Chronic Cough Due to Statins

Statin drugs (simvastatin for example) are commonly used to treat high cholesterol and have many known side effects... but here's another. Statins are now believed to potentially cause a chronic dry cough according to a recent report!This chronic cough side effect is common in other types of medications such as ACE-Inhibitors (lisinopril) and angiotensin receptor blockers (losartan) to treat high blood pressure.Statins were not previously...

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How Can Nasal Obstruction CAUSE Clogged Ears?

It is not uncommon that patients who suffer from a clogged nose also develop clogged ears.Why??? There are 2 major and 1 minor reasons.First a little anatomy lesson.In the back of the nose, there is an opening that leads into a tunnel (eustachian tube) that goes up into the ear. When the ears get clogged, a person can get the pressure out by "popping the ears." This can be accomplished by yawn, swallow, or trying to blow out the nose that is...

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Laryngospasm in a Child

Washington Post published a story July 23, 2012 regarding a child who suffered from laryngospasm attack that was erroneously diagnosed as asthma.Laryngospasm is when the true vocal cords (TVC) come together rather than apart when breathing. Normally, only when talking do the vocal cords come together (or adduct) and vibrate to create a voice. When breathing, the vocal cords separate (or abduct) to allow air to pass between the vocal cords and into...

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Dirty Air Filters and Allergies - Don't Forget the Car!!!

Most people with bad allergies know to change their home's air filter at least quarterly with at least a 1000 microparticle performance rating (mpr). Such filters will remove pollen, dust, and other airborne particles that may exacerbate allergies as well as keep the vent system within a home clean.BUT... allergic patients should also not forget to change their car's air filter as well regularly, especially given the car is moving around outside...

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To Ear Plug or Not to Ear Plug

Seems like a fairly simple question... but oh what controversy it stirs up when regarding a patient with ear tubes who wants to go swimming.There are two schools of thought...1) Based on evidence and research, no need to wear ear plugs... ever.The argument... Well, here's the research:A meta-analysis of swimming and water precautions.Water precautions and tympanostomy tubes: a randomized, controlled trial.A meta-analysis of swimming and water precautions.The...

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Noise Hyper-Sensitivity in Kids

Although we mainly see kids for hearing loss due to fluid in the ears, chronic ear infections, or eustachian tube dysfunction, every so often, a child will show up with the exact opposite problem.The child hears just fine, but suffers from noise hypersensitivity, also known as auditory hypersensitivity. Such children are overwhelmed from everyday noises whether doorbells, sirens, key clanking, etc; typically high-pitched sounds. The hands will go...

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Actress Kristin Chenoweth Suffers from Meniere's Disease

Kristin Chenoweth is an accomplished actress both on TV and live on Broadway having performed in Wicked as Glinda as well as appearances in TV shows Glee and Pushing Daisies.She also suffers from Meniere's Disease which was diagnosed in 2007.As such, she is prone to dizzy attacks which may have contributed to well-known falls during performances over the years.• 2003: Fell off the stage during rehearsals for Wicked• 2006: Fell off the stage during Broadway revival of The Apple Tree• 2011: Fell down the stairs during injuring her back on the set...

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What is Asymmetric Nerve Hearing Loss

Given my last blog article regarding an ENT who got sued for not doing an MRI after audiogram showing an asymmetric hearing loss, the question that should be on everybody's mind is what IS asymmetric nerve hearing loss on a hearing test?I am sad to report that there is no clear consensus on what is asymmetric nerve hearing loss.First of all, at its most basic definition, asymmetric nerve hearing loss is when hearing is worse in one ear when compared...

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ENT Sued for Malpractice for Hearing Loss Due to Acoustic Neuroma

A patient has sued an ENT for failing to workup an asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (nerve hearing loss greater in one ear compared to the opposite ear) that allegedly deviated from standard of care that ultimately led to permanent hearing damage and facial paralysis.Since January 2008, the plaintiff saw the defendant ENT who performed 3 audiograms that revealed an asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss. In 2010, the plaintiff suffered a sudden...

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Stem Cells Restore Toddler's Congenital Hearing Loss

In a potentially revolutionary treatment, a two years old toddler born deaf has had her hearing restored after receiving stem cells from her banked umbilical cord blood. (Reported in ABC News)Madeline Connor at age 1 year old was completely deaf in the right ear and had severe hearing loss on the left. Normally hearing aids or cochlear implant would have been the only options.However, in January 2012 at the age of 2 years old, Madeline underwent...

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Singer Florence Welch Cancels Concerts Due to Vocal Injury

CBS news reported that Florence Welch, the lead singer for British band Florence + The Time Machine, had to cancel two upcoming concerts due to a vocal injury.Florence Welch (@flo_tweet) herself provided most of the details in a series of tweets today:July 11, 2012 @ 11:15AM : hello everyone, thankyou so much for all your messages of support, yes its true..it finally happened, I've lost my voice..:(July 11, 2012 @ 11:18AM : I've sustained a...

