5 Tips For Preserving Hearing
Moffitt & Mesaros ENT Associates
Balloon Sinuplasty: All You Need to Know
Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive office procedure, performed under local anesthesia, that delivers immediate and long-lasting relief.
What is sinusitis?
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinus lining. If the sinus opening becomes blocked due to this swelling, normal mucus drainage may not occur, and this may lead to recurrent sinus infections and painful symptoms. Sinusitis can be acute, lasting for less than four weeks, or chronic, lasting longer than 12 weeks. When sinus symptoms last longer than 12 weeks, you should see one of our ENT doctors for a diagnosis.
What is the difference between chronic sinusitis and allergies or colds?
Sinusitis is often preceded by a cold or allergy attack. Colds and allergies can lead to inflamed sinuses, causing the sinus openings to become blocked. This prevents normal mucus drainage and can result in sinusitis.
How is sinusitis treated?
Sinusitis can be treated non-surgically with natural therapy such as inhaling steam or using saline nasal sprays, or ENT doctors can prescribe medications such as antibiotics or nasal steroid sprays. However, clinical studies show at least 20% of chronic sinusitis patients are not successfully treated with medical therapy. For patients who do not respond adequately to medications, an ENT doctor may recommend sinus surgery.
Traditional sinus surgery removes bone and tissue to enlarge the sinus opening with the aim of clearing blocked sinuses and restoring normal sinus drainage. With this procedure, sinus surgery recovery is often associated with pain and scarring.
Balloon Sinuplasty is a breakthrough, minimally invasive procedure that ENT doctors use to treat patients with chronic sinusitis. A tiny balloon is placed into the nose to reach the blocked sinuses and then inflated to restructure the sinus opening. The procedure is safe, effective and has a quick recovery.
Read more about Balloon Sinuplasty.
What are the advantages of the Balloon Sinuplasty over traditional sinus surgery?
Balloon Sinuplasty is less invasive than traditional surgery with minimal bleeding and low post-op pain. Most people can get back to normal activities and work quickly.
How long does symptom relief last after Balloon Sinuplasty?
Results vary by individual. A clinical study of 1,036 patients at multiple institutions reported that sinus symptoms improved in 95% of patients at an average follow-up period of 9 months. In another study, patients reported symptom improvement up to two years after having the procedure.
What are the risks associated with Balloon Sinuplasty?
Because Balloon Sinuplasty is less invasive than traditional sinus surgery there is a low complication rate. But there are some associated risks, including tissue and mucosal trauma, infection, or possible optic injury. Talk to one of our ENT doctors about the risks and benefits and to determine whether Balloon Sinuplasty is right for you.
How long does it take to recover after Balloon Sinuplasty?
While recovery time varies with each patient, most patients who undergo the in-office procedure can return to normal activities and work within 2 days.
Is Balloon Sinuplasty right for me?
It is important to talk to one of our ENT doctors about all of your sinus treatment options and ask what type of sinus therapy is best for you. If you suffer from chronic sinusitis, and sinus medications have not been effective in relieving your symptoms, you may be a candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty.
Nasal Obstruction – My Child Stuck Something in Her Nose
Nasal congestion, stuffiness, or obstruction to nasal breathing is one of the oldest and most common human complaints.
Physicians have established four main causes of nasal obstruction: infection, structural abnormalities, allergic, and non-allergic (vasomotor) rhinitis. Patients often have a combination of these factors which vary from person to person.
One of the most common causes of nasal obstruction in children is enlargement of the adenoids. These are a tonsil-like tissues located in the back of the nose, behind the palate. Children with this problem may experience noisy breathing at night and may snore. Children who are chronic mouth breathers may develop a sagging face and dental deformities. In this case, surgery to remove the adenoids and/or tonsils may be advisable. Learn more about our Pediatric ENT Services
Other causes in this category include nasal tumors and foreign bodies. Children are often known to insert small objects into their noses. If a foul-smelling discharge is observed draining from one nostril, a physician should be consulted.
My Child Stuck Something in Her Nose!
Children are naturally curious and often wonder how things work. Usually, they display this curiosity by asking questions, or by exploring the world around them.
One of the dangers that can occur is that your child may place foreign objects into their mouth, nose, or ears. While often harmless, this can create a choking hazard and put your child in danger of serious injuries or infections.
A foreign body in the nose means that an object is present in the nose when it’s not naturally supposed to be there. Children under the age of five often have this issue. But it’s not uncommon for older children to place foreign objects in their nostrils.
Common items that children put in their nose
- Small toys
- Pieces of eraser
- Tissue
- Clay (used for arts and crafts)
- Food
- Pebbles
- Dirt
- Paired disc magnets
- Button batteries
Signs of a foreign body in the nose
You may suspect that your child has put something in their nose, but are unable to see it when you look up their nose. Foreign objects in the nose may cause other signs.
- Nasal drainage
- Breathing difficulty
Your child may make whistling noises when breathing through their nose. A stuck object could cause this noise.
If you feel you are in need of an ENT specialist, please contact Moffitt, and Mesaros ENT Associates for a comprehensive consultation.
What You Need to Know About Tonsillitis
What are tonsils?
