Dr Malik's Prime Clinic

It was after some years that I stepped in Safdarjung Hospital, the largest Central Govt. run hospital in India in terms of no. of beds.

Our hospitals might be overcrowded, they might have limited resources but what they lack in infrastructure is more than compensated by the dedication and kindness of the doctors and the support staff who are the backbone of these establishments.

I was invited at the Dept. of ENT to give a lecture on Positional Vertigo for the residents and junior doctors and was surprised with their natural curiosity and willingness to learn.

Most Vertigo stems from problems in the inner ear. It isn’t an exam favourite topic and one can train and be an excellent ENT surgeon without knowing too much about it. However the disease burden of vertigo is immense, with it being the second commonest symptom after pain.

The enthusiasm the residents displayed about learning more on positional vertigo was purely for the sake of knowledge, in order to provide better quality of healthcare to their patients. This wasn’t about exams, marks or distinctions.

Looking at the budding doctors in India, one rests assured that the health of our nation is in good hands.

Thank you Prof Isha Preet Tuli and head of department Prof Dr Nina Chaudhary for inviting me to your department, and the entire ENT department at the Vardhman Mahaveer Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital for your kind and overwhelming hospitality.

Not long ago the British Deputy High Commissioner to India, Ms Christina Scott CMG, invited select alumni from University College London to a reception at the High Commissioner's Residence. The agenda was to interact with UCL's senior leadership and reconnect with friends old and new. UCL this year, like every year, is amongst the top 10 universities in the world, and is entering an exciting chapter in its collaboration with the greatest of our research institutions (AIIMS & IIT for instance). Excitingly UCL has earmarked special scholarship program for prospective students in India. Arvind Vepa at [email protected] is the person to get in touch for more info on this.

Feels nice to be in constant touch with one's alma mater. :)

Dizziness is the second commonest medical symptom after pain. One of the disorders leading to dizziness/ vertigo is Meniere's Disease, first described more than 150 years ago, however diagnosing the disease beyond reasonable doubt is still a tough cookie to crack. In the last few years there have been discoveries that help in better identification of Meniere's Disorder. This results in proper patient care and medical management. Being one of the first centres in India to have adopted these skills/ tech and management strategies, Dr Ksh*tij Malik was invited to talk on this topic at the Annual Conference of Association of Otolaryngologists of India, Delhi Chapter at Lady Hardinge Medical College. Sharing a few snippets.

Kudos to the team,especially Dr Vipin Arora for an expertly planned and executed conference. Congratulations to Dr Ravi Meher for taking over as President of the society and Dr Manish Munjal for his role as Secretary.

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal mutation that affects humans. While the physical and intellectual challenges are more prominent, the frequent Ear Related Concerns are often not discussed as much ; (because of certain anatomical changes, children with Down syndrome are at a high risk of developing problems with the Outer & the Middle Ear).

A couple of weeks ago a group of very dedicated parents of children with Down syndrome had invited Dr Ksh*tij Malik to share insights into the possible concerns, the investigations and management strategies of Ear Related Problems in such cases. The feedback received after the online session made us realise that this information can be of use to several other parents too.

Linked is the video of the session which addresses common concerns with hearing in children, specifically those with Down syndrome.

Parents' Guide to Ear Problems in Down syndrome Children often develop ear pain and ear infections, which if untreated may result in bigger issues. These are more common in children with Down syndrome and ...

Happy to share that the book on complicated cases in Vertigo and Dizziness, edited by the legend Dr Kacker is finally out, including a chapter contributed by Dr Ksh*tij, Dr Tushar and Dr Richi.

The book contains several brilliant cases that highlight how the disease doesn't consult the text-book before it hits a patient. The symptoms patients come with can be varied, complex and may not fit the typical presentation highlighted in the books one has read during one's training.

Sharing such experiences with fellow doctors empowers them to be better.

Just the other day I met a couple at the clinic. The wife came with a problem, that her husband was going deaf. The Husband on the other hand was confident that his hearing was perfect, and had only come because, well, "She insisted". After evaluation it turned out that the wife was right. The husband was indeed losing his hearing. But why was this a surprise to him?

Why is that people are generally the first to figure out that they are losing their sight, but the last to figure out they are losing their hearing? What is so unusual about onset of hearing loss that makes it so difficult to pick up early? And is there an easy way to screen one's hearing at home?

