MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'ear nose and throat'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:36:10 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174620&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fscientists-study-the-shape-of-the-nose-and-its-relationship-with-climate%2F2011.08.28 The basic function of the human nose is to warm and humidify the air before it reaches the lungs. Because of the wide variation of human habitats from the polar cold and dry air to the equatorial hot and humid weather, one would expect the nose to accommodate to these climate extremes accordingly through evolutionary pressures. In essence, logically one would expect the nose to change shape to enhance time that air is in contact with the warm and moist nasal interior in cold and dry climates compared to the opposite environmental extreme. German scientists evaluated this hypothesis through (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174620 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5174620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062239&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fasthma-treatment-used-for-chronic-sinus-infections%2F2011.07.25 Many people are already aware of nebulizer treatments to help with breathing during asthma attacks and other pulmonary conditions. What many people may not be aware of is that such nebulizer treatments can also potentially be used for chronic sinus infections. One of the best known companies offering such treatment is Sinus Dynamics. Using one of several different nebulizers, compounded liquid medications (antibiotics and/or steroids) selected by the physician are nebulized/atomized which the patient then breathes into the nasal passages. The small size of the particles allow medication to theoretically move through the tiniest of sinus openings directly onto the infected tissue. Treatments are quick generally lasting 3 – 5 minutes (depending on medication and device). Here’s a vid... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062239 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5062239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507282&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkids-upper-respiratory-viruses-and-ear-infections%2F2011.02.22 According to a new study published this month, more than 20 percent of young children with colds or other upper respiratory viruses will develop middle ear infections. This finding isn’t that surprising. Eear symptoms along with a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) are common, including ear fullness and difficulty popping the ear. Although adults tend to be able to keep their ears clear by swallowing, chewing gum, yawning, or ear popping, most kids don’t know what to do when their ears feel full. Whether in adults or kids, when the ears don’t ventilate or clear properly it can lead to ear problems including fluid buildup and middel ear infection. Why does this occur? With a viral URI the lining of the nose swells, leading to symptoms of runny nose, nasal congest... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507282 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4507282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450295&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhispering-is-it-bad-for-your-vocal-cords%2F2011.02.08 Is whispering bad for your vocal cords? For most people, the answer is yes according to research publicized in a recent New York Times article. In the mentioned study, out of a group of 100 patients, 69 percent exhibited increased supraglottic hyperfunction with whispered voice (i.e. it was bad for the voice.) Eighteen percent had no change and 13 percent had less severe hyperfunction. As such, though whispering is not bad for everybody, it is for most people and as such, the safest thing to do if the vocal cords are damaged whether by infection or trauma is to rest your voice. If you have to talk, do not whisper, but rather talk in a soft voice. The best way to think about injured vocal cords is to talk in an analogy. Laryngitis is like a badly sprained ankle. In this scenario, talki... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450295 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4450295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433105&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-link-between-oral-sex-and-head-and-neck-cancer%2F2011.02.03 USA Today published a pretty accurate article regarding the rise of certain head and neck cancers with the increased popularity of oral sex and number of sexual partners. The factor that creates this link is the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is associated with tonsil and tongue cancer. Alcohol and tobacco use is more highly linked with such oral cancers, but HPV does appear to be an independent risk factor. A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that younger people with head and neck cancers who tested positive for oral HPV infection were more likely to have had multiple vaginal and oral sex partners in their lifetime. Having six or more oral sex partners over a lifetime was associated with a 3.4 times higher risk for oropharyngeal cancer — cancers of the base ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433105 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4433105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082043&cid=t_92127_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fconfessions-of-a-sneeze-supressor-can-holding-in-your-ah-choo-hurt-you%2F photo: Thinkstock I admit it: I hold in my sneezes. I’ve been doing it since I was little. I believe it stems from the fact that my father has the loudest sneeze I’ve ever heard. When I was a kid, my dad would sneeze in the basement and I’d be roused from slumber all the way up on the second floor. So naturally, over the years I’ve honed my sneeze to be as silent as possible. Sometimes people around me don’t even realize that I’ve sneezed. (I’m that sneaky.) I’d guess that several of my co-workers think I suffer from some kind of twitch. Is this better than an obnoxiously loud sneeze? In my book, yes. Of course, throughout my life, I’ve been warned by all my non-scientist family and friends about how suppressing my sneezes will kill my ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082043 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:39:59 +0100 4082043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291902&cid=t_92127_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FsUYFIjIkyPw%2F Ear candling can cause serious injuries, even when used according to the manufacturer’s directions, says a press release issued by the FDA. The release warns the general public and healthcare professionals that there have been reports of “burns, perforated eardrums and blockage of the ear canal which required outpatient surgery from the use of ear candles.” (FDA) Ear candling falls under the realm of alternative medicine and the concern is not a slam against alternative therapies and treatments; not all alternative medicine is harmful. There are many procedures that could help someone feel better, but ear candling isn’t  one of them, says the FDA and Health Canada. Health Canada issued a warning in 2006 that is similar to the FDA’s. In 1996, Health Canada surveye... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291902 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:31:54 +0100 3291902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598303&cid=t_92127_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FPEYLYiIhTmM%2F I have to admit, the first time I heard Rachel Ray on television, I thought to myself that she really needed to have her vocal cords checked. She sounded - to me - awful. I actually had a hard time watching her on TV. It bothered me that she could be doing further damage to her vocal cords by doing all these shows and everything else she does that requires her to use her voice. I mentioned it, at one point, to my daughter who felt I was just being crotchety, but when I heard that she (RR) was having problems, I really wasn’t surprised. What did surprise me was how long she went before she did have the surgery. Vocal cords are something we take for granted. We’re born, we make sounds, make our vocal cords vibrate and we’re on our way to communicating with others. But for m... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598303 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:01:23 +0100 2598303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1032881&cid=t_92127_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F13%2Fevaluation-of-closer-to-home-demonstration-sites%2F The National Primary Care Research and Development Centre in Manchester have reviewed the success of the ‘Closer to Home’ Demonstration sites (in their report ‘Evaluation of ‘Closer to Home’ Demonstration Sites’) established to test the key government objective to shift health services from hospitals into the community and bring it “Closer to Home” for patients. Five demonstration sites in each of six specialties (n=30), Dermatology, Ear Nose and Throat, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics and Urology, were selected by the Department of Health to illustrate the ways in which this could be achieved. The NPCRDC evaluation found that ‘Closer to Home’ sites required high initial investment in staff, premises and equipment. Key ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1032881 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:13:16 +0100 1032881