Tonsils are lumps of tissue at the back of the throat. There are two of them, one on each side. Along with the adenoids, tonsils are part of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system clears away infection and keeps body fluids in balance. Tonsils and adenoids work by trapping the germs coming in through the mouth and nose.
What is tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the tonsils. Sometimes along with tonsillitis, the adenoids are also swollen.
What causes tonsillitis?
The cause of tonsillitis is usually a viral infection. Bacterial infections such as strep throat can also cause tonsillitis.
Who gets tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is most common in children over age two. Almost every child in the United States gets it at least once. Tonsillitis caused by bacteria is more common in kids ages 5-15 years. Tonsillitis caused by a virus is more common in younger children.
Adults can get tonsillitis, but it is not very common.
Is tonsillitis contagious?
Although tonsillitis is not contagious, the viruses and bacteria that cause it are contagious. Frequent handwashing can help prevent spreading or catching the infections.
What are the symptoms of tonsillitis?
The symptoms of tonsillitis include:
- A sore throat, which may be severe
- Red, swollen tonsils
- Trouble swallowing
- A white or yellow coating on the tonsils
- Swollen glands in the neck
- Fever
- Bad breath
When should I get medical help for my child?
You should call your healthcare provider if your child:
- Has a sore throat for more than two days
- Has trouble or pain when swallowing
- Feels very sick or very weak
- You should get emergency care right away if your child
- Has trouble breathing
- Starts drooling
- Has a lot of trouble swallowing
How is tonsillitis diagnosed?
To diagnose tonsillitis, your child's health care provider will first ask you about your child's symptoms and medical history. The provider will look at your child's throat and neck, checking for things such as redness or white spots on the tonsils and swollen lymph nodes.
Your child will probably also have one or more tests to check for strep throat since it can cause tonsillitis and it requires treatment. It could be a rapid strep test, a throat culture, or both. For both tests, the provider uses a cotton swab to collect a sample of fluids from your child's tonsils and the back of the throat. With the rapid strep test, testing is done in the office, and you get the results within minutes. The throat culture is done in a lab, and it usually takes a few days to get the results. The throat culture is a more reliable test. So sometimes if the rapid strep test is negative (meaning that it does not show any strep bacteria), the provider will also do a throat culture just to make sure that your child does not have strep.
What are the treatments for tonsillitis?
Treatment for tonsillitis depends on the cause. If the cause is a virus, there is no medicine to treat it. If the cause is a bacterial infection, such as strep throat, your child will need to take antibiotics. It is important for your child to finish the antibiotics even if he or she feels better. If treatment stops too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect your child.
No matter what is causing tonsillitis, there are some things you can do to help your child feel better.
- Make sure that your child gets a lot of rest
- Drinks plenty of fluids
- Tries eating soft foods if it hurts to swallow
- Tries eating warm liquids or cold foods like popsicles to soothe the throat
- Isn't around cigarette smoke or do anything else that could irritate the throat
- Sleeps in a room with a humidifier
- Gargles with salt water
- Sucks on a lozenge (but do not give them to children under four; they can choke on them)
- Takes an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen. Children and teenagers should not take aspirin.
In some cases, your child may need a tonsillectomy.
What is a tonsillectomy and why might my child need one?
A tonsillectomy is a surgery to remove the tonsils. Your child might need it if he or she
- Keeps getting tonsillitis
- Has bacterial tonsillitis that does not get better with antibiotics
- Has tonsils too big, and are causing trouble breathing or swallowing
Your child usually gets the surgery and goes home later that day. Very young children and people who have complications may need to stay in the hospital overnight. It can take a week or two before your child completely recovers from the surgery.
If you feel you are in need of an ENT specialist , please contact Moffitt, and Mesaros ENT Associates for a comprehensive consultation.
Signs And Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Don’t wait until you show signs of hearing loss. Have your hearing examined by one of our audiologists at your regular checkup. A basic hearing evaluation usually includes a quick look in the ear with a special light for looking into the ear canal (otoscope) and other checks to assess the sounds you can hear.
Our qualified hearing specialists (audiologists) can conduct a hearing test for you if:
- Have a history of exposure to loud noise,
- Feel your hearing has changed, or
- Have family or friends that say you have difficulty hearing and communicating with them (those around us can be the first to notice our hearing problems).
- The audiologist may have you listen to different sounds through headphones to determine the softest sounds you can hear, or have you repeat lists of words or complete other special tests.
11 Signs of Hearing Loss
- If you have any of these signs or symptoms, you may have hearing loss caused by noise:
- Speech and other sounds seem muffled
- Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds (e.g., birds, doorbell, telephone, alarm clock)
- Difficulty understanding conversations when you are in a noisy place, such as a restaurant
- Difficulty understanding speech over the phone
- Trouble distinguishing speech consonants (e.g., difficulty distinguishing the difference between s and f, between p and t, or between sh and th in speech)
- Asking others to speak more slowly and clearly
- Asking someone to speak more loudly or repeat what they said
- Turning up the volume of the television or radio
- Ringing in the ears
- Hypersensitivity to certain sounds (certain sounds are very bothersome or create pain)
If you have any signs of hearing loss, get tested, please contact Moffitt, and Mesaros ENT Associates for a comprehensive consultation.
