Northside ENT
1. Is it a common occurrence for my ears to have pressure
and fullness on descent of an aircraft?
Yes, this is common and often people with chronic allergic
Eustachian tube congestion have this pressure worsened by what
we call barotitis, a condition with which I have dealt
frequently in my previous experience as a flight surgeon in the
Air Force.
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2. Are headaches strictly allergy and sinus headaches?
Certainly in the Atlanta area with our high incidence of
allergies we do see patients suffering from chronic nose and
sinus congestion with associated headaches, often above their
eyes but sometimes also below their eyes. However, there are
many different causes of headaches and one can have not just one
type of headache but additional types as well. For instance, it
is not uncommon for people to have ocular migraine headaches
worsened by their chronic sinus headaches. People may also have
tension headaches associated with the above. Headaches from
hypertension and so forth are also things to consider.
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3.
Is my snoring at night really sleep apnea?
Some snoring is indeed more than just that and represents sleep
apnea. There is a big difference in terms of the stress on the
heart and the lungs and the decreased oxygen to the brain if you
indeed suffer from sleep apnea. There is a very easy sleep study
that can be done to help answer that question. About 10% of
people that are finally diagnosed with sleep apnea are diagnosed
after they have fallen asleep at the wheel of their car and
crashed into a utility pole. Most people with sleep apnea that
have treatment feel more refreshed and have more energy during
the day, especially in the afternoons.
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4.
Is my intermittent hoarseness a sign of cancer?
People that suffer from hoarseness can certainly be that way
from just postnasal discharge and/or swelling of the larynx from
a current infection, either bacterial or viral. Some people with
chronic allergic sinusitis with postnasal discharge have
intermittent hoarseness. Certainly people who have a cigarette
smoking habit of one pack of cigarettes per day or more and who
have hoarseness for more than ten days should have an
examination of their larynx in the office, either by mirror exam
and/or direct fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy. Some people
benefit from further evaluation of their voice box by
videostroboscopy tests performed by speech therapists. An early
diagnosis of cancer is highly treatable. The reverse is true for
those people who let their cancer go on without treatment.
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5.
Is the bump in my neck a cancer?
Most bumps in the neck are not cancer. We have lymph nodes in
our neck, 200 on average, and these lymph nodes are designed to
enlarge and trap viruses, bacteria and cancer cells. We usually
see people with various neck masses and will start an antibiotic
to see if that will affect the size and/or decrease the size.
Some answers can be obtained by CAT scans of the neck, showing
the various enlarged lymph nodes or other areas of
abnormalities. We also have types of biopsies, including fine
needle aspiration biopsies (FNA) or excisional biopsies.
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6. Do I need packing in my nose after sinus surgery?
Usually nasal sinus surgery can be done without packing the
nose. Packing the nose has been a source of major discomfort.
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7. Do I have to stay in the hospital if I have sinus
surgery or to have my tonsils out?
Both can be safely done in an outpatient environment without a
hospital stay.
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8.
What causes ringing in my ears?
Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, is caused by injury or
irritation of the inner ear. Causes may be benign, such as age
or noise exposure. Tinnitus can also be a presentation for brain
tumors and thus should always be investigated with a hearing
test.
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9.
Can I do something about my snoring?
We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of surgical and
non-surgical sleep disorders.
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10. Do you
take my insurance?
We accept most forms of insurance, including most managed care
plans. Please call us in order to ensure we take your specific
plan.
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11. What can I do about my breathing and sinus problems?
We listen and talk to the patient about his/her concerns. The
causes can be due to obstruction from allergic swelling or
internal nasal mechanical obstruction of bone and cartilage.
Environmental problems also occur, due to the environment of the
Atlanta area, which has a disturbing level of pollution and
allergens. Medications can be a solution to your breathing/sinus
problems. If patients are looking for alternatives to
medications to help further resolve their sinus problems, then a
referral to an allergist for assessment and possibly allergy
injection is an option, realizing that this can be a long-term
commitment to allergy injections. Another option is to visualize
the sinuses with flexible video cameras (called sinus
endoscopes) in the office or to evaluate the sinuses
radiographically (CAT scan), a technique which could be helpful
in determining whether surgery may be an option.
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12. I have snoring and sleep problem, how can you help me?
Finding the cause is a first step as this is a common problem
when people age (the tissues in their throat loses elasticity),
experience weight changes or have fat deposits throughout their
throat and soft palate. Snoring and sleep apnea can be a
mechanical problem even in a child who has large
tonsils/adenoids or nasal obstruction from allergies.
To evaluate sleep disorders, we include talking to the
significant other, when appropriate, to determine if pauses in
breathing (sleep apnea) exist. A sleep study is performed to
determine if sleep apnea can be documented. If it is exclusively
a snoring problem and not sleep apnea, we will discuss options
to deal with this as more of a social problem. Should the
problem be obstructive sleep apnea there are several corrective
options, including the initial use of a non-surgical mechanical
CPAP mask which can be tried at the patient's discretion. There
are many surgical procedures that can also be considered, and
the success rates have been greatly improved over the years. It
is very important to determine if the snoring indeed is sleep
apnea, since there is a high correlation between sleep apnea and
more serious diseases such as coronary artery disease and stroke
if left untreated.
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13.
What can I do about my headaches?
Once again, determine the cause and investigate the source of
the headache. Headaches that seem to have their origins with
certain sinus disorders and breathing problems can usually be
isolated and improved. An allergy referral may be indicated. It
is sometimes indicated to see a patient during a severe headache
to perform nerve blocks, that is, topically numbing the nerves
that go to the sinuses to aid in diagnosing the source of the
headache. We follow this up with sinus CAT scans when indicated,
or office sinus flexible endoscopy. These techniques can
determine if surgical intervention would be of benefit. We work
very closely with other medical specialists, especially
neurologists, in this evaluation and treatment for headaches.
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14. I have frequent sore throats and sinusitis, what can I
do?
There are specific indications for the treatment of inflammatory
diseases of the upper respiratory system. The primary care
physician is the first defense in treating most acute URIs
(Upper Respiratory Infections). If the antibiotics seem no
longer effective, then a referral to the ENT physician may be in
order to consider surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids,
or consider sinus surgery based on upon past treatment history,
cultures, allergies, etc. We are now able to safely perform
sinus surgery, even in children, with the latest developments in
endoscopic surgery.
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Hearing Health Care
15. What are the most common causes of hearing loss?
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Pediatric Hearing
Health Care
20. What is the most common abnormality found in newborns?
Hearing loss is the most common abnormality found in newborns.
The State of Georgia has mandated that hospitals perform hearing
screenings prior to infant discharge.
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21.
How many children have hearing loss?
Approximately 6 in 1000 babies are born with a significant
hearing loss. Approximately 15 % of US children aged six to
nineteen years of age have a measurable hearing loss in one or
both ears.
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22. What happens if hearing loss isn't detected or
treated?
Unmanaged hearing loss in children can affect their speech and
language development, academic capabilities and educational and
can also affect their self-image and social / emotional
development.
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23.
What causes hearing loss in children?
The most common type of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing
loss. These causes include present at birth infections,
medications, noise, and genetics. Sensorineural hearing loss can
also develop later in life due to excessive exposure to loud
noise. In 50 % of at birth hearing loss cases, a cause is never
found
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24.
How can I tell if my child has hearing loss?
Hearing loss is invisible, and the signs are subtle in young
children. If children are not reaching the speech and language
milestones at the appropriate levels, or you suspect your child
has hearing difficulties, they should see their physician or
audiologist to have their hearing tested.
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