By age 19, your nose stops growing, but it may continue to change shape as you age. It could droop or lengthen due to gravitational forces, which is why many elderly seem to have big noses.
Did you know that our ears never rest? Even while sleeping, we can still hear, though our brain ignores most of the sound. Our brain only reacts to loud noises as a defense mechanism, alerting us of any potential danger.
Few things can be more annoying than sneezing several times in a row. This happens when the irritant can’t be cleared from the nose in just one sneeze, which is commonly observed among allergy sufferers.
Part of both the digestive and respiratory systems, the pharynx is a semi-muscular tube that connects the mouth to the esophagus and the nasal cavity to the wind pipe. The pharynx measures 12 to 14 cm in length.
Did you know that humans smell better than they see? The human nose has about 400 types of olfactory receptors capable of distinguishing more than a trillion different scents.
Did you know that the throat is part of two major organ systems? Because it serves as a passageway for both food and air, the throat is part of the digestive system and respiratory system, respectively.
When seeking out a qualified ENT physician, ask for referrals from friends and families, local hospitals, and primary care physicians. The information they provide is a good starting point for finding a reliable doctor.
There is a poem by Carl Sandburg titled “Why Did the Children Put Beans in Their Ears?” As you well know, despite all your best efforts, children will put things in not only their mouths, but their noses and, yes, their ears. If this happens, get help from a pediatric ENT.
Not sure if your child’s sore throats are routine, chronic, or a sign of something more serious? Bring him or her in for an examination and discuss your concerns with us.
Ever wonder why you seem to lose your sense of taste when you have a cold? This is because the brain perceives flavor as a combination of a specific food’s actual taste, texture, and smell.
When you are stressed, your earwax production can increase due to the action of the apocrine glands. Aside from regulating your earwax secretion, these glands are also responsible for producing sweat, which is why your body produces more sweat under stress.
Unless you have a clinical condition, your ears are able to clean themselves. Jaw movements, chewing, and skin growth inside the ear naturally push extra wax out. Attempting to clean your ears with cotton swabs can push wax further inside.
While ears that stick out or that are disproportionate to your head size may be a source of entertainment for others, for those who are the victims of such comments, it is a problem. Otoplasty can help change the appearance of the ears and provide a better aesthetic look.
Adenoids are actually nasopharyngeal tonsils that are found at the back of the throat above the tonsils. They reach their greatest size between the ages of three and five, and begin to shrink when a person is about seven.
There may be many causes for a sore throat, but certain types require medical treatment. One of these, strep throat, is caused by a specific bacterium – group A streptococcus. It is contagious, but once diagnosed it can be treated with antibiotics.
One advantage to visiting ENTs is that they combine several skills. Not only are they specialists in diagnosing and treating problems of the ear, nose, and throat, they are also trained in surgery for these problems.
Chronic tonsil infections can affect the middle ear, causing pain and hearing problems. If you or your child is experience regular middle ear problems, a tonsillectomy may be needed for relief.
Otoplasty is a surgical procedure intended to change the appearance of a person’s ears, typically reducing the size of large ears, pinning back ears that extend too far from the head (ear pinning), or reshaping the external cartilage of the ears.
Noise is the leading cause of hearing loss in the United States. In fact, according to the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous noise levels every day!
It might sound gross, but your nose can produce about 1 quart of mucous every day. The mucus is important because it keeps dangerous compounds out of your body by trapping particles such as germs, pollen, dust, dirt, and more.
You may find it interesting to know that your style of sneezing is one of the few things that make you unique. This is because your sneezing style is believed to be genetic.
Have you ever wondered why mucus production increases when you’re sick? Well, it is actually a response from your immune system. Mucus contains chemicals that keep you healthy.
The development of a secondary infection in the sinuses can simply be avoided by promptly treating allergies and colds. Nasal congestion can be significantly reduced with frequent use of nasal sprays.
Do you know that the color of the nasal membrane is an indicator of health? Pink signifies a healthy nasal membrane, red indicates infection, and muted pink and gray appears during nasal allergy season.
