FAQ

Snoring is the noisy sound that occurs due to any obstruction in the free flow air passage, at the back of the mouth and nose. People snore occasionally if they have any congestion or blockage in the nose/nasal septum. Whereas, the chronic snorer are linked with at least one cause of the following conditions

• Poor muscle tone of the tongue and throat.
• Excessive bulkiness of the tonsils and adenoid tissues.
• Excessive length of the soft palate & uvula.
• Obstructed nasal airways.

While talking about the severity, yes indeed snoring is a problem as it affects the social life, the snorer becomes the object of ridicule & causes disturbance in other household members. Medically as we see the snorer will face disturbed sleep patterns and it is seen that people with snoring problem are having high blood pressure from younger age than the non-snorers. If the condition is not cured may lead to obstructive sleep apnoea.

It is the most commonly asked question, as the prevalence of snoring is extremely high. Snoring can be categorized as per the frequency. The occasional or mild to moderate snorers are treated by identification and treating the first line of problem and the general recommendations like regular exercise, loss of weight, good sleeping habits combined with avoidance of alcohol consumption and sleeping pills. On the other hand the heavy snorer or positional snorer (obnoxious-snorers) are treated by examination of nose, mouth, palate and neck. Majority of the patients are benefitted by ‘laser assisted uvuloplasty’ where the excess blocking tissue is excised with K.T.P 532 laser.

There are different causes that leads to hearing problem like aging (degeneration of tissue/nerve), genetic, trauma /injury due to accidents, tumours, infections (middle ear), birth defects, medication side effects.

Observation and screening is the only way anyone can detect hearing problem at early childhood. Parents and elder family members are the first to notice any impairments. During 1st year check whether the child is responding to the loud noises, imitates the sound, reacts to his/her name. At age 2, check whether the child is playing with his/her voice, imitates sounds and enjoy games. Whereas, at 3 if the child is responding and obeying to the simple directions. If for any reasons you think there is a problem in hearing, consult an ENT doctor as early as possible. Accurate tests are available for even infants with mild hearing disorder.

Under personal hygiene, cleaning weekly once the ear with ear buds is recommended as it helps in removing the stored unwanted dust and wax from the ear canal and makes the ear open and infection free. But repetitive storage of wax may lead to ear wax blockage. The condition is seen when the excess dried ear wax/cerumen blocks the ear canal which lands up in getting infection, hearing problems and ear pain.

Vertigo is a condition where a person loses balance frequently, leaving the dizzy head to spin and tinnitus. It is caused due to some ear diseases like benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, balance disorder, meniere’s disorder, head/ neck injuries, brain trauma/stroke, migraine and side effects of medications. Symptoms are spinning, tilting, swaying, unbalanced, and pulled to one direction.

Nose is blocked temporarily or frequently due to at least one mentioned causes

• Cold/flu- where the nasal passage is blocked with the mucus accumulation.
• Deviated nasal septum-nose consists of a cartilage & bony nasal septum that separates it into 2 nasal cavities, any trauma or by birth defect deviates the cartilage end up congesting nasal passage.
• Nasal turbinate enlargement- when the nasal 3 turbinate bony parts get swollen or enlarged/excessively large leads to nasal obstruction.
• Nasal polyps—inflammatory tissues that grows in the nasal/ sinuses causes obstruction by

Sinusitis is a most frequent and recurrent infection that occurs in the sinus drainage cavity. Commonly seen symptoms are facial pain and pressure, nasal obstruction, yellow or green nasal drainage, fatigue and fever. The main causes are allergies like hay fever, respiratory tract infections, migraine, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps and also associated with other medical conditions.

Hoarseness is generally seen with irritation of the larynx it is self-treatable and chronic too. The main causes are upper respiratory tract infection- due to the infection blockage in the nasal passage and throat is seen leading to throat irritation, which causes more coughing and more irritation.

Gerd – acid is refluxed back from stomach to oesophagus leading to irritation to the larynx and throat and causes hoarseness. Postnasal drainage- : mucous drainage from the nose can cause throat irritation and hoarseness. But less likely causes are decreased thyroid function, vocal cord paralysis, vocal cord nodules or polyps, and tumours of the larynx. Hoarseness lasting more than four-six weeks should be evaluated by an ENT physician.

First and foremost to checked and diagnose the primary cause of the hoarseness. If it is due to the upper respiratory tract infection then you need to get adequate hydration, taking throat lozenges, and avoiding throat clearing. But if it is due to gerd then antacids will be prescribed, elevating the head of the bed, changing the diet, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Lastly if the cause is the postnasal drainage then nasal steroid sprays and non-sedating antihistamines may help reduce the amount of drainage.