FAQ
Difference between cold and allergy?
Cold, in general, is a common cold, which is a viral infection that causes sneezing, fever, nasal blockage, running nose, body ache, etc. Usually, the treatment for this is to keep yourself warm, avoid intake of cold items and travel. This is a treatable condition and also it is self-limiting.
Allergy is a condition in which your body reacts to a foreign substance. The symptoms are itching nose, sneezing, etc are self-limiting. Allergic tablets will help settle down symptoms.
What causes allergy conditions in winter?
Multiple factors like environment, the temperature in which allergens are already present.
Is there a way to stop allergies from affecting us?
Prevention and treatment in the form of medication will help from affecting allergies. Also, Allergy type can be identified with the blood test and skin prick test.
How prone are infants to allergy?
Usually, infants are not prone to outside allergens like dust and pollen. Sometimes, they can have allergic reactions to food.
Will allergies get worse if not taken medicines on time?
Yes, the more you get exposed to allergens, the worse it gets worse. Medications such as Antihistamine and intranasal treatment can help get rid of allergy.
What are the lifestyle modifications to avoid allergens?
The lifestyle modifications to avoid allergens are identifying the allergens and its causes may be from outside as well as the inside environment, including open windows, dust particles, vacuum cleaning, dry testing, etc.
Does an allergy in winter trigger asthma?
Yes in the majority of cases nasal allergies trigger asthma. Hence, Allergy has to be treated at the nasal level itself.
What are the suggestions for winter allergies?
If you experience any of the allergy symptoms like swelling, rash, itching, and shortness of breath. It is better to avoid cold items and take early precautions.
Does having a humidifier help combat allergies?
Humidifiers are used to increase moisture inside the home. They can help reduce allergy symptoms and improve the health of the mucous membranes of the airway. However, Humidifiers should be maintained properly to avoid the risk of worsening allergy symptoms.
What is ear stroke? What is its incidence?
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Ear stroke or sudden sensorineural hearing loss is mostly an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing either all at once or over a few days, frequently affecting only one ear. An ear stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can prevent permanent hearing loss.
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A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. Similarly, ear stroke happens when the blood supply to the inner ear is reduced or there is swelling or inflammation of the nerve concerned with hearing.
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Even though the decreased blood supply to the nerve is the most common cause very rarely bacterial infections, tumours trauma, some medications, autoimmune diseases can cause sudden loss of hearing.
What are the signs of ear stroke that one must watch out?
The most common presentation is a patient noticing a unilateral hearing loss on awakening.
When one feels a sudden change in the hearing sensitivity, like
- Muffled hearing
- Difficulty understanding speech
- Sudden or steady loss of hearing
- Full or “stuffy” sensation in the ear
- associated with ringing in the ear or dizziness(40%) one should suspect ear stroke.
If you feel any of the above symptoms, then consult the ENT specialist in Bangalore.
What are the causes of ear stroke? Are there any risk factors to it?
Viral neuritis or cochleitis has long been thought to be the most common cause of sudden SNHL, which means inflammation or viral infection of the nerve or cochlea.
Other rare causes are bacterial infections of the ear, trauma, autoimmune conditions, tumours, vitamin deficiencies. Consult the best ENT doctor in Bangalore if you have any of the risk factors.
What one must do to prevent ear stroke?
Any condition which can affect the blood supply to the inner ear should be identified and treated, which means if you have diabetes hypertension, hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, polyarteritis nodosa, relapsing polychondritis, sarcoidosis, Meniere’s disease has to be adequately treated.
Tips from the doctor for those suffering from ear stroke
If you feel that there is a sudden decrease in hearing or blocked feeling in one ear, you should immediately consult the best ENT doctor in Bangalore to check the ears and to get a hearing test.
The response to treatment is much better if you start treatment at the earliest as if the nerve cells start dying they won’t regenerate.
What are the consequences of ear stroke?
If you don’t treat it in time it can cause permanent hearing disability.
What is the treatment approach for ear stroke?
The main treatment for ear stroke is to start high dose intravenous steroids at the earliest for a period of 3 days followed by oral steroids. Usually, we prefer the patient to get admitted in the hospital for the IV steroids so that the fluctuations in BP and sugars can be monitored. We also start on antivirals, some drugs to improve the blood flow to the nerve. An MRI Brain would be performed to look for any tumours or lesions in the brain or course of the nerve. The patient has also advised blood tests like blood sugars, complete blood count, lipid profile, thyroid profile, vitamin levels etc.
Two case studies of patients suffering from ear stroke (a small brief).
A 27-year-old healthy male presented to ENT OPD with history of sudden onset of right-sided ear block when he got up in the morning. There was no history of cold or cough. We examined the ears and found that his ear canal was clean and eardrum was looking normal. He was sent for a hearing test which showed more than 90 %decrease in hearing on the right side. We immediately admitted him and started on medications as described above.MRI Brain was done which was normal. Blood tests were normal except for low Vitamin D levels. So Vitamin D supplements were started. He received 3 days of high dose steroids and the hearing test was repeated on day 3 which showed little improvement. He was reassured and asked to continue with oral steroids for 15 days and other medications. After 15 days the hearing test was repeated and was found to be normal which emphasizes the need for urgent treatment.
A 54-year-old poorly controlled diabetic female presented with a history of left-sided sudden onset hearing loss since 7 days. The hearing test showed an 80 % decrease in hearing. Treatment was started as per protocol. Diabetic control was achieved. Hearing test on day 3 and day 15 showed no marked improvement in hearing. The emphasis on treatment should be on timely treatment and control of contributory medical conditions.
