What To Know About Sinus Massage
Sinus issues are common, with nearly 29 million cases of sinusitis across the U.S., and can cause discomfort for many individuals. While there are several ways to alleviate sinus problems, one lesser-known but effective method is sinus massage. This type of massage focuses on the sinus areas to promote drainage and relieve pressure and can…
The Impact Of Smoking On ENT Health: Risks and Recovery
It’s widely acknowledged that smoking detrimentally impacts one’s physical health. Among the health risks associated with smoking are cancers of the head, neck and throat, as well as stroke, heart attack, emphysema and other conditions. The CDC identifies smoking as the primary cause of preventable death in the United States. Impacts on ENT Health Inhaling…
Exploring Allergies: How They Affect the Ears, Nose and Throat
Allergies are the body’s overreaction to a stimulus that would otherwise be considered harmless. Common environmental allergens may include pollen, mold and pet dander. Allergic reactions often cause overlapping symptoms that impact the ears, nose and throat. Symptoms can range from itching and swelling, to runny eyes and nose, sneezing and coughing. More than 100…
What Causes White Spots on the Throat
Finding white spots on the back of the throat and tonsils can feel a little alarming. Learning about the possible causes and treatments of these white spots can help ease your concerns and set you on the right treatment path. Let’s explore a few common causes and treatments for these white spots. Strep Throat Strep…
Causes And Treatments for Posterior Nosebleed
A posterior nosebleed takes place when bleeding originates in the posterior part of the nasal cavity. Epistaxis, the clinical term for a nosebleed, occurs when the interior nasal blood vessels are compromised and bleed. Persistent bleeding over 20 minutes, or bleeding that accompanies a trauma to the head, face or nose, usually indicates a posterior…
Home Remedies for a Sore Throat and When to See a Doctor
A sore throat is a common condition that sometimes makes it difficult to swallow, eat or talk. Sore throats can have various causes ranging from illnesses to allergies. They’re often not serious and can be treated with home remedies. Understanding the causes and available remedies can help you be prepared to treat one if it…
What To Do If Allergies Are Triggering Your Asthma
Asthma is a persistent respiratory condition characterized by inflammation of the airways that can be hypersensitive to certain triggers, unlike in people without asthma. These triggers can range from physical activity and airborne substances to weather changes, certain medications and allergens. For those with allergic asthma, identifying and understanding these triggers is crucial for effectively…
Why Does My Nose Run When I Eat?
A runny nose, while not a serious symptom, can be annoying when trying to enjoy your favorite burger at the Copper Spoon. Gustatory rhinitis is the medical term for a runny nose brought on during a meal or after eating food. Additional symptoms you may experience with gustatory rhinitis include congestion, postnasal drip (the feeling…
How To Recognize and Manage Aphasia
Aphasia is a language disorder that impacts communication, typically caused by damage to the brain’s language centers. It differs in its impact among individuals and necessitates varying treatment options. Aphasia is an uncommon disorder, affecting about 2 million people in the U.S., but a greater understanding of the disorder allows for a better ability to…
Why Do I Have Trouble Swallowing?
Difficulty swallowing can get in the way of enjoying your favorite stack of pancakes from Lakeside Cafe. While most people experience difficulty swallowing occasionally, such as when taking large bites of food or drinking certain liquids, ongoing swallowing difficulty may be a sign of dysphagia. What Is Dysphagia? Dysphagia refers to the condition that causes…
What Should You Do If Your Child Gets Something Stuck In Their Ear
Finding a foreign object lodged in your child’s ear could make you a little concerned. While not typically severe, it’s essential not to overlook this situation as it can lead to potential ear canal damage or even hearing loss. If your child complains of ear pain or seems unusually upset after an activity such as…
Why Do Your Ears Hurt When Swallowing?
Have you ever experienced that uncomfortable sensation of ear pain when swallowing? It’s a common occurrence that often leaves us wondering why our ears are affected by something as basic as swallowing a bite of our favorite breakfast plate at Lakeside Cafe. Let’s explore common causes of ear pain when swallowing and a few preventative…
What Is Musical Ear and How Is It Managed?
