ENT conditions (Mr Gaurav Kumar)

  Why Does My Child Hear Ringing or Buzzing in Their Ears? Tinnitus in Children Explained Your child suddenly says: “Mum, there is a ringing noise in my ear.” You listen. You cannot hear anything. They may describe a buzz, whistle, hum, hiss or perhaps something much more imaginative: “It sounds like bees.” “There is a fan inside my ear.” “I hear wind when the room is quiet.” For a parent, this can sound alarming. But children can experience tinnitus , just as adults can. Tinnitus means hearing a sound when there is no corresponding external sound producing it. The NHS describes tinnitus as hearing noises such as ringing, buzzing, whooshing, humming or hissing that do not come from an outside source. And importantly: Tinnitus does not automatically mean that something serious is wrong. Can children really get tinnitus? Yes. It is probably more common than many parents realise. Current NHS children's information from East Sussex reports research estimates suggest...

  Why Are My Child’s Ears Itchy, Dry or Flaky? A Parent’s Guide Children frequently touch or rub their ears. Sometimes they are tired. Sometimes wax builds up near the entrance. But if your child repeatedly scratches inside or around the ear and you notice dry, flaky or scaly skin , there may be irritation of the ear canal skin itself. Parents often ask: “Is this earwax, eczema or an ear infection?” The answer can be surprisingly difficult to tell at home. The ear canal is lined by very delicate skin. Conditions that affect skin elsewhere on the body—including eczema—can affect this area too. Moisture, scratching, cotton buds, soap or shampoo can then further damage that skin and sometimes trigger otitis externa , which means inflammation or infection of the outer ear canal. Current NHS guidance lists itching, irritation and scaly skin amongst possible ear-infection symptoms, while Guy’s and St Thomas’ describes itching and dry flaky skin as characteristic features of otiti...

  Why is fluid, pus, or Blood Coming from My Child’s Ear? A Parent’s Guide to Ear Discharge Seeing fluid coming from your child’s ear can be worrying. The discharge may be clear, yellow, creamy, green, smelly or slightly blood-stained. Some children have significant ear pain before the discharge appears. Others seem surprisingly comfortable once the ear starts to drain. Parents often ask the same urgent question: “Has my child’s eardrum burst?” Sometimes the answer is yes. A middle-ear infection can cause pressure to build behind the eardrum until a small perforation develops, allowing infected fluid to drain out. However, this is not the only cause of ear discharge. The fluid may instead be coming from the ear canal, through a grommet, from irritated skin, or from another ear condition. The appearance of the discharge alone cannot always identify the cause. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon, assesses children with ear, hearing and other paediatric ENT concerns from London, E...