Seasonal Colds: Viral or Allergic/Non Allergic Rhinitis

Now the season of colds & upper respiratory tract infections have started.Monsoons bring in these fevers & colds.Some people just suffer with recurrent colds & today we talk about the same.

Many people with persistent rhinitis say they have a 'persistent cold'. However, colds are due to virus infections, and normally only last a week or so.

Persistent colds or Rhinitis is not due to an infection. Common symptoms include: sneezing, a blocked or congested nose, a watery discharge ('runny nose'), and an itchy nose. Less common symptoms include: itchy throat, loss of smell, face pain, headache, and itchy and watery red eyes.

What Causes It? 

Allergic rhinitis 

 A common cause of persistent rhinitis is an allergy to house dust mite or to a pet.

House dust mite is a tiny creature that is present in every home. It mainly lives in bedrooms and mattresses, as part of the dust. It usually causes no harm, but some people are allergic to the tiny droppings (faeces) of the mite.
Pets - dander or hairs from a cat, dog, horse, hamster, etc, are the cause of the allergy in some cases.

Other allergies are less common. An allergy to something at work sometimes occurs. For example, to laboratory animals, or to latex or other chemicals. This may be suspected if symptoms ease at weekends or on holidays.Symptoms of allergy in the nose are due to the immune system reacting to the allergen (such as pollen, mite droppings, or dander from a pet). 

Cells in the lining of the nose release histamine and other chemicals when they come into contact with the allergen. This causes inflammation in the nose (rhinitis).

Non-allergic rhinitis 

There is various other causes or 'triggers' for the symptoms. These can cause a rhinitis in their own right, but they can also make symptoms worse if you already have an allergic rhinitis. They include the following.Irritation of the nose by smoke, strong smells, fumes, changes in temperature or humidity.

Hormone changes during pregnancy, puberty, and after the menopause can sometimes cause nose symptoms.
Food and drink - mainly hot, spicy food, or alcohol. Sensitivity to certain food colourings or preservatives may be a cause.
Emotion such as stress can affect the nose.

Medication - a side effect from certain medicines is a rare cause. These include: beta-blocker medicines, aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medicines, the contraceptive pill, and ACE inhibitors (angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors).Other conditions of the nose sometimes cause similar symptoms. For example, nose polyps or chronic (persistent) sinusitis.Are Any Tests Needed?Usually not. Most cases are due to allergy, and the symptoms are usually typical. Treatment is much the same, whatever the cause of the allergy.

Allergy testing may be advised if treatment is not helping, or to confirm the exact cause of an allergy if you want to try and avoid it 

What Is The Treatment?

The commonly used treatment options for allergic rhinitis are: antihistamine tablets, and steroid nose sprays.

Avoiding the cause of the allergy If you can avoid the cause of an allergy, symptoms will stop. This is not as easy as it sounds.If you are allergic to house dust mite, you may find that symptoms are less severe if you reduce the number of mites in your home. This is hard work and involves using bedding covers, and regular cleaning and vacuuming with particular attention to your bedroom and bedclothes. However, it is impossible to keep your home completely clear of house dust mites.
If a pet is the cause, then for some people it is easy to give up the pet. However, for others it would be a great sadness to lose a pet. It may help if you keep pets out of the main living areas, and in particular, out of your bedroom.

How Long Is Treatment Needed For?Persistent rhinitis is an ongoing (chronic) condition that usually needs regular treatment to prevent symptoms. However, over time the condition may ease, and even goes completely in some cases.

Is your sore throat always infective?

 Sorethroat is one of the commonest complaints with which we visit our medical practitioner .We are all worried about infections & many of us land up with antibiotics.Many times I have met patients in my practice who come with begining of sore throat & are so concerned about missing work or infecting their near & dear ones that they request antibiotics.Am I justified in prescribing antibiotics?Is paracetamol with good gargling enough?

