Ears, Eyes, Nose & Throat
The organs of sight, sound, smell, taste, and balance are crucial to our reception of information about the world around us. Impairment by injury or disease to any one of these sensory organs can greatly reduce the pleasure that we take in our surrounds and, in some cases, severely curtail our activities. Moreover, these organs are all inextricably linked, so that a condition that affects one may very well have a knock-on effect on the function of another.
EARS
The ear is the organ of hearing and balance. It comprises three parts – the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer and middle ear are primarily concerned with the collection and transmission of sound, while the inner ear is responsible for analyzing sound waves and also contain mechanisms by which the body maintains its balance.
Ears are susceptible to many disorders, of which the most common, particularly in childhood, is earache. However, as an example of how the sensory organs are interlinked, pain experienced in the ear may originate there or may hail from a disorder in a nearby structure. Indeed, many people encounter intermittent earache as a “referred” pain from dental problems, tonsillitis, throat cancer, or pain in the lower jaw or neck muscles. This is because the ear and many adjacent areas are supplied by the same nerves.
Although known principally as a childhood illness, earache has been known to reduce the toughest adult to tears. It is an unremitting and intense pain. The most common cause of earache is otitis media (infection of the middle ear), which is particularly common in young children. The accompanying pain is severe and stabbing and may also produce hearing loss and a raised temperature. When otitis media is uncontrolled, it is the most common cause of a perforated eardrum (where the membrane ruptures). However, when the eardrum bursts and the fluid discharges, it sometimes gives immediate relief from pain.
The other common cause of earache is otitis externa (inflammation of the outer ear canal), often caused by infection. Pain may be accompanied by irritation in the ear canal, and by a discharge; there may also be a slight hearing loss.
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
The doctor examines the ear canal and eardrum with an otoscope and, if necessary, a binocular microscope. Mouth, teeth and throat are also examined. Analgesic drugs may be given to relieve the pain. The treatment, however, depends on the underlying cause of the earache. Antibiotic drugs may be prescribed for infection, pus in the outer ear may need to be aspirated (sucked out), usually as an outpatient procedure; pus in the middle ear may require draining through a hole made in the eardrum – an operation known as myringotomy.
EAR DISORDERS
There is a whole host of disorders to which the ear is susceptible. Although they vary in severity, some can lead to deafness.
Vertigo (the dizziness associated with a disturbance of your balance) can result from some disorders of the inner ear. Similarly, a virus infection of the inner ear may cause labyrinthitis with severe vertigo or sudden hearing loss, or both.
There are also some ear disorders which result from injury. The irresistible urge to poke small objects into the ear that young children experience can result in damage o the external ear canal and perforation of the eardrum. A sudden blow, especially a slap, or a very loud noise may also perforate the eardrum. Prolonged exposure to loud noise or close proximity to a loud explosion can cause tinnitus (noises within the ear) and/or deafness.
EYES
Whether or not you choose to believe that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, there is no denying that they are extremely complex organs of sight. Many eye disorders are minor, but some lead to serious complications if left untreated. Here are a few of the more common disorders for which you should seek attention.
Conjunctivitis is the most common eye infection, but it rarely affects vision. It is characterized by redness due to widening of blood vessels in the conjunctiva (the mucous membrane that covers the eyeball). It feels rather like the irritation caused by a bit of grit in the eye. Conjunctivitis may be due to viral or bacterial infections, irritants (e.g. chemicals) or allergies. Viral conjunctivitis usually affects both eyes and is mildly infectious.
Cornel infections are more serious and can lead to blurred vision or corneal perforation if not treated early.
Popularly known as red eye, uveitis can be caused by infection or an autoimmune disorder. It produces a dull, aching pain, often due to swelling within the front of the eye and spasm in the muscles around the iris. The distinctive redness is caused by a widening of the blood vessels around the iris.
Similarly, glaucoma is distinguished by the whites of the eyes becoming red due to the increased blood flow in the surrounding vessels. This is a result of a sudden increase in pressure within the eyeball, which causes severe pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and seeing haloes. If untreated, glaucoma can lead to permanent loss of vision.
Finally, a foreign body on the surface of the eye often results in pain and inflammation known as keratitis.
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
Although the eye is an extremely complex organ, it saving grace is that it is particularly accessible for examination because of the transparency of its structures, so many diseases that affect the eye can be viewed directly. To do this, the practitioner would use an ophthalmoscope and slit lamp.
