Q: I am suffering from cold for several years. This sometimes results in throat infection and fever in sequence. It caused me lots of problems including lack of concentration and weakness. I find I have low body weight for my age and height. I have consulted several ENT doctors. Everybody says a common reason is that there is a bend in my nasal bone. Now I am taking Aquamet Mometasone Furoate Monohydrate nasal spray. It gives greater relief and I find my cold and allergy has gone away completely. Some people say it is a steroid. I want to clarify if this is so and in that case, will it cause side effects?

A:Cold is caused by a viral infection and does not generally last for more than 7 days or so. It looks that a firm diagnosis has not been made in your case. Before any potent medicine is used it is important to arrive at a firm diagnosis. It appears that you may be suffering from some form of allergy. Aquamet is the brand name of a steroid called mometasone. It is used in Seasonal &/or Perennial Allergic Rhinitis. It is not to be used in Cold. It side effects include headache, bleeding from nose, burning/irritation in the nose. Use of steroids over long periods can aggravate local nasal infections. It is recommended that periodic examination should be done to exclude fungal infections since they can become very troublesome.