Ent and Allergy Specialists

What are the causes of recurring nosebleeds? Allergies, infections, or dryness that cause itching and lead to picking of the nose Vigorous nose blowing ruptures superficial blood vessels Clotting disorders that run-in families or are due to medications Drugs (such as anticoagulants or anti-inflammatories) Fractures of the nose or the base of the skull. Head injuries that cause nosebleeds should be regarded seriously. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, a disorder involving a blood vessel growth like a birthmark in the back of the nose Tumors, both malignant and nonmalignant, must be considered, particularly in the older patient or in smokers When should an otolaryngologist be consulted? If frequent nosebleeds are a problem, it is important to consult an otolaryngologist. An ear, nose, and the nose, prior to making a treatment recommendation. Two  of the most common treatments are cautery and packing the nose. Cautery is a technique in which the blood vessel is burned with an el...

  Cerumen or earwax is healthy in normal amounts and serves as a self-cleaning agent with protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. The absence of earwax may result in dry, itchy ears. Most of the time the ear canals are self-cleaning; that is, there is a slow and orderly migration of earwax and skin cells from the eardrum to the ear opening. Old earwax is constantly being transported, assisted by chewing and jaw motion, from the ear canal to the ear opening where it usually dries, flakes, and falls out. When should the ears be cleaned? Under ideal circumstances, the ear canals should never have to be cleaned. However, that isn’t always the case. The ears should be cleaned when enough earwax accumulates to cause symptoms or to prevent a needed assessment of the ear by your doctor. This condition is call cerumen impaction, and may cause one or more of the following symptoms: Earache, fullness in the ear, or a sensation the ear is plugged Partial hearing loss, which may ...

During the Summer evening of the Fourth of July, you’re most likely going to see fireworks in the sky. Whether you are watching professional fireworks or have purchased your own fireworks, hearing loss is a real risk to yourself and those around you. Babies should never be exposed to fireworks. An infant’s ear canal is much smaller than older children or adults. Therefore, the sound pressure roaring into the ear is much greater. To an infant, a sound that is not that loud to an adult may be 20 decibels louder to an infant. How to Protect Your Hearing Keep Distance from You and the Fireworks. Skip home displays and watch professional displays from a distance Bring earplugs, earmuffs and/or noise cancelling headphones Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) One of the top ways Americans lose their hearing is from noise induced activities. This may be a result from one’s occupation that include construction, airport attendant, nightclub worker, or even a racecar driver. This may cause tinnitus...

 Nasal obstruction is often caused by anatomical blockage in the nose, hindering airflow. As a result, you may feel congested or “stuffy”. Home remedies and medications may offer temporary relief. It’s only when your nasal airway is opened that you can expect to find real, lasting relief. Common symptoms of nasal obstruction: Trouble breathing through your nose Nasal congestion Difficulty sleeping  Difficulty breathing during physical exertion VivAer®Treatment Lasting relief is possible. If you regularly have trouble breathing through your nose and nothing seems to help, you may have nasal obstruction . Until now, finding a long-term solution often meant surgery. Now, your physician may be able to offer you lasting relief by performing a non-invasive VivAer treatment to open your nasal airway. Lasting Relief. 97% of patients experienced significant improvement in nasal breathing. Non-invasive solution. Minimal discomfort, no incisions, and can be performed in our office. Liv...

  What is more annoying that a constant ringing sound in your ear? It will drive you nuts! Humming, swishing, clicking, or echoing sounds in your ears usually, points to one thing – tinnitus. The most common reason of tinnitus is prolonged exposure to loud sounds, which causes permanent harm to the cells of the cochlea, a small organ in the inner ear. Among those whose jobs put them at risk for tinnitus are pilots, rock musicians, carpenters, street repair workers, and/orlandscapers. While tinnitus itself isn’t an illness, it is a symptom of other conditions, including: Ear infections Hearing loss Wax accumulation in the ear caused by an ear infection, or in rare cases, a benign tumor of the auditory nerve Aging, where the cochlea depreciates over time Exposure to loud noise Damage to the ear Certain medications like aspirin, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anti-depressants, and sedatives Medication conditions such as anemia, high blood pressure, heart disease, allergies, undera...

  Every child will experience congestion, especially in the Winter months. This can be a hardship for babies and parents. Congestion can lead to poor eating and lack of sleep due to breathing issues. Infants do not know how to blow their nose, so we must help them! To start, it’s not always clear what’s causing congestion. Infants and toddlers often catch the common cold due to their immunity building. On the other hand, there are several other reasons for causes of congestion . Start with the basics Congestions may also cause feeding issues when your baby is all stuffed up. Imagine trying to intake food with a huge blockage in your airway? The cause of congestion could instead be an allergy, which would require an allergy test. Congestion can occur when a piece of food and/or another object gets stuck in your child’s nose. In this case, we recommend bringing your child to the emergency room or their pediatrician. Do not try to remove anything yourself! Lastly, congestion may be an...