Let's find out with this short post :).

Inner Ear, Early Signs of Deafness & Noise Induced Hearing Loss Why do people go deaf as they age, What's an easy way to detect hearing loss at home & Why do loud sounds cause permanent ear damage? 3.1 .Image generated through AI (Bing) All Sound Is vibration 3.2. Photo by Antoni Shkraba One of the most fascinating facts learnt in elementary physics is how space...

I often meet pilots, airline crew, hobby flying enthusiasts and frequent fliers with complaints of a blocked ear after an air journey. Some of them are surprised when the treatment for this is aimed at the nose instead of the ear. This short post declutters the phenomenon of Blocked Ears when in an aircraft (or during deep sea diving), and the way out from this sticky situation

The Middle Ear : The Culprit in the Aeroplane ! Why do the ears start acting funny in an airplane? Why do doctors prescribe nasal drops for an ear block? What's the similarity and difference between the middle ear and a packet of chips? Let’s find out. Image by Sasha Freemind In the last post we briefly discussed the Outer part of the ear, the ...

What is the existential purpose of having the Outer ear? What has loading cannon fodder in a tank got to do anything with it and why is indoor plumbing the biggest reason people get ear wax occluding the ear canals? We try to answer all of it here.

https://www.primehearing.com/post/the-outer-ear

The Outer Ear: What does it do apart from Collecting Wax & why is Indoor Plumbing to Blame for this? People have Outer Ears of different shapes, sizes and angles. Are they only cosmetic appendages, a mantlepiece to rest the spectacles, mask etc or is there a deeper meaning to their existance? The outer ear comprises of a resonant cavity called the co**ha (pronounced Kawng.kuh). The word is derived....

Dizziness is one of the commonest symptoms that people suffer from. If it were a competition, dizziness would have shared the podium with back pain & chronic fatigue. However there still remains a lot to learn about the pathologies behind the dreaded symptom.

Join Dr Ksh*tij Malik on Microsoft Teams on the 26th of September (Monday 8.00 PM) where he shall be giving a brief on common causes of positional vertigo that are NOT BPPV.

Short Link: tinyurl.com/bdxkm557

Note : While BPPV is the commonest cause of positional vertigo, we need to change the perception that it is the ONLY cause of positional vertigo. There are many more, and quite common at that. This is a short talk focussed on identification and diagnosing several common causes of position vertigo beyond BPPV. The target audience is medical professionals, but others if interested may join too.

Neurotological & Equilibriometric Society of India is a complicated name, but that's where the complexity ends, because as a society it strives to declutter the science of Balance, Hearing and all things to do with inner ear. A couple of weeks ago we had the 40th Annual Conference of NES organised by the very capable department of ORLHNS, AIIMS New Delhi, where Dr Ksh*tij Malik was invited to give a lecture on customising protocols for Vestibular Rehabilitation (beyond cawthorne cooksey so to speak) to a packed hall. This was followed by a round table discussion for select budding doctors the next day, about the Rationale of Hearing Aid Fitting.

Many thanks to the ENT (ORLHNS) Dept. AIIMS for being the generous and very efficient organisers of this fantastic conference at the Institute and IHC Delhi in mid august 2022.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drksh*tijmalik_aiimsdelhi-vertigo-hearinghealth-activity-6970982268223778816-R2RM?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Thank you Cochin Neurotology Society for inviting Dr Ksh*tij Malik for a talk and panel discussion on Postural Dizziness and Pharmacotherapy in Vertigo. As Icing on the cake a photograph he clicked won the first prize in the "showcase balance through pictures" competition. This is the third conference he has attended in Kerala & he is always surprised with the dedication seen both by the organisers and participants. Many thanks to the organising team of the Medical Trust Hospital Kochi for their hard work in organising such a well attended and executed conference.

Dr Ksh*tij Malik on LinkedIn: #dizzycon #vertigo #CME Thank you Cochin Neurotology Society for inviting me for a talk and panel discussion on Postural Dizziness and Pharmacotherapy in Vertigo. As Icing on ...

is one of the commonest causes of Vertigo that we see and treat. Dr Malik was recently invited to give a presentation to an audience of otologists about complex and resilient BPPV, which can be equally frustrating for the patient and the clinician, followed by an interactice panel discussion. A few glimpses of the meet :). Sharing experiences and learning from each other goes a long way in advancement of science. #

Dr Ksh*tij was recently invited as faculty to a Vertigo CME to address the topic of complex and resilient BPPV.

