Gradual Hearing loss that occurs with increasing age is common. Almost half the people that is older than 65 have some degree of hearing loss.

Hearing loss is of three types:

• Conductive (involves outer or middle ear)
• Sensorineural (involves inner ear)
• Mixed (combination of the two)

Many factors are responsible for hearing loss. In these factors aging and chronic exposure to loud noises both are the main factors that contribute to hearing loss. Other factors include like excessive earwax, can temporarily affect hearing that how well your ears conduct sounds.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss may notice in people include:

• Not proper understanding of words, especially in crowded places. 
• Muffling of speech and other sounds
• Trouble hearing consonants
• Asking others to speak more loudly ,slowly and clearly
• Withdrawal from conversations
• Avoidance of some social settings

Causes

Causes of hearing loss include:

• Gradual buildup of earwax. Earwax block the ear canal that prevents conduction of sound waves thus leads to conductive loss of hearing. Removal of Earwax can help to restore your hearing.
• Damage to the inner ear. Aging and exposure to loud noise for longer time  may cause wear and tear on the nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. Due to any kind of damage to nerve cells electrical signals are not transmitted properly that cause hearing loss.
• Ear infection , tumors and abnormal growths – These can be reason for hearing loss by affecting any part of ear.  
• Ruptured eardrum. Loud noise, sudden changes in pressure, poking your eardrum with an object and any kind of infection can perforate tympanic membrane (ear drum) and affect your hearing.

Risk factors

Factors that may damage nerve cells in your inner ear include:

• Heredity. Your genetic makeup can affect your hearing.  
• Aging. Degeneration changes of inner ear structures with time.
• Loud noise. Exposure to loud sounds for longer time can damage the cells of your inner ear and hence can affect your hearing.
• Occupational noises. Occupation where exposure to loud noise is a regular part of the working for eg. Construction or factory work , working in mines etc. can cause damage inside your ear.
• Recreational noises. Continuous exposure of noises from firearms and jet engines can results in permanent hearing loss. 
• Some medications. Intake of some medications like antibiotic gentamicin, sildenafil (Viagra) and some chemotherapy drugs, can damage the inner ear. Temporary effects like — ringing in the ear (tinnitus) can occur with taking very high doses of aspirin, other pain killers, antimalarial drugs etc.
• Some illnesses. Some ailments that cause high fever, like meningitis, may damage the cochlea.

Sound levels of common noises

Decibels   Noise source

Safe range

• 30 Whisper
• 40 Refrigerator
• 60 Normal conversation
• 75 Dishwasher

Risk range

• 85 Heavy city traffic, school cafeteria
• 95 Motorcycle
• 100 Snowmobile
• 110 Chain saw, jackhammer, rock concert, symphony
• 115 Sandblasting
• 120 Ambulance siren, thunder
• 140-165 Firecrackers, firearms

Complications

Hearing loss can affect your quality of life. Older people with hearing problem may have depression and isolation because hearing loss can make conversation difficult for them. 

Prevention of hearing loss

There are certain steps by following which you prevent noise-induced hearing loss and avoid severity age-related hearing loss:

• Protect your ears. Limit the intensity and duration of noise exposure is the best protection. Use of plastic earplugs or glycerin-filled earmuffs at your work place can help to protect your ears from louder noise.
• Have your hearing tested regularly. Go for regular hearing tests if you work in a noisy environment. If you’ve lost some hearing, you should consult with doctor to prevent further loss.
• Avoid recreational risks. 

Diagnosis of Hearing loss

Physical examination. Your doctor will examine your ear for possible causes of your hearing loss, like any earwax or inflammation from an infection. Doctor can also check if there is any structural causes of your hearing problems.

Other test may include

• App-based hearing tests. 
• Tuning fork tests. 
• Audiometer tests. 

Treatment of Hearing loss

If you have hearing problems, Treatment is purely based upon the causative factors and severity of your symptoms of hearing loss.

Treatment Options include:

• Removing ear wax. Earwax affects the conduction of sound waves by blocking ear canal so it is a reversible cause of hearing loss. Your doctor can easily remove earwax using suction or a small tool with a loop on the end.
• Surgical procedures. In which there are structural deformities, abnormal growth in ear or abnormalities of ear drum are treated with the help of surgery. 
• Hearing aids. These can be helpful if your hearing loss is due to damage to your inner ear. Hearing aid helps in amplification of sound and directs it into your ear canal. 
• Cochlear implants. In severe cases of hearing loss where hearing aids, then a cochlear implant may be an option. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged or un-functional parts of your inner ear and directly stimulates the hearing nerve. 

Avoid hearing loss with Ayurveda

• With the help of Ayurveda, one can avoid this condition. As in Ayurveda there are many medicated herbs which balances the aggravated doshas. 
• Chandigarh Ayurved centre provides combination of medicines that are effectively used in preventing hearling loss. These medications include

• Rasayan Vati:

These ingredients show antioxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, immuno-modulator properties.  These tablets provide good results in General debility, Psychological disorders, and improves immunity.

• Kapha Detox Powder:

These sachets mainly balance Vata and Kapha Doshas. It  relieves exhaustion and provides energy. It also cures body aches, anorexia, and loss of sensation of tongue, indigestion, burning sensation in palms and feet and temperature.

• Garlic Capsules:

It balances all the three doshas of body i.e Vata, Pitta, Kapha and maintain healthy balance of these doshas. It is an anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and immuno modulator.

• Trikatu Syrup:

Most hearing loss conditions are due to vata doshas, vata vitiation can result in damage to the auditory nerve and nerve ending, which leads to defective hearing problems. Trikatu syrup balances the Vata dosha, and provides strength to nerves. 

