ENT Doctor iPhone App Games

This was bound to happen sooner or later… thanks to @hobsonent who brought this to my attention.

This Nose Doctor iPhone app game basically is to try and remove nasal hair as well as boogers from different characters' noses using different instruments.

Another iPhone app game is Ear Doctor which deals more with ear problems (obviously).

Although these iPhone apps makes a game out of it, do ENT doctors actually professionally remove boogers, earwax, and nasal hair? We do… Regularly… For real… We are indeed professional ear and nose-pickers.

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Why Did Hair Turn Green for Residents of a Certain Town?

In 2011, in a certain township called Anderslov in Sweden, formerly blonde residents' hair mysteriously started turning green.

Was it a biological problem? Was it a disease? Was it contagious?

Nope...

Actually, suspicion initially was towards the drinking water and in particular, the copper levels since copper is known to dye things green via a complex oxidation process.

When copper oxidizes, it forms minerals that are green (and/or blue) including:

brochantite (hydrated copper sulfate) Cu4SO4(OH)6
malachite (hydrated copper carbonate) Cu2CO3(OH)3
azurite (hydrated copper carbonate) Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2

This action is known as verdigris... it is also why if you look at the Statue of Liberty, she appears greenish:

It is also why cheap copper jewelry when worn against the skin will turn it green.

However, confounded researchers found normal levels of copper in the water going into the homes.

BUT... water tested first thing in the morning inside the homes was found to contain copper levels 5-10x normal.

What scientists discovered was that the ultimate culprit was a combination of living in a new home and hot showers.

During the night, sitting hot water reacted with copper from the pipes and water heater causing levels of copper and associated minerals in the water to build up. This problem was most severe in new homes where the pipes lacked special coating. So, when residents of affected new homes took a hot shower in the morning, the copper in the water turned their hair green.

In order to avoid green hair, cold water needed to be used to wash the hair... or move to an older home which contained pipes that didn't leach copper in hot water.

What is this special coating that prevents copper from causing green problems? It is a polymer that is applied during manufacturing and includes acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane, cellulose, silicone, or vinyl depending on the copper's ultimate use.

Of note, this research on green hair won the 2012 Ig Nobel Prize for chemistry.

Sources:
'Nerdy' Swede wins faux- Nobel for green-hair find. The Local 9/21/12

'New homes' turn Swedes' hair green. The Local 12/17/11

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Nasal Hair Removal and Nasal Sores

It is not unusual that I encounter a patient who develops crusting and sores around the entrance to the nose where coincidentally nasal hair is found... in both men and women.

Other complaints/symptoms beyond crusting and sores include:

• Skin Splitting
• Pimple/Acne Formation
• Scabbing
• Ulcers

People often try applying lotion, neosporin, or cortisone cream... which does help, but not completely with recurrent flareups.

The most common triggers I find that lead to such recurrent sores are nose-picking and nasal hair removal.

The best thing is to avoid doing either... but... if one must...

Nose picking is pretty self-explanatory, but nasal hair removal does require some clarification.

People often use tweezers or even their fingers to pull the offending long nasal hair out for either cosmetic or annoyance reasons.

Yanking nasal hair out is not a good idea beyond the watery eyes it may bring. It causes micro-trauma to the surrounding skin and hair follicle that may lead to infection. Furthermore, just like any other place on the body where hair is removed, ingrown hair growth can also occur.

Aha! one might say... Use an electric nasal hair cutter! That's a good idea, but make sure it does not cut down to the skin for the same reasons as stated above. Also, ensure the blades are kept sharp to prevent hair pulling.

There are good nasal hair cutters and there are bad ones...

From personal testing of a variety of nasal hair cutters, I like the Groom Mate Platinum XL.

I'm sure there are other good ones, but it may also come down to personal preference.

Now, if there's an active recurrent nasal sore that's not healing, the best way to treat it is with prescription cortisporin ointment.

However, best to have a doctor to check it out as there are other more malicious reasons for a nasal sore including skin cancer.

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Working in a Salon Can Be Unhealthy for Your Nose and Throat!

We already know that small hair clippings from cutting hair can cause septal perforation and chronic sinusitis due to long-term inhalation. Worse case scenario, it can even lead to an external nasal deformity! (Read blog about this here.)

However, it seems that it's not just hair that can damage the nose, but also hair products especially to straighten/smoothen hair popularly known as "Brazilian" treatments.

In a report published by Washington Post on Oct 17, 2011, such Brazilian hair smoothing treatments often contain a known toxic chemical called formaldehyde and methylene glycol. The FDA has pronounced such products to be unsafe. These chemicals are most commonly used as a preservative to prevent dead tissue (ie, corpses) from decay.

And yet... these products are commonly used in hair salons to potentially unsafe levels resulting in health problems to not just workers, but also customers.

Common symptoms that can result from formaldehyde and methylene glycol exposure include:

• nose-running (rhinitis)
• eye tearing
• throat burning

It can also cause symptoms of chronic sinusitis, taste alteration, smell loss, dry nose, scabbing at the nose entrance, etc.

Best to avoid if at all possible!

Read the WP article here.

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