  Speech delays are very common amongst young children and have many different contributing factors. Many parents will express their concerns to their pediatrician, who will first assess the clarity and number of words in the child’s vocabulary. There are different benchmarks for each stage of development and your pediatrician advise if your child is within normal limits. There are many different contributing factors to speech delays in children, including but not limited to: Bilingual upbringing Hearing Loss Comprehension Audtiory Processing So how can an ENT help? An ENT will likely first rule out hearing loss as the culprit by ordering a complete audiogram. Audiograms are done by an audiologist that is trained to test children with appropriate methods for their age. If the results show a hearing loss of significant degree that would cause speech delays , an ENT may order additional testing, such as a CT or MRI to rule out anatomical issues. Additionally, fluid build up may decre...

At the end of the day, the technological advancements bring us to the ultimate benefit: improved communication and quality of life.  Hearing aids offer so much.  If you choose to pursue hearing aids, enjoy this transformative journey. Years ago, early technology in hearing aids provided benefit, but the benefit was minimal.  Our audiology forefathers preached the benefits for hearing aids. However, in many cases, sounds were made louder and not much else benefit was seen.  Patients still reported difficult in various scenarios, such as in background noise, with the television, and when listening to female or younger voices. Fast forward to today.  Hearing aids now actually do what they were designed to do: improve communication across various environments.  In addition to amplifying sound, hearing aids allow the user the benefits of clearer speech.  Depending upon the sophistication of the device, the ability to hear well in background noise can be ac...

As we continue to navigate through these tough times, our health has never been more important, as has our ability to communicate.  Hearing healthcare has reached the forefront over the last few years, whereas social distancing and mask wearing has made it difficult for many to hear and converse. Audiology Awareness Month places a spotlight on hearing health, whereas over 38 million people in America have some degree of hearing loss.  Recent statistics indicate that only 20% of that population seek treatment.  Untreated hearing loss can have significant consequences, including higher instances of depression, anger, isolation, and frustration.  It has also been linked to cognitive decline. This October, more than ever, be proactive.  If you feel that you are having difficulty hearing or understanding family, friends, and loved ones, consider meeting a credentialed hearing healthcare provider.  These providers, known as audiologists, will educate you on how y...

  A common sore throat is brought on by a virus, which can be very infectious and produce symptoms like tiredness, congestion, stuffiness, coughing, aching and a fever. While the symptoms are depressing, the good thing about a virus is that it will run its course in about a week without antibiotics needed. On the other hand, a condition called strep throat is a bacterial infection that’s more complicated to treat. Also highly contagious, strep throat spreads by coughing, sneezing and even speaking. If you suffer from a sore throat , there are ways to determine if what you’re feeling is viral or bacterial. If you experience any of these symptoms, you probably have strep throat: Swallowing is painful A fever of 100.4 or more Swollen lymph nodes on your neck White spots on the back of your mouth Headache or nausea In some cases, swollen and painful tonsils Treating Strep Throat Once strep throat is detected, antibiotics are used to treat it. It’s important to take the complete dose of...

There is a lot to like about the fall season. The cooler weather, changing of leaves, and many holidays make it a fun and festive time of year. However, the change in the weather can also mean new challenges and illnesses that affect your ears, nose, and throat. While many of these issues are more prevalent for children, there are ENT problems that can affect anyone at any age. Here are some of the things to look out for during the fall: The Common Cold There are over 1 billion colds reported in the United States every year, with high activity taking place in the rainy, colder months. Some studies even suggest that the average child will get eight to ten colds per year, primarily from September to March. Viral Upper Respiratory Infections These viruses are spread through coughs, sneezes and even talking, which can seem quite tremendous if you think about every single interaction you have with various people throughout the day. Children at school or a day care environment are at an even...

  The bone and cartilage that divides your nostrils are called a septum. When the wall of the septum isn’t aligned correctly, it means the septum deviated, a condition that can cause serious symptoms when the septum doesn’t divide the nostrils evenly. There are many things that can cause a deviated septum, including a birth defect like a cleft lip or palate, or injury to the nose from being broken or from a previous medical procedure. So what are the signs that your septum may deviate? You may have this condition if you experience frequent nose bleeds, trouble breathing, congestion, headaches, sinus infections, post-nasal drip or facial pain. If you have a severely deviated septum that causes nasal obstruction, it can lead to sleep disturbances due to difficulty breathing comfortably through your nose,  dry mouth caused by excessive mouth breathing or pressure and congestion in your nasal airway. Initial treatment of a deviated septum involves managing the symptoms with medic...

  Custom earmolds are made to explicitly to fit the size and shape of your individual ear, which provides for a more comfortable fit compared to many over-the-counter options. The tighter, more accurate fit provides for a better cap to protect against noise exposure and/or to keep water out of the ear. An audiologist takes imprints of each ear using a silicone material. Earmolds are available in various materials and colors. For children, it is recommended that they use earmolds attached to their hearing aids. Since their ears are continuously growing and changing in size and shape, the audiologist will need to monitor the fit of the earmolds at regular follow-up appointments. Musician molds stream out high levels of noise without changing the sound quality of music. This type of mold is available in a choice of three different filters depending on the amount of sound attenuation that is needed. It is recommended for musicians or frequent concert attendees. Swim molds stop water f...