• Nerve up Tablet:

It acts as a nervine stimulator and also reduces Kapha doshas. It mainly acts on the central nervous system. These contain natural Vatahar properties and helps in curing Vata diseases. It speeds up physical and mental processes. 

For more details you can visit our website

www.chandigarhayurvedcentre.com

• Croup is a condition in which viral infection occurs that leads to swelling around the vocal cords.
• Croup is characterized by difficulty in breathing and a bad cough that sounds like a barking seal. Many of the viruses that can cause croup also lead to the common cold. 
• This condition is commonly seen in winter months.  Croup usually affects the children under the age of 5.

What Causes Croup?

• There are various viruses that can cause croup. Many cases come from para influenza viruses (the common cold). 
• Other viruses that may cause croup include adenoviru, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• This condition may also be caused by allergies, exposure to irritants, or bacterial infections. But these cases are rare.

What Are the Symptoms of Croup?

Most severe symptoms are seen in children under the age of 3. This is because of the reason that a child’s respiratory system is smaller than an adult’s. Symptoms that are commonly noticed in most cases of croup include:

• Fever
• Cold, sneezing and runny nose
• Barking cough
• Heavy or difficult breathing
• Hoarse voice

Immediate Contact should be done with doctor if there are symptoms like:

• High-pitched sounds while breathing
• Pigmentation around the nose, mouth, and fingernails
• Difficulty in swallowing

Croup may persist for more than one week, reoccurs frequently, or is accompanied by a fever where temperature is more than 103.5 degrees. An examination is done to rule out bacterial infections or other more serious conditions.

Spasmodic Croup

Some children suffer from mild case of croup in which symptoms appears with the common cold. In this type of croup main symptom is  barking cough . It doesn’t include a fever that is often seen with other cases of croup.

Diagnosis of Croup

• Diagnosis of Croup is made by taking history of patient and by examination.
• Your physician will likely listen to the cough, observe your breathing and ask for a description of symptoms. 
• If croup symptoms are persistent, then throat examination or X-ray is done  to rule out other respiratory conditions to confirm the diagnose.

Treatment of Croup

In Mild Cases

• In mild cases, croup is effectively treated at home. Over-the-counter pain relievers are helpful to reduce the discomfort in the chest, throat, or head. 
• Cough medicines should be taken after advice from a medical professional.

Severe Cases

• If someone is facing problems like difficulty in breathing, swallowing then a visit to a hospital or clinic is warranted. Doctors may use steroid medications to open your airways for easier breathing. 
• In extreme cases, a breathing tube may be used in child that will help child to get enough oxygen. If croup is caused by any kind of bacterial infection then antibiotics are administered in the hospital and prescribed for later use. Dehydrated patients may require intravenous fluids.

What to Expect in the Long Term?

• Generally croup that is caused by a virus infection goes away on its own within one week.
• In Bacterial croup antibiotic treatment is done. The duration of the antibiotic therapy depend upon the severity of the symptoms and infection. Complications are not commonly seen in patients. 

Prevention

Most cases of croup are caused by the same viruses that are responsible for causing common cold or influenza. So Preventive measures are similar for all these viruses. That mainly include

• Frequent Washing of hands 
• Cover your face properly while going outside from house
• Avoid going in crowded places
• Keeping hands and objects out of the mouth
• Avoiding people who are not feeling well
• Some of the cases of croup are caused by conditions like measles. To avoid these kinds of ailments parents should keep their children on schedule for proper vaccinations.
• There are also vaccinations for some bacterial infections that cause similar symptoms to croup. These infections include the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and the diphtheria vaccine.
• So make sure that both you and your child receive get vaccinated to protect against these kind of serious infections.

How is it spread?

• Croup is contagious condition that means it spread from person to person. The pathogen that leads to croup is spread by coming in contact with infected respiratory droplets of croup patient while coughing or sneezing.
• In addition to this, coming into the contact of contaminated surfaces and then touching the face, nose, or mouth can spread the infection.

Home remedies to ease the symptoms

• Prepare a homemade Vapor rub for barking cough
• Rub essential oil on the chest
• Expose yourself to humid air
• Use any cough syrup to treat mild cough

These will help to reduce your breathing difficulties and relieve symptoms.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Croup

Ayurvedic treatment is purely based on balancing the doshas. Chandigarh ayurved centre provides combination of medicines that are helpful to treat the condition from the root cause. All the medications that are given for the treatment of the croup are effective to treat the infection and relieve symptoms. 

Medications are

• Broncho care syrup
• Cough Go Tablets
• Kapha Sachet Powder
• Giloy capsule
• Trikatu Syrup

Description of medications

• Broncho care syrup

Broncho care syrup is used to eliminate chronic cough, bronchitis, common cold, whooping cough, etc. The ingredients show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, bronchodilator properties.

• Cough Go Tablets

These tablets are very effective in bronchitis, cough, cold, nasal problems, and other respiratory problems.

• Kapha Sachet

Their properties generally balance the vata and kapha dosha. The sachet contains ingredients like – Sitopladi churna, Abhrak bhasma, Laxmi vilas ras, Godanti bhasma, etc. It is used mainly in chronic cough, whooping cough and trouble breathing. It also relieves congestion of chest, sore throat. 

• Giloy capsule

Giloy capsules are formed with the standardized extract of herb giloy (Tinospora cordifolia). The Giloy herb improves immunity, removes toxins from body and purifies blood, beneficial in cough, cold, fever, & bronchitis.

• Trikatu Syrup

This syrup has best results in anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and expectorant. It can modulate your body’s immune response while cutting the characteristic inflammation associated with the back pain.

For more details you can visit our website

www.chandigarhayurvedcentre.com