Nose

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common problem in urban India. Routine life is disturbed due to running nose, sneezing, itching, dry cough, nose block. Common triggers are exposure to smoke, dust, and fumes during cooking, pollen, pets, old clothes and blankets, old books etc. Food allergies are also commonly seen.

Treatment includes:

• Preventive measures: Minimizing the exposure of culprit allergen by measures like use of face mask, avoiding certain food items which are suspected of causing allergy.
• Medical management: oral medicines, nasal sprays and nasal drops are used.
• Allergic Testing and immunotherapy

Nasal polyps are masses of swollen nasal or sinus lining Symptoms: nasal blockage, reduced sense of smell, Headache, sneezing or running nose, mass coming out from the nose. Patients with repeated complaints or patients with resistant type of nasal polyp will have to undergo endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).

Treatment: Few cases can be treated with short course of steroids, antibiotics and other drugs.

Common causes are Injury to nose, nasal picking, hard blowing, severe cold, nasal infections, deviated nasal septum, increased blood pressure, tumor or mass in the nose.

Treatment: Do not panic. Pinch the nose and apply ice at home . Ethamsylate and vitamin K injections are given. Bleeding usually stops with nose pinching and medicines.

Severe bleeding is controlled by nasal packing or cauterization of bleeding site. After the episode of bleeding is controlled, any underlying local cause like deviated nasal septum, mass or tumour in the nose is treated. Underlying medical problem like high blood pressure is simultaneously treated to avoid recurrent bleeding.

The common symptoms are headache, facial pain, discharge from the nose. Fever, body ache, weakness may also be associated.

Treatment: First treatment involves antibiotics and pain killers .Nose drops and steam inhalation is generally included. FESS ( Functional endoscopic sinus surgery) is the surgery indicated in resistant infections. CT scan of the paranasal sinuses is done prior to the surgery.

Nasal blockage is a complaint leading to lot of distress. It is commonly due to bending of the nasal partition to one side or swelling of turbinate. Surgical correction is the best treatment.

The nose and sinuses are visualised using an endoscope and camera. Specific problems such as sinusitis, polyps, tumours can be tackled and best possible functional result given to the patient without any external scar. Specialized instruments such as microdebridor are used. This improves precision and ease of surgery.

Done for repeated episodes of nose bleeding. This is a permanent solution to the problem in certain patients.

Patients with deviated nasal septum have nose block, repeated sinusitis, unilateral headache, nose bleeds and many such problems. Correction of the deformity is done using an endoscope. Hence, adequate surgery with best results is possible.