Coping with LABYRINTHITIS

This inner-ear infection causes inflammation, affecting hearing and balance

- Dr Gill Jenkins

Weight loss for diabetes

Many people with type 2 diabetes need weight loss to reduce cardiovascular risk or medication needs. Two large reviews show dietary intervention, whether making it low-carbohydrate, high-protein, Mediterranean or vegetarian, rarely achieves useful weight loss, although low-energy diets – replacing food with low-calorie shakes – achieved a loss of a few kilograms.

AF AND ALCOHOL

A paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) study shows that triggers include caffeine, alcohol, reduced sleep, exercise, lying on the left side and dehydration. But a trials meta-analysis found that alcohol was the only exposure significantly associated with an increased risk of the heart condition. Another study shows that cardioversion of AF back to normal rhythm, whether by direct current or by means of medication, carried a lower risk of mortality if undertaken early.

The inner-ear labyrinth includes the cochlea, which manages hearing, and the vestibular system, controlling balance. In labyrinthitis, symptoms of dizziness, earing loss and vertigo (a sensation of the world moving around you), ear pressure sensation, ringing (tinnitus), pain, headache, blurred vision, fever and nausea are common. Rarely, fluid leaks from your ear.