Acupuncture May Help with Tinnitus

There was an interesting study published in 2020 that evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating tinnitus by evaluating 8 randomized controlled trials involving 504 patients. Although there was no difference between study and control groups on a visual analog scale (VAS), positive effects on secondary outcomes, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and tinnitus severity index (TSI), were seen. In these studies, the most commonly used traditional acupuncture points utilized were: • GB-…

Continue Reading

Jimmy Buffet Dies of Merkel Cell Carcinoma Skin Cancer

On Sept 1, 2023, Jimmy Buffet died from merkel cell carcinoma which is a rare and deadly skin cancer... Way more deadly than melanoma. Melanoma has a 10 year survival rate of 61.3% whereas merkel cell carcinoma is only 17.7% [ link ]. 5 year survival rates for merkel cell carcinoma is 75% if localized to the skin (stage 1) and only 24% if it has already spread elsewhere in the body (stage 4) [ link ]. Jimmy Buffet died within 4 years of his merkel cell carcinoma diagnosis. It is unclear…

Continue Reading

What is the Most Common Tinnitus Frequency?

Low Pitch: 0-1000 Hz Medium Pitch: 1000-5000 Hz High Pitch : 5000-10,000 Hz Very High Pitch : 10,000 - 25,000 Hz The real-time graph shown above is the result of an on-going survey of tinnitus sufferers voluntarily submitting their tinnitus frequency. The graph above is broken into pitch ranges whereas the graph shown below is further divided into hertz ranges. The graphs automatically update as new survey responses are completed. Believe it or not, we do not actually know the answer to …

Continue Reading

Anti-Viral Treatment May Help Symptoms of Meniere's Disease

There is a recent study that suggested that symptoms of Meniere's disease (vertigo attacks and fluctuating hearing loss) can be reduced by taking an anti-viral medication for a prolonged period of time. Published in 2015, the research  stated that 60% of patients achieved hearing improvement and vertigo resolution. Those patients who had Meniere's Disease for less than 3 years typically responded better to this treatment than those who have suffered from Meniere's Disease for a lon…

Continue Reading

Throat Cancer Treatment using Radiation Therapy

When an individual has been diagnosed with a form of head and neck cancer, radiation therapy is a very common treatment modality that may be recommended. After an initial consultation with a radiation oncologist, the video demonstrates the following prepatory steps taken to ready a patient for radiation treatment. Step 1: A custom mesh of the patient’s face, neck and shoulders is created. This mask is used to keep the head and neck absolutely still in an identical manner each time a patient …

Continue Reading

Smell Loss (Anosmia) Treatment Involving Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Show Great Promise

Research out of Stanford have suggested that injections of platelet-rich plasma derived from the patient's own blood may significantly restore sense of smell even for those patients who have suffered smell loss for a long period of time. These injections are performed into the top part of the nasal cavity where the smell nerve endings are located. In the original pilot study published in 2020, ALL study participants reported a subjective improvement of their smell shortly after injection…

Continue Reading