The world of music holds a special place in our hearts. For most of us, music is a source of joy, inspiration and connection. However, for individuals with a condition known as musical ear, the experience of hearing music can be quite different. Musical ear, also known as musical hallucination or musical tinnitus, is a…
How to Manage Strep Throat
According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 14,000 to 25,000 cases of strep throat have occurred in each of the most recent five years in the United States. Strep throat is a common infection that can cause discomfort and pain in the throat. Recognizing the symptoms, seeking appropriate medical treatment and following home remedies…
How to Care for Your ENT Health During Holiday Travel
The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the excitement of reuniting with loved ones and creating cherished memories. Amidst the joy and family times, it is crucial to prioritize your ear, nose and throat (ENT) health to ensure a pleasant and worry-free experience. Let’s look at some valuable tips on how to…
What Does Ear Crackling Mean?
The sound of crackling in the ear can have a variety of causes, usually resulting from congestion caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction. It can also result from other medical conditions such as tinnitus, or the sensation of ringing, buzzing or other sounds in one or both ears. It’s helpful to understand the causes of crackling…
What Is Cobblestone Throat?
Seeing or feeling lumps in the back of your throat can be a worrisome experience, but they are likely just a symptom of cobblestone throat. Cobblestone throat causes inflamed tissue in the back of your throat that looks bumpy or rough. The bumps are harmless, fluid-filled tissue that usually forms in response to an infection,…
What Are Treatment Options for Laryngitis?
Laryngitis is the inflammation of your voice box from irritation, overuse or infection. Acute laryngitis lasts three to seven days, and and can be treated with home remedies. Should you find yourself with laryngitis symptoms, you can head to Fort Wayne’s Farmers Market to stock up on tea and honey. Signs, Symptoms and Causes of…
Can Acid Reflux Change Your Voice?
Those who deal with acid reflux are often familiar with the usual tell-tale symptom of heartburn. However, the condition can cause other symptoms as well. In some cases, it can lead to a change in your voice. What is Acid Reflux? Acid reflux is when stomach acid backflows into your esophagus. While many people deal…
Why Is Your Nose Stuffy in the Morning?
While rarely a sign of a more serious condition, waking up with a stuffy nose is not a fun start to your day. Knowing the cause of your stuffy nose is the first step in treating it. Take a look at a couple of common stuffy nose triggers and their treatment options for a better,…
What to Know About Otosclerosis?
More than three million people in the United States have otosclerosis. Otosclerosis occurs when an abnormal bone growth in the middle or inner ear prevents sound from effectively traveling through the ear, resulting in mild to severe hearing loss. Over the course of your life, the bone tissue in your ears renews itself by replacing…
Can Sinus Problems Affect Your Eyes?
Sinus problems, specifically having a sinus infection, can be unpleasant and uncomfortable and lead to a host of different symptoms. In some cases, having a sinus infection may affect your eyes and your vision. However, in most cases, these issues are temporary and not serious. What is a Sinus Infection? A sinus infection is also…
Reasons Why You’re Waking Up with a Sore Throat
Many of us have had the experience of waking up with a dry, scratchy or sore throat. It can be especially annoying and uncomfortable if you’re experiencing this problem on a regular basis. Let’s explore several common reasons you might be waking up with a sore throat, as well as what you can do to…
Why Is My Nose Runny and How Can I Manage It?
While a fairly mild symptom on its own, a runny nose can quickly become an annoyance. Common frustrations accompanying a runny nose may include irritated or raw-feeling skin around the nose and mouth, needing to blow your nose frequently, poor sense of smell and trouble breathing. Let’s examine some common causes of a runny nose…
Can Chronic Sinusitis Affect Your Mental Health?
