Obesity is characterized by excess collection of fats in the body, this makes you susceptible to several, heart related diseases. People will experience increase in triglyceride levels and their (High Density Lipoprotein) HDl levels will drop. This can result in a heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm, and angina. High cholesterol levels can cause several cardiovascular problems which can be fatal.

If your bile contains excess amounts of cholesterol then you are likely to develop gall stones. The crystals formed due to cholesterol in the gallbladder cause these stones and women are more prone to developing this than men. In most cases surgery is the only option to deal with gallstones in obese people. They are also prone to other gallbladder diseases like cholecystitis and jaundice.

High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most common obesity related diseases. High blood pressure puts a strain on the arteries, leading to heart diseases. It also puts you at risk of kidney failure which is a debilitating and at times fatal condition. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the resistance in the arteries. Rising body weight is related to increase in blood pressure levels.

This condition is caused due to the wear and tear of the joints and can really hamper your day to day living. People diagnosed with osteoarthritis will experience pain and stiffness in the joints and limited range of motion. Being overweight puts a strain on the joints and causes wear and tear of the cartilage which cushions the bones at the joints.

In this condition you take shallow breathes or pause while breathing in sleep, people with this problem, tend to snore loudly. Obese people experience obstructive sleep apnea, which causes the blockage of the airway during sleep. This condition puts you at risk of developing high blood pressure and stroke. This is a long term condition and needs lifestyle changes, in extreme cases physicians may suggest surgery to clear the airways.

Obesity can cause hormonal changes and obesity in women can mean problems with reproduction. It is also known to cause infertility in women and men. Obesity is also one of the common causes of erectile dysfunction in men. Loss of libido is also attributed to obesity and can have a debilitating effect on individuals.

Being obese can lead to a state of inactivity and this in itself is not good for the psychological well being of the individual. Obese people are prone to developing psychological illnesses like depression which can lead to thoughts of suicide in extreme cases. Depression can also drastically hamper your lifestyle and push you towards isolation.

This condition is known as glue ear. In order to treat glue ear, doctors suggest placing ear grommets. We shall discuss ear grommets in children in the following paragraphs and even have a look at what is glue ear. Glue ear is a condition where fluid builds up in the middle ear, just behind the ear drum. The middle ear ‘sweats’ fluid continuously. Whenever, one swallows or yawns, the fluid is emptied from the ear. If one suffers from a bad head cold or ear infection, they feel quite heavy in the ear. This is because the fluid is not able to drain off properly. The fluid is thin initially, but if it accumulates for a long time and is not able to drain out, it turns very thick. The presence of thick fluid appears like glue which is why it’s known as glue ear.

It is very important to get glue ear treated in children. If one observes ear pain in children or the child is inattentive, remains off-balance, irritable and may even appear slightly deaf, it is a sign of an ear problem. When the glue builds up in the ear, it affects the tiny bones that help in hearing. The thick fluid also affects the movement of the ear drum. Thus, a child suffers from conductive hearing loss. If left untreated it could affect the child’s hearing ability, speech and language development as well as academic problems.

After proper diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe medication and antibiotics and wait for a few weeks for the fluid to dry up on its own. However, when this does not happen, ear grommets are suggested. Grommets are tiny plastic tube structures that look like a cotton reel. A small surgery will be conducted to place the grommets in the ear. These structures are very tiny, about 2mm wide. They serve as plastic ventilation tubes. They are placed in a slit on the ear drum as it helps circulation of air around the middle ear.

A grommet does not drain the fluid out, but helps let air into the middle ear. The normal middle ear pressure is maintained by the grommets by allowing air into the space. This helps in reducing the build up of excessive fluid. If there is an ear infection, the pus accumulated starts draining out of the ear through the grommet. The child feels less ear pain and starts to hear normally very soon. Ear grommets are also known as Shepard’s tubes, ventilation tubes, collar button tubes, drainage tubes and T-tubes. Thus, if you hear a new name used by your child’s doctor, make sure you ask him if he is talking about grommets.

This is a minor surgery, where the child will be placed under general anesthesia. Then, the surgeon will make a small slit in the ear drum. The grommet will be inserted into this slit to help ventilate the middle ear. The entire process will take just about 10 to 15 minutes to be completed. Soon, when the child is wide awake from the anesthesia, the doctor will allow the child to go home. You will notice an immediate improvement in the child’s hearing after the surgery. Some discharge maybe observed, but this is usually normal. This ear discharge is treated with the help of some ear drops.

Ear grommets stay in place for about 6 to 18 months. They generally come out on their own. The slit in the ear drums also heals itself. However, sometimes, if the grommet does not come out on its own and the slit does not heal, another minor surgery maybe performed to remove the grommet and stitch back the small slit. Once a grommet is placed in the child’s ear, make sure you never let water enter the middle ear.