Journal
Short guides on cough, hearing, sinus and earwax.
Ear and hearing No. 03
Can one firecracker damage your hearing?
Yes. One firecracker close to the ear can be loud enough to injure hearing in a moment. Some fireworks reach about 140 to 160 decibels at close range. Ringing afterwards can be a warning, not a party trick. Distance and real hearing protection matter more than bravery, especially for children.
- 02Voice and throatWhy does your child keep coughing?A cough that fills the night often starts in the nose. Mucus drips onto the throat, the throat objects, and the cough is the objection. Most viral coughs settle over two to three weeks. Fast breathing, a wheeze, or a cough that keeps getting worse needs a doctor. Difficulty breathing is an emergency.8 min read
- 04Nose and sinusThe morning after Diwali: smoke, not a hangoverYou can wake up hoarse, blocked and sneezing without having had a drink. Firecracker smoke carries fine particles that irritate the lining of the nose and throat. It feels like the start of a cold. Often it is the air you breathed. People with allergies or sinus trouble feel it sooner.5 min read
- 05Nose and sinusAllergy, cold or sinusitis: what is the difference?A blocked nose is a description, not a diagnosis. Sneezing and itchy eyes behave like allergy. A sore throat, ache and a short course behave like a viral cold. Facial pressure that lasts past ten days, or improves and then worsens, is when sinusitis deserves a proper look. Most sinus infections are still viral.6 min read
- 06Ear and hearingAre cotton buds doing more harm than good?Usually, yes. Earwax is a protection, not dirt. A cotton bud rarely removes it. The bud pushes wax deeper, where it blocks the canal, irritates the skin, and sometimes meets the eardrum. Most ears clean themselves. Clean the outside. If the ear feels blocked, have it looked at instead of digging.5 min read
- 07Ear and hearingSudden hearing loss: why the first day mattersWaking up unable to hear from one ear can feel like wax, or like a cold that has not popped. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is sudden inner-ear hearing loss, and some treatments work better when they start early. If hearing drops over three days or less, it should be assessed urgently, ideally within 24 hours.6 min read