Ear, Nose and Throat Health

When using an MP3 player, the recommendation is to keep the volume at one half the scale, or less. Specifically, on an I-Pod device, I counsel my patients and family members to keep the volume no more than half... continue reading  about  I use ear buds with my MP3 player and wondered what volume of sound is safe. Can loud music cause hearing loss?

It is true that diabetes can cause hearing loss in cases that are more severe. Not everyone will get hearing loss with diabetes, and it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow your physician's r... continue reading  about  I have diabetes and I read recently that people with this disease have a higher risk of hearing problems. Why would this be, and is there anything I can do to prevent it?

I read several studies that seem to link increased risk of hearing loss to use of NSAIDS (ibuprofen is an NSAID). It is important to understand that there is an increase RISK of hearing loss in both women and m... continue reading  about  I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen?

I would suggest you return to the office that you purchased the hearing aids from and have adjustments made. If two hearing aids are warranted, then it may be a matter of turning them both down for comfort. It ... continue reading  about  I have two hearing aids, but find that sometimes when I use both, the sound is too intense, so I remove one. Are two hearing aids really necessary?

Generally sinus disease or infection causes a foul odor and not the smell of cigarettes. Some brain tumors can cause olfactory (smell) delusions or hallucinations and these can be manifest as almost any odor. H... continue reading  about  For two months, I've been smelling cigarette smoke at work, at home, even in my car. I know there is no actual smoke in the air (I don't smoke and neither do my family or coworkers) but I smell it. I read that it could be a sinus problem or brain tumor.

Neti pots use normal saline to rinse the nose of excess mucous. Normal saline is water to which salt is added and has the same degree of saltiness as your body's fluids. Saline rinses temporarily relieve nasal ... continue reading  about  A friend uses a neti pot and swears that it has reduced her allergies (sinus congestion and headaches) by 75 percent or more. How does the neti pot work and is it safe?

You might want your primary physician to refer you to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. Some ear canals can have “pockets” that are not noticeable by looking in the ear canal with a standard otoscope, ... continue reading  about  For the past three months, I've had a constant and irritating tickle in my inner ear. It even wakes me up at night. I've used ear rinses and had my primary care doctor examine it, but she could not find anything. Any suggestions?

Generally nose bleeds occur because the small blood vessels are shallow within the tissues of the nose. This is normal, but the constantly wetting then drying of the nose can cause the nasal tissue to crack (si... continue reading  about  My 7-year-old son gets nosebleeds often. What causes them and can they be prevented?

One of two problems is going on here. Either you have ear wax blocking your ear canal (a condition called cerumen impaction), or your allergies won't permit your ears to "pop", meaning that your eustachian tube... continue reading  about  I have spring allergies and this year I have a plugged left ear, which I'm attributing to this. I've been using the over-the-counter ear wax remedies which have been working somewhat, usually for a day or two, and then my ear becomes plugged again.