NOSE
Whatever the shape of your nose, it performs a common purpose, namely to filter, warm and moisten the air we breathe, and to detect smells. It is also the nose that gives our voices their characteristic tones by acting as a resonator. Whether it be roman, aquiline, retroussé or snub, the prominent position of the nose makes it particularly prone to injury, while infections and allergic conditions, causing stuffiness, sneezing, and sometimes loss of sense of smell, are also common. Most prevalent is the common cold, a virus infection which causes inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages and excessive production of mucus, and hence nasal congestion (better known as a stuffy and/or runny nose). Small boils are also common just inside the nostrils, where they can cause considerable pain.
Fracture of the nasal bones (a broken nose) is a familiar sports injury, while nosebleeds are most common in children. They are primarily caused by fragile blood vessels, and infection of the lining of the nose or a blow to the nose.
You can do irreparable damage to you nose by repeated sniffing of cocaine, which interferes with the blood supply to the mucous membrane lining the nose and can cause perforation of the nasal septum (the cartilage dividing the two nostrils).
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
To inspect inside the nose, a doctor uses a speculum to open the nostrils. If a fracture is suspected and x-ray will be taken. For suspected cancer, a nasal endoscopy and a biopsy are performed.
THROAT
A sore throat may be the favorite excuse for a day off school but the real thing is very painful and causes great discomfort. It may be the first sign of the common cold, influenza, laryngitis or many of the childhood viral illnesses, including chickenpox, measles, and mumps. On the other hand, it could be caused by pharyngitis and occasionally tonsillitis. Strep throat (caused by infection with beta-hemolytic streptococcal bacteria) requires immediate action. Left untreated, it may lead to acute glomerulonephritis, it may rheumatic fever.
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
A sore throat can sometimes be relieved by gargling salt water. Adults may benefit from taking aspirin. If symptoms persist for more than 48 hours or a rash appears, consult your doctor. Sore throats due to bacterial infection are treated with antibiotic drugs.
THE HALE APPROACH
All problems involving the eye should be checked initially by an optician and if no obvious problems are viewed then a complementary therapist can be consulted. If the optician ha any doubts about the normality of the eye, then referral (through your physician or complementary practitioner) to an ophthalmic surgeon is essential, since eye problems can advance rapidly.
Itching, flaking, and blockage of the outer ear is best assessed initially by your physician. If steroid or antibiotic drops are recommended, see a complementary therapist before using them.
Any persistent or severe ear pain should be examined by a physician. You should ask if there is any serious visible damage of the eardrum, such as perforation. If there is, then orthodox treatment should be commenced and completed, although complementary treatments may be very effective and even more swift in their efficacy than antibiotics. If the condition will permit a delay, then complementary therapies should be utilized first.
Nasal injuries are best assessed by a hospital casualty department or your own physician. More chronic problems such as polyps or loss of the sense of smell can be treated by complementary therapy, but if the condition does not respond within two months, then referral to an E.N.T. specialist could be beneficial. As always, with any problem that comes on rapidly, a physician’s opinion should be the first option.
A sore throat should initially be dealt with by complementary methods in all cases except those where a rash appears, breathing is compromised or the pain is substantial. If complementary methods do not work within 48 hours, then antibiotics may be appropriate and you should consult your physician.
Complementary medicine can be very effective in both the prevention and the treatment of E.N.T. problems. Unlike orthodox medicine, treatments do not focus exclusively on specific symptoms areas (e.g. excluding milk from your diet to reduce phlegm), but on the overall situation. Spinal manipulation, for instance, can clear up certain problems with the throat. Marma massage to the back of the head could treat a swollen eye. The Buteyko Method of breathing reconditioning treats and prevents E.N.T. problems and is particularly effective with sinus problems and snoring.
Often a good way to start treating E.N.T. problems is with nutritional advice and the identification of any allergic reactions. Buteyko may also prevent the recurrence of allergies that aggravate these problems.
Alternatively the cause may lie with the structure of the spine and the cranium. It is not generally understood what an important role chiropractic, osteopathy, and cranial osteopathy can play in the treatment of E.N.T. problems. Marma massage, as part of general Ayurvedic approach, will address both the structural and the nutritional aspects of the problem as well as providing a range of self-care techniques to prevent a recurrence. Homeopathy and acupuncture are also very effective in treating these problems, with homeopathy and cranial osteopathy being a particularly helpful combination for children.