ENT Practices and Physicians Who Twitter...

Did you know Fauquier ENT maintains one of the most comprehensive list of ENT physicians who twitter and are otherwise involved with social media not only in the United States, but in the world? Check out the full list here . There are 76 and growing! If you are an ENT practice or ENT physician not on the list, please let me know by DM @FauquierENT and I'll add you! If you are a resident in otolaryngology, feel free to let me know as well.

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At Home Laser Hair Removal That Works

Without going into TOO much detail of how I know this... I have personally observed that the TRIA Laser Home Removal System  does work after observing its use and its effects over a 6 month period of time. And before anybody asks... no... I was not paid to write this nor did I get a free one to try. Rather, someone I am close to bought it off Amazon.com and I was a skeptic on-looker. In any case, the caveat being that I know it works (admittedly anecdotal) as long as the hair is dark (ide…

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American Idol Laryngitis Scare for Lauren Alaina

On May 24, 2011, US Magazine reported that American Idol Finalist Lauren Alaina "blew a vocal cord during afternoon rehearsal" and apparently completely lost her voice (aphonia). Apparently, a doctor on set and ordered Lauren not to sing or speak which brought a very real possibility that she would not be able to perform that evening. Fortunately, "emergency" care was provided along with resting the voice and apparently sang quite well that night. Without benefit of h…

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The Vocal Problems of Professional Singers

The Washington Post on May 20, 2011 published a great article on the travails of opera singers regarding their vocal cords and the stresses placed on them (the singers and their vocal cords). The opera singer (as well as any other professional singer) are the Olympic athletes of the voice.  As such, peak performance is mandatory in order to sustain a successful career. Just as an Olympic sprinter measures their success in milliseconds... the professional singer is judged by the most minute…

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Saline Nasal Flush - Mayo Clinic Video

Ever since our office produced one of the first videos on saline nasal flushes back in December 5, 2007, there have a been a number of additional videos created by medical offices and companies ever since. The most recent is Mayo Clinic which you can watch here . Here's our video we made back in 2007.

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Patients with Iodine or Seafood Allergy CAN Receive Contrast During CT Scans

It is a prevalent belief out in the medical (and lay public) community that patients with iodine or seafood allergy can not receive contrast when undergoing certain radiological tests like CT or MRI scans. The concern is that contrast contains minute amounts of free iodide and as such, IV administration of this material puts the patient at risk of a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Contrast is often given in these tests as it traces out bloodflow enabling the physician to see organ a…

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Burning Tongue or Mouth Syndrome Due to Magnesium Deficiency?

Patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) have two major findings: one, burning sensations in their mouth and two, no anatomical changes present in their mouth to relate to this burning. Dr. Henkin and colleagues at the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders have clinically distinguished two major groups of patients with BMS. One group has burning limited only to their tongue – called GLOSSOPYROSIS. The other group has burning in their entire mouth, including their tongue,…

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Study Suggests (Incorrectly?) Steroid Nasal Spray Use Does Not Help with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

A 2011  study was published on a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind prospective clinical trial (the best kind of research) to determine whether Nasacort AQ steroid nasal spray can resolve eustachian tube dysfunction as well as ear symptoms related to this disorder. Eustachian tube dysfunction at its mildest would cause symptoms of ear clogging much akin to the way the ears fill up when flying or driving up the mountain. At its worst, can lead to fluid buildup in the ear as well as …

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What is Considered a Normal Number of Reflux Episodes?

Depending on whether one is talking about GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) or LPR (layrngopharyngeal reflux) , I believe the answer is completely different. As it pertains to GERD and what literature, doctor, or testing equipment is used, 73 plus or minus some change is what is considered a normal number of reflux episodes a typical adult may experience in a 24 hour period of time. What exactly does this number mean? This number describes how many times stuff in the stomach regurgit…

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New and Only Over-The-Counter Anti-Histamine Nasal Spray

Up until now, there has been three anti-histamine nasal sprays in the United States market available only by prescription... Astelin, Astepro, and Patanase. However, in May 2011, Meda Pharma announced a new anti-histamine nasal spray Rhinolast Allergy that is available over-the-counter. The active ingredient is azelastine , the same one as found in the prescription nasal spray Astelin and Astepro. Azelastine has a triple mode of action: anti-histamine effect, m,ast-cell stabilizing eff…

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