  Chronic snoring may seem harmless, but it can cause serious physical and emotional complications for both snorers and those who sleep with them. Vibrating tissue in the soft palate is believed to play a major role in most cases of chronic snoring. The Pillar® Procedure, which is manufactured by Medtronic, Inc., is a simple, minimally invasive way to effectively treat snoring , as well as mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea , by stiffening the soft palate. The procedure is not recommended for patients with severe sleep apnea or for those who are overweight. Benefits of the Pillar Procedure The Pillar Procedure is an effective treatment for snoring and mild sleep apnea. Patients who have undergone the Pillar Procedure report a significant decrease in snoring. The procedure itself is minimally invasive and can be performed in a single doctor’s visit. After the procedure, discomfort is minimal, and the patient’s usual diet and activities can be resumed on the same day. The Pilla...

  Masks are our new normal to reduce the viral spread of COVID-19. While this has been a bigchange, patients with allergies, sinuses, and asthma have experienceddifficulty breathing while wearing a mask. Just because you have issues wear while wearing a mask, does not mean that you should not wear the mask. Those with asthma and respiratory issues are considered a high-risk group for COVID-19. Wear a cloth mask Unless you are a healthcare worker, then you probably do not need the surgical mask, N95 or full-filtering mask. These can be too restrictive to those with asthma. As an alternative, find a cloth mask that is comfortable and efficient in reducing the viral spread. Clean your mask daily Cleaning your mask daily can prevent or decrease allergy reactions, sinus infections , or asthma flair ups as the mask can collect dust and pollen, in addition to exposure to COVID-19. Wash your mask when necessary. Do not wear your mask longer than necessary Wearing a mask is vital and most u...

  Laryngomalacia, or “floppy voice box,” is an infantile condition where the larynx (voice box) does not fully develop which causes the immature cartilage of the upper larynx to collapse upon inhalation. LM results in partial airway obstruction, typically causing a specific high-pitched squeaking noise upon inhalation, which is referred to as stridor. This ultimately causes an airway obstruction which is the reason for the cyanosis.  The part above the vocal cords called the supraglottic larynx is tightly curled, with a short band holding the epiglottis, cartilage shield in the front, tightly to the mobile cartilage in the back of the larynx, or the arytenoids. These bands are known as the aryepiglottic folds which create the precise movement that opens and closes the vocal cords for phonation, or sound. The shortened aryepiglottic folds cause the epiglottis to be curled on itself. This is known as "omega shaped" epiglottis in laryngomalacia. Some infants have feeding diffic...

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts up again. A potentially serious condition, sleep apnea has three main types: Obstructive sleep apnea. This happens when something partially or totally blocks your upper airway as you sleep. It makes your diaphragm and chest muscles work overtime to open the blocked airway and bring air into your lungs. You are breathing then typically resumes with a snort or loud gasp. Central sleep apnea. In this type of sleep apnea, your braindoes not send the right signals to the muscles that control how you breathe. Complex sleep apnea. Also referred to as mixed sleep apnea, complex sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea. Some of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea include: Sudden awakenings with shortness of breath (more common in central sleep apnea) Loud snoring, a symptom more typical in patients with obstructive sleep apnea Intermittent pauses in breathing as you slee...

  Sinusitis is the swelling of the tissues that line your sinuses.  It is a common condition that may be aggravated by having a cold, a deviated septum, or nasal polyps.  There are various treatments for sinusitis. Physicians may prescribe nasal spray to decrease inflammation or oral antibiotics to treat bacteria that may be causing the inflammation. If the sinusitis is caused by a deviated septum or nasal polyps, you should schedule a consultation where physicians can provide recommendations and interventions for treatment. Surgical intervention to correct the deformity of the septum or removal of the nasal polyps may be all that is needed to decrease the cause of the sinusitis.  The general procedure is called a septoplasty.  All options for treatment should be discussed with your surgeon to determine the best course of treatment. A facial plastic surgeon may also need to be consulted, if needed.

  There’s good news and bad news about hearing loss. The good news is that your brain is amazingly good at overcoming many obstacles, including things like hearing loss. You may be suffering from a slight decline right now and you are not aware of it, because you’ve found ways to compensate. By coping and adapting, you feel like you are getting by.      So, what’s the bad news? You may be adapting so well that you don’t know what you’re missing. You’re unaware of lost information, lost opportunities, and the lost energy you spend just trying to keep up. Maybe those embarrassing moments when you don’t catch someone’s name or some other important bits of information are growing more frequent. Know what you’re missing In age-related hearing loss, the condition progresses as you get older. Your brain may be good at continuing to adapt but straining to listen tends to diminish the parts of your life that matter most: sharing with friends and family, keeping ahead in your ...