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Katie Couric Gets a Hearing Test

On July 10, 2012, Katie Couric reported on a personal story during which she obtained a hearing test.In a modern society like the United States, there are many sources for hearing loss with our alarms, lawn-mowers, and loud music.As the article correctly pointed out, damage due to loud noises is due to two factors: loudness and duration.The louder something is, the shorter time of exposure before hearing damage can occur. The quieter something is,...

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Phone App That Measures How Loudly You Listen to Your Music!

There are plenty of sound meters in the market for iPhone and Android smartphones that tell a user how  loud the surrounding noise is. Many of these apps are free.However, rather than recording the loudness of the surrounding environment, there is now a new phone app called Safe and Sound (only for Android phones) that measures the decibel level of the sound emitted from headphones and gives the user a clear indication of how loud their music...

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Hearing Loss Reversed by Teeth

When a patient is totally deaf in just one ear (normal hearing on the other side), there are only a few options to help.BAHA - Bone Anchored Hearing AidCROS Hearing Aid - Stands for Contralateral Routing Of Signals.With BAHA, it does require surgery given the hearing aid is literally mounted on a post that is directly drilled into the skull on the deaf ear side. Total cost about $10,000.With CROS, two hearing aids are required; one on the deaf hear...

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Foley Catheter to Stop Nosebleed???

A foley catheter, as shown above, is normally used to drain urine from the bladder, but it can also be used to stop severe nosebleeds... albeit under dire circumstances and when there is no other suitable alternative.Normally, for a severe nosebleed, the nose can be packed with a tampon like packing material. The packing material I like best is a rapid rhino which is illustrated below.Nasal packing like the rapid rhino exerts pressure within the...

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The Problem with Patient Based Portals and Mobile Healthcare Today

I was recently asked by a large New York City based consulting firm regarding my thoughts about mobile healthcare and where I see things headed.I gave them my two cents, but thought to share with my readers.As any patient who has been through the healthcare mill knows, there is a profound lack of communication among private offices, hospitals, and health systems.Let's start with a true story...I recently saw a patient in the hospital who was admitted...

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Creative Ways to Wear a Scarf for Patients with a Trach or Ugly Neck Scar

[Watch the video below!!!]Given I operate on the neck not uncommonly... a common fear for a patient is how the incision will look afterwards. For a simple neck mass excision, the incision almost always heals just fine to the point nobody will notice the scar.However, this concern is multiplied a hundred-fold when a patient undergoes a tracheostomy (hole in neck) for severe obstructive sleep apnea or for some other airway reason. It could even be...

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How to Save Time Doing Healthcare Social Media: A Primer for Physicians

Followers, friends, and colleagues of mine often think that I spend HOURS doing social media everyday; reading, writing, and posting to all the various social media outlets I participate in including Blog (the one you are reading), Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn.Nothing can be further from the truth.Beyond writing blog posts which does take time... I probably spend about 30 minutes daily reading and sharing. My reading lists...

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New Webpage on Non-Acid Reflux

Given the frequency of patients I have seen over the years suffering from non-acid reflux causing symptoms of:Chronic coughChronic throat-clearingPhlegmy throatLump in throat sensation (globus)I have decided to write a formal webpage to this condition.Check it out he...

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Hearing Aid Styles and Colors - There Are Many!

It is not uncommon that a patient with hearing loss interested in hearing aids mistakenly believe there's only TWO hearing aid styles.The kind that goes in the ear and the kind that goes behind the ear.Although that is true, there are more different variations of both types that catches many people by surprise.Image taken from NIHThere also seems to be a generational gap in what style is preferred by patients."Older" folks in their 60's or older...

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Lithium Disc Battery Danger for Kids (and Hot Dogs)

In the last 10 years, 13 deaths related to swallowed batteries have been reported, 12 of which were due to disc batteries (20 millimeter lithium cells).The danger is that when a disc battery is inserted into a nose (for example), a localized electric current is created between the positive and negative poles of the battery within the nose. This electric current basically "electrocutes" the lining inside the nose leading to tissue damage and ultimately...

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US Gymnast Maroney Suffers Nasal Fracture

World vault champion McKayla Maroney on the US gymnastics team suffered a nasal fracture during pre-meet training when she over-rotated at the end of a tumbling run and fell hard earlier this month. She also suffered a concussion. A visit to the ER revealed her injuries. Apparently no surgical intervention was pursued.This case illustrates that most nasal and even facial fractures do NOT require surgical repair.The key elements that lead towards...

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Guns n' Roses Rocker Duff McKagan Underwent Sinus Surgery

Duff McKagan, the bassist of Guns n' Roses, apparently underwent sinus surgery back in December 2010.According to media reports, his sinus cavities developed significant scar tissue due to years of cocaine abuse.Sinus surgery due to scar tissue is a relatively rare indication for surgery, but required if they block sinus cavities leading to recurrent sinus infections. Cocaine abuse more typically causes other sino-nasal abnormalities especially...

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