If that gorgeous bouquet of red roses doesn’t smell as sweet as you remember—or if you can’t seem to smell them at all-- then the culprit may be a grayish, grape-shaped growth in your nose called a nasal polyp.

Read the rest of entry »

Coughing may not be the first symptom you think of when GERD is mentioned, but a chronic, constant hack can be an annoying part of the disease. If you have this and are wondering how to get rid of a GERD cough, we’ve got the answers. We’ll also explore what GERD is, what causes it and how we can help.

Read the rest of entry »

Sinus problems aren’t just annoying; they can significantly reduce the quality of your life.  Studies reveal that those with chronic sinus problems actually feel worse than patients with COPD and heart disease. The research also discovered that they feel as bad as someone on kidney dialysis.

Read the rest of entry »

You’ve just finished a few laps in the pool, but can’t shake the feeling of fluid in your ear. No matter what you do, your ear remains “full.” Eventually, you develop the itching and pain that are telltale signs of swimmer’s ear.  No one wants their time in the water to result in this uncomfortable condition, so we’ve provided some useful tips to help you avoid this common ear infection. 

Read the rest of entry »

About 15 percent of American adults have trouble hearing ---this translates to roughly 37.5 million people. Those who are 60 to 69 years old are much more likely to have hearing loss.  In fact, 25 percent of those between 65 to 74 have difficulty hearing to the extent that it is disabling, according to information from the Hearing Language Association of America. 

Read the rest of entry »

Three of the most common vocal cord injuries or diseases are laryngitis, polyps, and paralysis. To completely understand the effect these conditions have on everyday life, it’s important to review how the vocal cords create sound.

Read the rest of entry »

An ear tube (also called a tympanostomy tube) is frequently used to help children who have chronic ear infections.  The procedure can also be helpful for adults, although the surgery is not as common as it is in younger patients.

Read the rest of entry »

What does the 2019 allergy season have in store? Unfortunately, you can expect even more sniffling and sneezing. The warm and ample moisture this year means the allergy season peaks sometime around mid-April for the Southeast, which indicates a very unpleasant spring, according to the latest updates from Pollen.com.

Currently, North Carolina is listed as having some of the highest allergy rates in the U.S. Measurements from 9.7 to 12 are considered high, and the Raleigh area is showing readings from 10.7 to 11. The main culprits are allergens from birch, juniper and maple trees.

Read the rest of entry »

If you or your child has chronic allergies, your nose may bleed frequently. While nosebleeds can be difficult to control and are often a nuisance, they are rarely life-threatening.  Those with allergies are very susceptible to nosebleeds.

Why?  To answer this question, it helps if you know how allergens affect the inside of your nose. An allergen is any substance—such as pollen or ragweed—that prompts an allergic reaction.

Read the rest of entry »

If you’ve experienced consistent whistling every time you breathe through your nose, you may have a perforated septum. This occurs when a trauma, accident or injury creates a hole in the bone separating your nose into two sides.

Read the rest of entry »