Relief for Chronic Stuffy Noses Without Medications
If you’re one of the millions of people who suffers from allergies or similar conditions, you know the frustration of not being able to breathe properly because of a stuffy nose. It can also be frustrating because some medicines offer only temporary relief. Often the cause of your stuffy nose is enlarged turbinates. But what’s…
Swimmer’s Ear: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Swimmer’s Ear You don’t have to go swimming to get “swimmer’s ear.” Fact! Whenever water gets into the ear-from swimming, showering, or hair washing-it can bring in bacterial or fungal particles. Usually, the water runs back out of your ear. But sometimes water is trapped in your ear canal, allowing bacteria and fungi to grow…
Hoarseness: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Hoarseness You should avoid speaking or singing when your voice is hoarse. Fact! When your voice is injured or hoarse, you should “rest” your vocal folds, just as you would avoid walking on a sprained ankle. And remember, whispering (instead of speaking) does not rest your vocal folds. If you are hoarse longer than 2-3…
Noise: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Noise You can “toughen up” your ears by continued exposure to loud noise. Fiction! If you think you have grown used to a loud noise, it has already damaged your ears. When noise is too loud, it begins to kill the sensitive nerve endings in your inner ear. Remember, there is no way to restore…
Snoring: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Snoring A person can be trained or conditioned not to snore. Fiction! Unfortunately, you have no conscious control over snoring. More than 300 devices are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as cures for snoring, including head straps, neck collars and mouth pieces. If these devices work, it is probably because they keep…
Tonsils & Adenoids: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Tonsils & Adenoids Tonsils and adenoids filter bacteria out of what we swallow and breathe. Fiction! Any filter that could strain out microscopic material would not allow the passage of any food particles and would make eating impossible. Tonsils and adenoids are strategically located near the entrance to the breathing passages where they catch incoming…
Motion Sickness: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz
Motion Sickness Reading in a moving car can cause motion sickness (make you “car sick”). Fact! Motion sickness relates to your sense of balance and equilibrium. Your sense of balance is maintained by a complex interaction of your inner ears, eyes, skin pressure receptors, muscle and joint sensory receptors, and the brain and spinal cord….
Ear Wax: Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction
Ear Wax Cotton swabs are a safe and easy way to clean wax from inside your ears. Fiction! Remember, never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear! When you insert cotton-tipped applicators or tissues in your ear, the wax is just pushed deeper into the ear canal. When wax begins to block your…
Don’t Ignore Your Snore Anymore
Feeling tired and don’t know why? Maybe it’s because you’ve been snoring. Yes, you! It may not be your spouse’s snoring that’s keeping you up. Maybe it’s your own. Dr. Ted Benke who is an otolaryngologist—more commonly referred to as an ENT or ear, nose and throat doctor, says snoring is an indication of obstructed…
Beware of the Q-tip
If you’re like many people, after your shower you reach for a Q-tip to dry your ears. But did you know that simple practice could cause the wax in your ears to get impacted? It can. And that’s why Dr. Ted Benke of Benke Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic says beware of the Q-tip. “Somewhere…