With the bout of viral surge seen across metro cities, the outpatient units of hospitals are filled with persons showing up with symptoms of viral infections. The typical flu like symptoms of fever, cold, cough however are not being tested for the pathogen, as they have been seen as self-limiting.
Dr Haleema Yezdani, a Bangalore-based general physician & diabetologist, says that while onset of the infection happens with cold and cough, followed by acute throat pain, in some people this progresses to severe pain in the ear.
“Typical signs of this infection are that there is usually no fever that accompanies it, even if there is, it only lasts for about a day,” says Dr Yezdani, who is also a telemedicine consultant.
Typical symptoms of the viral infection
Dr Yezdani adds that there is also a lot of weakness and fatigue associated with the viral infection. “Once treated symptomatically, one gets relief from the cold and cough symptoms. However, in the cases I’ve handled, I’ve seen the infection recur in 10-15 days.”
Dr Yezdani, who has been going through symptoms of the infection herself says that she has been unable to eat properly due to the severe throat pain. She has also been experiencing severe pain in one ear.
“I’ve not seen any critical cases so far, but due to the fatigue, it takes time for people to recover from the infection,” she adds.
Dr Kamal Bhalla, consultant physician, Sagar Hospitals, Bangalore says that she has been seeing a spike in the number of viral infections in the city for the past two weeks or so.
“Typical symptoms include cold and cough and diarrhoea. Ear pain is seen in few people and some of them experience fatigue or weakness. The infection lasts a little over a week in most cases,” she says.
The main issue, says Dr Yezdani, is that due to the severe throat pain, people are unable to eat food properly, leading to further fatigue.
What is the situation in other cities?
Dr Paparao Nadakurudu, internal medicine specialist at Citizens Hospital, Hyderabad says that in Hyderabad, there has been a surge in the number of viral infections for over two months.
“Viral infections always have varied presentations. Some will present with ear pain, some with throat pain, some with cough, some with pneumonia etc. Most people show up with upper respiratory tract symptoms. In very few cases, we have noticed ear pain accompanied by giddiness. Whenever there is involvement of the inner ear, people may experience giddiness and vertigo,” he says.
According to Dr Yezdani, in the current surge, doctors are seeing a combination of viral and bacterial infections.
The blood test reports of 33-year-old Sunil Bhat, who recently developed fever and fatigue showed that the neutrophil count was high. “I got myself tested with CBC blood test as suggested by my doctor. The report showed that the neutrophil count was 73.1 % as against the normal range of 40-70 % in adults,” said Bhat, whose diagnosis was both viral and bacterial infection. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cells, and an increase in the neutrophils suggest that the person is battling a bacterial infection.
Viral infections and ear pain
Explaining how viral infections can lead to ear pain, Dr EV Raman, ENT Consultant at Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore says “Ear pain is simply a manifestation of the blockage of the tube connecting the back of the nose to the ear. Viruses are the ones that cause the problem. Subsequently, if there is viral infection, the person becomes vulnerable for a bacterial infection too,” says Dr Raman.
He says that viruses usually affect the upper respiratory tract- the nose, the space behind the nose and the back of the throat. If the immunity is low, it can go down further, causing pneumonia, he adds.
“During an upper respiratory infection, it is the throat and the nose which get affected. The tube which comes from the ear to this area, due to the inflammation, gets blocked,” says Dr Raman.
Dr Raman adds that 8 out of 9 times, this issue is self-resolving. He suggests using nasal drops to open up the tubes. “Steam inhalation is one of the ways to remove the phegm. But if it becomes a bacterial infection, which is much more common among children, that is the time when they would get fever, which leads to certain issues. Many times, parents indulge in self-medication using antibiotics-which do not work against viruses,” says Dr Raman. However, if the pain persists or if the child has got a high fever or even an adult, then you can start antibiotics as prescribed by doctors, he added.
Dr Raman says that while people experiencing ear pain usually ask doctors to prescribe ear drops, little do they know that it will not help. “The problem however, is behind the ear. So using nasal decongestant drops will help,” he says.
Relief from viral infection
Dr Yezdani recommends symptomatic treatment along with certain measures such as having smaller portion of meals, drinking warm liquids and soups and following a diet rich in proteins and Vitamin C to combat the infection.
“Maintaining a high-protein diet will help in easing recovery,” she adds.
To prevent spread of the infection, experts also recommend general precautions such as maintaining hand hygiene, covering your mouth while coughing and sneezing and wearing masks while out and about in public places.
Takeaways
Doctors in Bangalore are reporting a surge in the number of viral infections. While typical symptoms include cough, cold and throat pain, in some cases, people also develop ear pain and diarrhoea.
