Health Library
Conditions & Symptoms A–Z
Plain-language explanations of 60 conditions we treat at SIMS — written the way a consultant would explain them across the desk. Each entry sets out the symptoms, the point at which you should stop waiting, the tests usually advised and how the condition is treated here.
Browse the A–Z
Eye, ENT & Skin
Choose a system below to narrow the list to that body system.
Showing 6 of 60 conditions
Eye, ENT & Skin (6)
Cataract
A cataract is clouding of the natural lens of the eye, causing gradual, painless dimming of vision. It is the commonest cause of reversible blindness in India, and a day-care operation restores sight in the great majority of patients.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve, usually associated with raised pressure inside the eye, which destroys side vision silently before it affects central vision. Sight already lost cannot be recovered, so early detection is the whole battle.
Chronic Otitis Media
Chronic otitis media is long-standing infection of the middle ear with a perforated eardrum and recurrent discharge. Families often treat it as an ordinary running ear for years, by which time hearing has been affected and, in some forms, the surrounding bone is at risk.
Allergic Rhinitis and Sinusitis
Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the nasal lining triggered by dust, pollen, smoke or animal dander, and it frequently leads on to sinus infection. The dry, dusty air of Rayalaseema and the wind-blown soil of the summer months make it a year-round complaint here.
Fungal Skin Infection
Tinea, commonly called ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin that spreads in heat, sweat and shared clothing. It has become markedly harder to treat in India because of the widespread use of over-the-counter steroid-antifungal combination creams.
Acne
Acne is inflammation of the skin's oil glands, producing blackheads, pimples and, in some, deep painful nodules. It is not caused by uncleanliness, and treating it early is the most reliable way to avoid permanent scarring.
These pages describe conditions in general terms. They cannot tell you what is wrong with you, and self-diagnosis delays treatment far more often than it speeds it up. For chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding, call 108 or come straight to the emergency department.
Found the condition but not the answer?
Every entry links to the department that treats it. Book a consultation and a specialist will tell you which parts of it apply to your case.