Dr Ksh*tij Malik on LinkedIn: #BPPV #science #learning is one of the commonest causes of Vertigo that we see and treat. I recently was invited to give a presentation to an audience of otologists about...

Audiologist with good communication skills, in depth knowledge of the subject along with experience of hearing aid programming. Job would also entail home visits to patients and travelling to Delhi as and when required.

There are many problems in this world. Exercise is a solution to a lot of them. Get moving.

The Neuro-otological & Equilibriometric Society of India organised its 38th Annual Conference at Bangalore last week. The nationwide presence of the society ensures comprehensive sharing of knowledge. Dr Ksh*tij Malik was an invited faculty who delivered two talks, one on Tinnitus and the other on Peripheral Nystagmus in cases of vertigo.

Exercise improves Cardio-Vascular System. Most of us focus on the word Cardio and in our mind the benefit is restricted to the Heart. However, we miss the Vascular part, which means the benefit extends to every blood vessel that supplies everything else in the human body. The eyes, the ears, the muscles, the kidneys, the brain, the ge****ls and pretty much everything else. On World Health Day, let's make a difference.

For years we have depended on others to save us from deafness. On the 'car driver' to honk less; on the 'DJ' to play the music softer; on the 'industrialist' to reduce machine noise. Somehow during all this we forgot to ask ourselves if there's something we can do to improve our resistance to noise induced deafness. Find out on this World Health Day.

A lot of friends, colleagues & patients often ask us for ways to prevent deterioration of the inner ear function, be it hearing or balance. Surprising as it may sound, Exercise is the key. There have been multiple medical studies that have linked exercise to better hearing and balance. This Sunday, on World Health Day, we invite Dr Rajat Chauhan at our community in Gurgaon to host a session on the basics of exercise and running for a healthier and happier life.

Using ear buds is generally a bad idea, but occasionally it can be catastrophic. https://people.com/health/man-infection-skull-brain-lining-cleaning-ear-cotton-swab/

Man Develops Infection in His Skull and Brain Lining After Cleaning His Ear with a Cotton Swab After experiencing painful infections, hearing loss, and a seizure, doctors discovered a piece of the cotton swab lodged in the man's ear canal, surrounded by wax and debris

Dr Malik was invited as the keynote speaker to the Delhi International Airport for an awareness program on Noise Induced Hearing Loss. He discussed the harmful effects of loud sound exposure and ways to protect one's hearing when working in such environment. Noise Induced Deafness is 100% preventable and it was heartwarming to see the dedication and active approach by the DIAL management to have organised this.

Hearing Loss seeps in silently, and often escapes detection till things become extreme. Be proactive. Have your hearing checked on a regular basis.

The Delhi chapter of ENT association of India (AOI) had a detailed session on balance and vertigo at their annual conference today. It is gratifying to see Vestibular Medicine being given its due. Dr Ksh*tij Malik was a panelist amongst other Vestibular Specialists during the discussion on Vertigo.

Blindness separates people from things. Deafness separates people from people. Not being able to understand group conversations is the first sign that hearing loss may be brewing up. Early treatment keeps the hearing centres in the brain active and running, else like most things in life, they start rusting away.

Problems with the inner ear are the commonest cause of spinning dizziness and vertigo.

The balance of things : No super-hero movie can exist without a worthy Super-Villain. On one hand we have spectacular advancements to heal the human body, on the other, enough arsenal to self destruct ourselves. Knowledge alone enables us to make the right choices.

The party I was at last evening was a relatively quiet one, and still had ambient noise levels touching 95dB (checked on a sound level meter app on the phone). I took a few steps away from the speaker system where sounds were under 80dB.

More of us need to be aware of the ear damaging sound levels around us to prevent Noise Induced Deafness. It's real, and it's more common now than ever. Luckily, unlike air pollution, Noise pollution can't be thrust upon you if you are careful. Take care of your ears. Wish all a Happy New year.