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Showing posts from March, 2019

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Is a Cholesteatoma Life-Threatening?

 A cholesteatoma can be dangerous to your health if left untreated. This abnormal skin growth behind the eardrum can lead to serious complications by damaging crucial structures in the ear. Here’s what you need to know:   Potential Complications:   Facial Nerve Damage: This can lead to facial palsy. Hearing Bones Damage: This may cause deafness and tinnitus. Balance System Damage: This can result in dizziness or total loss of balance and hearing in that ear (known as a dead ear). Brain Risks: The bony barrier between the ear and brain can wear away, increasing the risk of severe infections. Infection Risks: Mastoiditis: Infection spreading into the mastoid bone. Brain Abscess or Meningitis: Infections spreading into the brain. Blood Vessel Blockage: Infection in the mastoid bone can block the main blood vessel, draining blood from the brain. Treatment:   Surgical Removal: Nearly always recommended to prevent these dangerous complications. If you suspect you

Deviated nasal septum...

Can a deviated septum cause sinus infections? Sinuses are air-filled, generally empty, spaces around the nasal cavity. These sinuses drain into the nasal cavity through small doors. Our nasal cavity is divided into right and left by nasal septum. If you have deviated nasal septum, then it can block the drainage pathway of the nasal sinuses. High deviations can block the airway and hence recurrent sinusitis. Septoplasty can correct this deviation and help opening up drainage pathways along with balloon sinuplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery.  Can deviated nasal septum cause high blood pressure or heart problem? Deviated nasal septum in anterior part can obstruct the airflow and can cause sleep apnoea symptoms. Some recent studies show a correlation between better control of high blood pressure with medication after septoplasty.  Can deviated nasal septum cause sleep apnea? Sleep apnea can be due to obstruction at different levels of your airway. Obstruction can be at

Are you thinking of your ears pinned back / pinnaplasty?

Before you make your appointment with your surgeon for pinnaplasty or otoplasty? When you decide to have your ear pinned back or any cosmetic procedure think what exactly you want to change in shape. Ear shape had been prominent for a long time so what exactly triggered to go for the procedure. Evidence suggests that having prominent ears can affect self-esteem and confidence. Next thing to do research about your procedure, recovery and possible complications and outcome. It is always good to write any query you have before you do your consultation. What is the cost involved for pinnaplasty or otoplasty? The average cost of ear correction surgery (pinnaplasty) in the UK ranges from £2500 - £3500. You should always think of any additional cost of consultation or investigations required. It is very important to discuss this with the hospital and surgeon as cosmetic surgery are not covered by most insurance companies and on NHS. What makes our ears look prominent?

Thinking of having sinus surgery.....

ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY WHY DO I NEED SINUS SURGERY? Sinus surgery is needed if your sinus symptoms do not respond to medical treatment and lifestyle changes. It is important to understand that you may still need medical treatment in the form of irrigation with/ without steroid spray. You should discuss this in detail with your operating surgeon during your preop consultations. WHAT ARE COMPLICATIONS OF SINUS SURGERY? It is very important to discuss possible complications of surgery and how it impacts your quality of life and profession. • Bleeding - Bleeding is a risk of any operation.  It is very common for small amounts of bleeding to come from the nose in the days following the operation.  Major bleeding is extremely uncommon and it is very rare for a transfusion to be required. • Eye problems - The sinuses are very close to the wall of the eye socket.  Sometimes minor bleeding can occur into the eye socket and this is usually noticed as some bruising aroun

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Are you unable to pop your ears or feeling pressure in your ears? Eustachian tube dysfunction is a very common problem after flu or cold or even after long haul flight when you feel hearing is muffled, feel pressure around the ears and sometimes you feel as if you are underwater. Good news is most of the time it is temporary.  If you try decongestants, antihistamine ( hay fever tablets ) and Valsalva (ie try and pop your ears) things should improve after a few days to a week. Why do we have symptoms of Eustachian tube dysfunction? The eustachian tube is present at the back of our nose and connects the nose to the middle ear. It is there to maintain equal pressure on both sides of the eardrum. The eustachian tube also helps in clearing normal mucus from the middle ear.  Hence opening and closing of this ventilation tube are very important for hearing. Normally every time we yawn and chew this tube opens and closes without us noticing it. So, if this opening of ventilation tube