Sorethroat with fever & malaise (tiredness/bodypains) is usually infective.This infection can be viral or bacterial.Oral cavity already has some bacteria living in it which can add to viral infection.So even in viral sorethroats sometimes we land up giving antibiotics.We should be careful about severe sorethroats which presents with swallowing difficulty .Careful examination to rule out peritonsillar abscess(pus around tonsils) should be done.If no abscess & still not responding to antibiotics ,it can very well be Glandular fever or Infectious Mononucleosis.This is of viral origin & in worst form needs steroids.This can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome in some cases.

Now lets talk about milder sorethroats which crop up often say every month-are we missing something?A thorough examintion by your doctor will rule our any seroius causes like ulcers/tumours.
Most of the rest regular sorethroats are acid refluxes.It can be symptomatic acid reflux-many patients when asked direct questions realise it,some may have silent refluxes.

Not eating on time & of course eating wrong foods contribute to these sorethroats.Its common nowadays in professionals working odd hours (US/Europe timings) & they land up with wrong food habits.Excess of caffienne contributes to this.

In a nutshell -eat on time --avoid spicy /fried foods -good sleep along with regular mouth hygeine should be followed.

Above is a general & rather a preventive note -you should visit your doctor for advice if any concerns.

We Can Only Refine Our Therapeutics When We Refine Our Diagnostic Abilities

Surgeons have to be as thorough as physicians in history taking & clinical examination.Lots of diagnostics rely on opd based endoscopies/microscopy in ENT.Especially in pediatric population lots can be assessed in airway & swallowing as outpatient flexible scopy.this can complement with images of ct/mri  & better diagnosis can be reached.
ENT has lots of daycare & opd procedures which should be performed more frequently.If enough time is spent explaining in detail,patients will also prefer local anaesthetic opd procedure rather than general anaesthesia.best example in my practise is grommet insertion in adults.

Daycare in not reallya new concept. during my training in KEM mumbai - nurses used to take care of tonsilletomy patients & send them home by evening.most of the tonsillectomies were also local anaesthetic!unimaginable now.

Lets talk simple ear care

Its sounds silly to write simple things but sometimes people may overlook such things.Please read on-

Normal ear wax is produced in the oil glands located in the outer two thirds of the ear canal.

The purpose of wax is to catch dirt and debris and to prevent it from reaching the eardrum (tympanic membrane). Wax also lubricates the ear canal.
 With the normal progression of skin growth, the wax is forced up and out of the ear canal. Wax is also extruded outside by the movements of our jaw.
Occasionally, the skin of the ear canal may be dry. The wax may be dry as well. Therefore, the normal progression of wax production and removal is interrupted. 
DO NOT USE EAR BUDS
Use of ear buds simply pushes the wax further in the deeper part of ear canal.
DO NOT TRY TO CLEAN EARS WITH WATER
NOTE: EAR BUDS AND WATER CAN BE THE SOURCE OF INFECTION 

Doctors day-what does it mean to a doctor?

Yesterday was doctors day-the day passed by so quickly ,i could not really think about it.people at work were wishing me as if it was my birthday. I have joined medicine in 1990 & am registered medical practictioner since 1996,I do not really remember this doctors day in those days .even i was abroad just 5 yrs ago & do not really remember so much of celebrations atleast in the UK.

I wonder whether this all hype is since healthcare is now a business-anything for marketing;i may be wrong-these are just my thoughts.After MBBS spent few years in ENT training in India & abroad.Then wanted to come back home as any young doctor to make a difference & then worked hard to stay back [many return due to lack of opportunities & money].i have been lucky & cannot complain.....thats why 5 years went by quickly.i say lucky since i can practice ethically & do not look at the surgical score board.

Now either this doctors day or just mid life crisis ,want to reflect upon the past & think about the future.My blog says ethical ENT practice -this does not mean others are not ethical .its just a thought that for the doctors day we should have a theme every year.I think the theme for 2011-12 should be ethical medical practice.

Lots is happening in medical field -patients are becoming paranoid-even doctors are so.this leads to over investigating.where is the clinical skill,patient contact,regular follow ups.why are we treating hospitals as one stop shop.

I have to sign off now -hope people think about my theme.any suggestions welcome.

happy day
sheelu