Nasal polyps are growths in the shape of teardrops which, as the name implies, are located in the nasal passage or sinuses. They usually form in the region of the opening into the nasal cavity. A lot of nasal polyps don’t cause symptoms and don’t require treatment if they are small in size. The larger they grow however, the more hindrance they can be.
Blocking normal drainage from the sinuses, they can cause buildup of mucus and eventual infection. Nasal polyps are rarely cancerous. The prevailing belief is that they are caused by long-term inflammation or heredity. They are not painful and are mostly treatable through medication or surgery. They do tend to reoccur however.
The sinuses are the air passages within the nose. Sinusitis is a condition where they become inflamed and swollen. Typically the result of a virus infection, sinusitis may persist even after other respiratory symptoms have disappeared. It can also be caused by nasal polyps, a deviated septum, infection of the teeth and allergies.
In some rare cases, it can be triggered by fungus or bacteria. The swelling causes pain which is the most common symptom of sinusitis.
Pain may be in the forehead, on either side of the nose, upper jaws and teeth or even between the eyes.
The adenoids are tissue which are located at the rear of the nasal cavity. They are not directly visible. In little children they perform the vital function of trapping harmful bacteria which might be swallowed or breathed in.
As the child grows, the immune system becomes stronger and the adenoids become less relevant, shrinking and virtually disappearing by teenage years. In children, as they fight off infection, they commonly get swollen.
Sometimes however they themselves might get infected and this can lead to breathing complications, ear problems and so on. The condition can be treated with medication but if it is causing trouble over a prolonged period, they may have to be removed surgically.
Also called secretory otitis media, otitis media with effusion or serious otitis media, glue is a fairly common condition in children though it may affect adults too. It can occur in both or one ear. Glue ear is caused by the middle ear filling with a sticky, glue-like fluid, instead of the air with which it is normally occupied. This dulls the vibrations passing through and results in reduced hearing.
If it goes unnoticed, it can significantly affect the child in a host of psychological ways as they find it difficult to connect and communicate with the world and people around them. Since the ear also controls our sense of balance, it can result in clumsiness. Some of the symptoms are dulled hearing, selective hearing, speech impediments, clumsiness, balance trouble and so on.
If you notice symptoms such as these in your child, please contact our team immediately.
Pituitary tumours are usually benign and, as the name indicates, develop in the pituitary gland. Pituitary tumours cause a number of hormonal problems to the patient and their location is such that they can compress vital nerves in the brain.
Surgical excision of a pituitary tumour is the best solution for any patient suffering from one. They can be surgically excised using the transsphenoidal approach (read more here).
