ENT conditions (Mr Gaurav Kumar)

  Why Does My Child Keep Getting Mouth Ulcers? A Parent’s Guide to Recurrent Oral Ulcers Your child complains that eating hurts. You look inside their mouth and find a small round sore on the inside of the lip. A week later it disappears. Then, several weeks later, another one arrives. Parents often ask: “Why does my child keep getting mouth ulcers?” The reassuring answer is that mouth ulcers are very common and most are harmless. NHS — Mouth ulcers says they usually clear on their own within one to two weeks . nhs.uk However, there is an important difference between an occasional ulcer and ulcers that are frequent, unusually large, persistent or accompanied by other symptoms . That is when looking for an underlying reason becomes useful. What does a typical mouth ulcer look like? A common mouth ulcer—sometimes called an aphthous ulcer —usually appears inside the: lips cheeks tongue floor of the mouth. It is often round or oval with a pale, yellowish, white or grey centre and a r...

  My Child's Ear Piercing Is Swollen and Painful — Is It Infected? Your child recently had their ears pierced. Everything seemed fine initially. Then, a few days later, you notice something worrying. The ear looks red. It feels warm. Your child complains that touching it hurts. There may be discharge around the earring. You may immediately wonder: “Is this normal healing, or has the piercing become infected?” For parents, the distinction is important. Mild tenderness can occur after a new piercing. However, increasing pain, swelling, warmth or discharge may indicate infection. And there is another important point that many families do not realise: An infection involving the upper ear cartilage can be more serious than an ordinary earlobe infection. Let's explain why. What is normal after a new ear piercing? A new piercing creates a small skin wound. During the early healing period, you may notice mild tenderness, itching, or local redness. A little pale fluid may also dry into ...

  My Child Is Being Teased About Their Ears: A Parent’s Guide to Pinnaplasty in London & Essex “My child is being teased because their ears stick out. Should we have them pinned back?” It is an understandable question, especially when a previously confident child suddenly starts hiding their ears with their hair, refusing certain hairstyles, or telling you someone at school has commented on them. For parents in London, East London, Brentwood and Essex , the difficult part is often knowing whether to reassure and wait, address the teasing itself, or seek a specialist opinion about pinnaplasty. The important starting point is this: prominent ears are usually a normal variation in appearance, not an illness that needs correcting. Surgery should therefore never become an automatic response to somebody else making an unkind comment. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon , discusses prominent ears with families in the wider context of the child’s own wishes, ear development, expec...

  Why Has One Side of My Child’s Face Suddenly Dropped? A Parent’s Guide to Facial Palsy Perhaps you first notice it while your child is eating breakfast. Their smile looks different. One corner of the mouth does not move as well as the other. Perhaps they cannot puff out one cheek properly. Or you notice something even more unexpected: One eye does not completely close when they blink. For a parent, suddenly seeing one side of a child’s face move differently can be frightening. You may immediately search: “Why is my child’s face drooping?” “Can children get Bell’s palsy?” or “Is this coming from the ear?” One possible explanation is facial nerve palsy . Bell’s palsy is one type of facial palsy, but don't assume every child with a suddenly uneven face has Bell’s palsy. New facial weakness in a child needs prompt medical assessment. Current NHS guidance advises urgent medical assessment for symptoms suggestive of Bell’s palsy because treatment, where appropriate, is more useful when...