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.
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.
According to a study by the University of Newcastle, these are some of the most unpleasant noises to the human ear: chalk on a blackboard, crying baby, fork scratching on a plate, electric drill, and knife scraping against a bottle.
Your mucus may seem gross and icky, but the truth is, it contains healthy chemicals and antibodies to protect you from infection. Normally, the body produces 1 to 1.5 liters of mucus per day.
Did you know that your lungs don’t like air that is too hot or too cold? That’s where the nose comes in. It acts by regulating the temperature of the air you breathe so that it’s better tolerated by your lungs.
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.
An ENT physician is a specialist who concentrates on diseases and disorders of the ears nose and throat. The technical term for this area of specialization is Otolaryngology, which is a shortening of otorhinolaryngology, a portmanteau word combining the Greek prefixes oto- (ear), rhino- (nose), and laryngo- (larynx area).
Also called laryngeal spasm, your “gag reflex” is triggered when food or a foreign object touches the back of your throat, your tonsils, or the roof of your mouth. Two parts of your throat work to activate the gag reflex – the pharynx and the larynx.
If your ENT suspects that you may be suffering from hearing loss, he or she will most likely order a hearing test to be performed. In this diagnostic procedure, each ear is tested individually using several different frequencies . You will then need to indicate whether or not you heard the tone that was played.
Meaning “little grape” in Latin, the uvula serves multiple purposes. It helps lubricate the back of your mouth, moves the soft palate for better enunciation, helps close the soft palate while swallowing, and direct nasal secretions to your throat.
A cold is nothing to sneeze at, and if your child has come down with one it is a good idea to keep him or her home from school for monitoring. Not only will this help your child recover faster, it also keeps the cold from being shared with others.
Tinnitus, or a constant ringing or sound in the inner ear, is a frustrating condition from which many people suffer. Advances in medicine and treatment have made diagnosis more precise and treatment a possibility.
Pediatric otolaryngology is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders and illnesses in children. This covers a wide range of problems including recurring ear or sinus infections, voice disorders and congenital malformations of the head and neck.
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.
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.
Noisy breathing in infants is sometimes caused by a laryngomalacia, a congenital condition. While most children suffering from this outgrow it, there are those who do not. If you are concerned about noisy breathing from your child, have him or her checked.
Approximately 60% of ear infections are known to be caused by bacteria while the other 40% are caused by viruses. The latter cannot be cured with the use of antibiotics.
Bronchoscopy is a procedure that involves using a bronchoscope, a device that helps directly look at the airway to diagnose any problems. It allows your ENT specialist to better visualize all airway parts under magnification.
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.
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 sneezing styles are largely genetic? The next time you see someone with a funny sneeze, you can expect the other members of the family to sneeze the same way!
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.