Dealing with chronic sinusitis symptoms isn’t just unpleasant. Research has shown that it can actually negatively impact your mental health. Chronic Sinusitis Signs and Symptoms Sinusitis is another term for a sinus infection. A sinus infection is considered chronic if your symptoms last longer than 12 weeks. Sinusitis is usually caused by a viral illness,…
Tips for a Stress-Free Shopping Trip With Hearing Loss
Whether going to the grocery store for weekly necessities or heading to Sugar Love Boutique for a new outfit, knowing how to accommodate your hearing loss while shopping can help you have a stress-free experience. Stress from shopping with hearing loss may come from multiple sources, including but not limited to: While you may not…
Tips for Managing Your Hearing Loss at Work
Approximately 15% of American adults experience some trouble hearing. Because it is so widespread, most workplaces have procedures in place to accommodate those with hearing loss. Let’s look at a of couple workplace accommodations as well as some personal measures you can take to make working with hearing loss a little easier. Workplace Accommodations The…
Could Your Tooth Pain Be From a Sinus Infection?
Approximately 28.9 million U.S. adults were diagnosed with sinusitis in 2018. Sinusitis, also called a sinus infection, can cause congestion, runny nose, facial pain and pressure, sore throat, cough and even tooth pain. Tooth pain is less often associated with sinus infections, but because it can have more serious dental causes, it is important to…
What Is the Association Between Allergies and Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin condition that causes an itchy rash. Immune-mediated conditions are triggered or inflamed in response to a disruption of regular immune system activity. Allergies are a similar immune system response triggered by contact with allergens. Let’s look at the connection between allergies and psoriasis and how to identify and treat…
Can Stress Worsen Acid Reflux?
Many of us are familiar with the ways stress can manifest in our bodies, from sweaty palms and racing hearts to a nervous stomach and tension headaches. Some people notice an increase in acid reflux during times of high stress. Let’s look at why that might happen, as well as the best ways to manage…
What Are Your Treatment Options for Sinusitis?
Sinusitis, or sinus infection, occurs when mucus builds up in the sinuses that lead to the nasal cavity and causes irritation and inflammation. Symptoms of sinusitis may include nasal discharge, postnatal drip, facial pain, blocked or runny nose, sore throat, cough, tenderness and swelling and more. Sinus infections are a leading health complaint in physician…
Why Does My Throat Hurt While Yawning?
If you experience pain in your throat while yawning, you likely have inflammation in your throat. Let’s go over a few possible causes of this inflammation as well as how these conditions are traded. What Does Throat Pain When Yawning Feel Like? The type of pain you might feel when yawning will often depend on…
Do Allergies & Asthma Increase My Risk of Nasal Polyps?
Nasal polyps are benign growths shaped like teardrops or grapes that form in the lining of the nasal and sinus passages. They can obstruct breathing and cause other nasal problems if not treated promptly. The reason they form is because of chronic inflammation of the nasal passages, oftentimes caused by allergies and asthma. We review…
Why Is My Throat Burning?
There are multiple health conditions that can cause a burning throat. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the more common causes as well as your treatment options. Acid Reflux Pretty much everyone has experienced acid reflux from time to time. However, some people experience chronic reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD…
What Are the Best Types of Earplugs For Preventing Swimmer’s Ear?
Warmer temperatures are upon us. Soon it will be summer, which means more time spent outdoors and trips to the beach or swimming pool. If you love taking family trips to Northside Park Swimming Pool or other swimming holes in Fort Wayne, it’s important to know how to prevent swimmer’s ear for you and your…
What Causes a Bulging Eardrum & How Is It Treated?
Your eardrum is known by doctors as your tympanic membrane. Sometimes, certain conditions can cause the tympanic membrane to bulge. We review some of these conditions and how they’re treated below. Middle Ear Infections Middle ear infections, also known as otitis media, are the most common type of ear infection and a common cause of…
Take These Steps To Keep Your Sinuses Healthy
Sinusitis, including chronic sinusitis, is a common condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28.9 million adults in the United States are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis. What Is Sinusitis? Sinusitis is another term for a sinus infection. It is an inflammation of your sinuses that is often caused by a viral…
Is My Earache Caused by a Cold or Ear Infection?
