dental hygiene Oral Injury Dehydration Post Radiotherapy treatment Being Male and Elderly - Males and the elderly are more prone What are the Symptoms? A Salivary Gland consists of a gland (which secretes the saliva) and a duct which is the channel through which saliva passes from the gland into the oral cavity. A Stone can form in the gland or in the duct and cause obstruction. Obstruction to the flow of saliva causes the saliva to build up in the gland - this causes a painful swell

Being an ENT Specialist with a considerable Paediatric practice, I am frequently asked by parents whether their child needs the annual Flu Vaccine.   They often tell me "according to the Internet she/he should get it".  Following this line of reasoning, I decided to abandon my textbooks for a change and ‘Google’ it.  This is what I learnt: The top results that came up after typing in " Should my child get a Flu Vaccine ?" are as follows:  Caring For Children : All children over 6 months old should get the flu shot each year. That would mean a child from 6 months to 18 years of age.  Mayo Clinic :  In most cases, yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the yearly flu (influenza) vaccine for all children 6months and older - ideally given as soon as the vaccine is available each year.  KidsHealth:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. But it

The sense of SMELL is one of our five basic senses - apart from touch, vision, hearing and taste. It is a higher and an aesthetic sense which, apart from helping us get the flavour out of food (Flavour is a combination of the sense of Taste and Smell) also helps us appreciate the finer things around us. It has a very strong connection with the Limbic system - because as we all know a particular smell can take us down memory lane to very specific experiences in our life. Anosmia is described as the loss of the sense of smell. Anosmia may be temporary or permanent depending on the cause of the problem and the extent of the lesion/ damage. TYPES Abnormalities in the sense of smell can be of various types -  HYPOSMIA - Reduction in the sense of smell - due to lower transmission of nerve impulses. ANOSMIA - Complete loss of sense of smell - due to a complete break in the transmission of nerve impulses. PAROSMIA - an abnormal sense of smell - due to abnormal cross-conn

Vertigo, Dizziness, Giddiness, Imbalance are complex related symptoms that can trouble the patient as well as confound and confuse the clinician trying to make sense of it. Vertigo is typically the sensation that the world around you is spinning or sometimes that the world around you is steady but you are spinning around. The imbalance is usually a different symptom in which there is a sense of swaying to one side, loss of confidence in walking, especially on unsteady surfaces or at night. There are many causes of true vertigo - from BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), Meniere's Disease, Vestibular Neuritis, Labyrinthitis, Migraine associated Vertigo, Drug-induced Vertigo etc.  One of the most critical aspects in diagnosing a patient with Vertigo is to take a thorough history of the Vertigo itself- When does it occur, what precipitates it, how long does it last, what makes it better, is there accompanying nausea/ vomiting, is it accompanied with headache/s e

There are multiple intricate mechanisms that help us to maintain our balance. These include -  Inner Ears  - The Vestibule in the inner ear contains the Utricle, Saccule and the three Semicircular canals that help to orient our body in a three-dimensional plane as well as maintain balance during movement, acceleration and deceleration, turning on an axis etc. -  Eyes  - The Eyes coordinate with the Vestibule through the vestibule ocular reflex. -  Joints - Our Joints contain receptors called Proprioreceptors which help us to judge our position with respect to the ground beneath us. As we grow older there is a gradual enfeeblement of our senses which makes us prone to falls. Some of these are Failing eyesight Poor muscle and bone strength Loss of proprioception Presbyastatis - loss of hair cells in the Vestibular sense organ Medication - especially sedatives and tranquillizers Concomitant Neurological disorders like Parkinsonism Chronic Alcohol use How to Avoi

Tonsil Stones or Tonsilloliths are hard yellowish deposits that build up inside the Tonsils . Tonsils are the paired round red balls at the back of the throat, on each side, whose primary responsibility is to act as the body's first line of defence and trap Bacteria, Viruses etc that come through the oral cavity and initiate an immune response against them after recognizing them. To improve the tonsil's efficiency in order to trap more Foreign agents the Tonsils increase their surface area by building  Crypts and Furrows that lead deep into the gland. Food particles and other debris sometimes accumulate in these pits. This then gets secondarily infected because it contains organic material. This inspissated debris lying inside the tonsil is a Tonsil Stone. Tonsilloliths cause - The appearance of yellowish particles inside the throat - Foul Smell - Pain - sometimes - in the presence of an infection Remedy First of all, it must be understood that Tonsil st

The sensation of the surroundings moving about or the feeling of yourself moving around when the background remains still is Vertigo. It is a common ENT symptom for which patients seek treatment. At the outset, there are some similar sensations which must be distinguished from Vertigo Lightheadedness - momentary sensation of fainting when you feel you may lose consciousness. There is no true rotatory sensation and it is usually related to the blood vessels. Imbalance - The sensation of being unable to maintain balance or swaying to one side or another - this is usually related to some problem with the cerebellar part of the brain or its connections. Syncope - a momentary loss of consciousness. this is usually related to momentary stoppage of circulation to the brain. For a patient to be diagnosed to be having true vertigo, there must be a sensation of objects moving around, either horizontally or vertically. Vertigo is a Symptom and not a Disease. O