Don't neglect cold, it may be sinusitis

bangalore: change of weather. time for those colds again and bouts of sneezing. not your fault really, for the average bangalorean on an average suffers about three such colds in a year (at every change of weather). time for absolute irritation as nothing seems to work. ayurveda, it seems, has an answer not only to chase away those colds, but even more importantly, to keep them at bay in the first place.says dr narasimha swamy of pragathi ayurvedic centre, ``sneezing, headache, stuffy nose and a general feeling of fatigue occasionally accompanied by coughs are the basic signs of a common cold. a cold usually runs its course in two to 14 days' time.'' he cautions, however, ``if colds occur frequently or last much longer than a week they may not be colds at all but an allergy or sinusitis. it is important that both physicians and the patient take this account.'' and what is sinusitis? explains dr swamy, ``sinusitis is an infection of the lining of the sinuses, which are air spaces in the bones of the head and face. small openings connect the nose with the sinuses permitting sinus fluids to drain into the nose. inflammation of the nasal passages may close the sinuses interfering with the emptying of sinus secretions and trapping air in the cavity.'' he says that if a sinus is closed, the air in it may be absorbed and a vacuum may form causing severe pain. pus and mucous may press on the sinus wall again causing intense pain. the air spaces most commonly infected are those above the eyes, between and behind the eyes and the cheekbones below the eyes. ``as a result, there is headache or pain over the infected sinus in the morning, easing only late in the afternoon. there may also be pain in the cheek or upper teeth. the forehead is likely to be tender to pressure. in addition, the nasal passages are often dry and clogged because of the swollen membranes and lack of drainage,'' says dr swamy. an acute infection of the sinuses may clear up over several days or may develop into chronic sinus trouble. according to dr swamy, ``sometimes a chronic case shows few symptoms except susceptibility to frequent and prolonged colds. persistent uncured sinusitis may lead to other, more serious diseases like bronchitis and ear infection. it may also spread to the nervous system and cause meningitis and brain abscesses.'' as for sneezing, dr swamy suggests that, ``it is either a voluntary or involuntary act by a deep inspiration followed by violent expulsion of air through the nose and mouth producing a characteristic sound __ a sneeze.'' sneezing, a useful compensatory mechanism, is essentially a reflex. sensory impulse are transmitted from nasal endings of the fifth cranial nerve with stimuli being dust, dirt or any irritant foreign body in the nose. dr swamy claims that after his experience in dealing with wheezing problems, he has made a combination of a `churna' and two types of tablets to deal with sneezing and sinusitis. among his patients are top bureaucrats, software engineers and a host of other professions who believe that bangalore's weather has given them cause to sneeze. (more details can be had from dr narasimha swamy on 3402256 (clinic) or his residence on 2875913).