If you’re experiencing an earache, it’s important to get to the bottom of what’s causing it in order to seek the appropriate treatment. Two potential causes of an earache are the common cold and an ear infection. We review how to tell the difference between these conditions below. The Common Cold According to one 2020…
How to Stop Postnasal Drip
The term postnasal drip (PND) describes when mucus drips down the back of your throat. Because the mucus irritates the throat, postnasal drip is associated with chronic cough. According to one article, “PND is a common complaint in primary care and ear-nose-throat offices.” Below we review how to stop postnasal drip. Home Remedies Certain home…
How To Use Ear Drops Correctly
Ear drops are an effective medication to treat a variety of common ailments. They are available both over the counter or through a prescription at places like Fort Wayne Custom Rx. Let’s take a look at some common types of ear drops, the conditions they treat as well as how to use them safely. Conditions…
How Is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Treated?
The Eustachian tubes are the passageways that connect your middle ears to the back of your throat. Their jobs are to allow fluid to drain from the middle ear and equalize air pressure between your middle ear and the environment. If your Eustachian tubes aren’t functioning correctly, you may be diagnosed with Eustachian tube dysfunction….
What to Eat When You Have a Sore Throat
According to an article published in the journal BMJ Clinical Evidence, “About 10% of people present to primary healthcare services with sore throat each year.” If you’re experiencing a sore throat now, you may be wondering what you can do to relieve it. In fact, some of the foods you eat and beverages you consume…
What Should I Do if Water Gets Stuck in My Ear?
A common ear infection caused by water getting trapped in the ear canal is called swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa. According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, “Approximately 10% of people will develop otitis externa during their lifetime.” To prevent swimmer’s ear, it’s essential that you remove the water in your…
Wireless Technology for Unparalleled Sound Quality and Convenience
Hearing aids have become very sophisticated over the years, with features undreamt of just a generation ago. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the advent of wireless connectivity. Thanks to the proliferation of Bluetooth® technology, today’s hearing devices are more versatile than ever, and feature unparalleled sound quality and convenience. What is Bluetooth? Bluetooth…
What to Know About Getting Your Ears Cleaned by an ENT
If your ears become impacted with earwax—in other words, if earwax becomes stuck in your ear canals—it can be uncomfortable. When this happens, it’s important that you don’t attempt to remove the wax yourself, especially in an unsafe way. Instead, you should schedule an appointment with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) physician to have…
Why Am I Dizzy?
Understanding the Symptoms & Treatment of Vestibular Conditions like Vertigo Dizziness or imbalance is a common complaint that can affect people of all ages. It is the reason for many emergency room (ER) visits and further visits to primary care providers. Symptoms of dizziness can be described as a room-spinning sensation, lightheaded feeling, disorientation, tilting/rocking…
Tips for Managing a Stuffy Nose
While not serious, nasal congestion or a stuffy nose can be annoying to deal with and interfere with your day-to-day activities. Let’s look at a few of the best ways to manage your symptoms and get you feeling well again. Six Ways To Relieve Nasal Congestion Shower. Steam from a hot shower can help to…
Inspire® is here to change the way you sleep
Maybe you’ve struggled with sleep apnea for many years and didn’t realize you had a problem. Has your spouse or partner ever woken you up to ask that you stop snoring? Have you struggled to get a much needed night of rest because the person next to you cannot stop snoring? This may be due…
What Causes Tightness in the Throat?
Several conditions can cause tightness in the throat. Let’s look at a few of the more common causes, as well as when to seek treatment. Common Causes of Throat Tightness GERD/Acid reflux. Reflux occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus and often causes heartburn. If it happens regularly, it’s known as gastroesophageal…
Why Do My Ears and Throat Hurt Simultaneously?
All of us have experienced a sore throat or ear pain at some point in our lives. If you currently find yourself dealing with both at the same time, you may be confused as to what is causing your symptoms. Let’s take a look at a few conditions that can cause discomfort in both the…