Could a Pill Cure Sleep Apnea and Replace the CPAP? What We Know About Apnimed’s Sleep Apnea Drug AD109

For decades, treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has mostly centered around CPAP machines, oral appliances, surgery, and weight loss. But a new investigational medication from  Apnimed  is generating major interest because it may become one of the first effective oral medications for sleep apnea. The drug, called  AD109 , has now completed large Phase 3 clinical trials with encouraging results. What Is AD109? AD109 is a once-nightly pill designed to help keep the airway open during sle…

5/19/2026 0

Continue Reading

Sudden Hearing Loss by Florida CBS TV News Station (Video by Dr. Chang Used in the Story @ 0:57)

On May 11, 2026, Jacksonville, FL television station  Action News Jax  aired a powerful health segment featuring veteran news anchor  Phil Amato  and his personal experience with sudden hearing loss. This story stood out with respect to Fauquier ENT as it included a video clip made by Dr. Chris Chang explaining this condition. The story accurately explained a condition that many people have never heard of until it happens to them: sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Often described as …

5/14/2026 0

Continue Reading

The Surprising Tradition of Using Fire to Remove Ear Hair

Ear hair is a completely natural part of aging, especially in men, and for most people it’s managed with simple grooming tools. But in some parts of the world, a far more dramatic method exists— using fire . I only recently heard about this myself. This technique, sometimes called  ear singeing  or  ear flaming , blends grooming with cultural tradition and has drawn curiosity (and concern) from both travelers and medical professionals. Where Does This Practice Come From? Ear hair removal with …

4/25/2026 0

Continue Reading

How an ENT Removes a Fishbone from the Throat Without Sedation

A step-by-step look at a common (but delicate) procedure Accidentally swallowing a fishbone is more common than you might think—especially with certain types of fish that contain fine, sharp bones. While many pass harmlessly, some become lodged in the throat and require removal by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. Fortunately, in many cases, this can be safely and efficiently handled right in the clinic using  McGill forceps under endoscopic guidance . Why Fishbones Get Stuck Fishbo…

4/10/2026 0

Continue Reading

How The Simpsons Accidentally Beccomes an ENT Medical Show at Times

For a cartoon,  The Simpsons  contains a surprising number of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) related medical scenes. Over the decades, the show has featured everything from choking emergencies and nosebleeds to sleep apnea and smoker’s voice changes. While played for comedy, many of these scenes actually reflect real medical conditions and treatments seen in ENT clinics and emergency rooms every day. Choking and Foreign Bodies One of the most common ENT emergencies shown in  The Simpsons  is choki…

4/05/2026 0

Continue Reading

From the Exam Room to the Ice Rink: Why an ENT Doctor Started Making Videos on Concussion Evaluation

Yes... the doctor/coach represented in the image does not look like Dr. Chang. (Videos at the Bottom.) If you had asked me a few years ago whether concussion management would become a regular topic of my professional life, I would have said no without hesitation. As an ENT physician, my day-to-day work focuses on the ears, nose, throat, balance, hearing, and the complex systems that connect them. While those systems certainly overlap with neurology, concussion was not something I routinely eval…

1/20/2026 0

Continue Reading

Untreated Hearing Loss Increases the Risk of Imbalance and Falls: What the Science Says

Falls are a major public health concern, especially for older adults. According to a large systematic review and meta-analysis of more than  5 million participants , individuals with hearing loss had a  51% greater odds of falling  compared with those without hearing impairment. Over time, hearing loss was also associated with a  17% greater longitudinal risk of future falls —meaning that even after adjusting for other factors, people with hearing loss had a significantly higher chance of falli…

1/20/2026 0

Continue Reading

Untreated Hearing Loss Before Age 70 May Raise Dementia Risk by ~60%

Hearing loss is common as we age, but many people treat it as a minor inconvenience rather than a serious health issue. Emerging research shows that ignoring hearing loss — especially before age 70 — could have  major implications for your brain health , including a significantly  higher risk of dementia . Fortunately, addressing hearing loss early with hearing aids may help reduce this risk. Why Hearing Loss Affects the Brain When the ears don’t send clear sound information to the brain, the b…

1/03/2026 0

Continue Reading

Temporary Sound Sensitivity in Toddlers: A Normal Part of Sensory Development

If your toddler suddenly covers their ears, cries at everyday noises, or seems distressed by sounds that never bothered them before, it can be worrying. Many parents wonder if this means something is wrong with their child’s hearing or development. In most cases, the answer is reassuring: temporary sound sensitivity is a common and normal part of toddler sensory development . What Is Sound Sensitivity? Sound sensitivity—sometimes called auditory sensitivity or sound intolerance —refers to a ch…

12/18/2025 0

Continue Reading

When to Evaluate a Cervical Lymph Node in Children: Understanding Size Criteria

Palpable neck lymph nodes are  extremely common in children —most are benign and reactive from frequent viral or bacterial infections. However, certain features, including  size ,  location , and  persistence , can signal the need for further evaluation to rule out more serious conditions like lymphoma or metastatic disease. 1. Normal Lymph Node Size in Children Children’s lymphatic systems are more active than adults’, so  small, palpable nodes are normal , especially in the cervical region. A…

11/09/2025 0

Continue Reading

The New Hidden Salivary Glands in Your Upper Throat: What Are the Tubarial Glands?

Just when we thought we knew every nook and cranny of the human body, scientists may have found something new hiding in plain sight—right inside our heads. These mysterious structures are called the  tubarial glands , and if confirmed, they could represent a previously unrecognized set of  major salivary glands . The Discovery Nobody Saw Coming In 2020, researchers in the Netherlands made a surprising observation while scanning cancer patients using a special type of imaging called a  PSMA PET/…

11/02/2025 0

Continue Reading

A Brief History of Nose Jobs: From Ancient Surgery to Modern Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a “nose job,” is among the oldest documented surgical procedures in human history. While in modern times it is frequently performed for aesthetic enhancement, its origins lie in reconstructive medicine, restoring dignity and function to those who had lost their noses due to punishment, disease, or trauma. The First Documented Rhinoplasty: Sushruta in Ancient India (ca. 600 BCE) The earliest known description of nasal reconstruction is found in the  Sushruta …

9/19/2025 0

Continue Reading

Bilateral BPPV: When Vertigo Strikes from BOTH the Left and Right Inner Ears!

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or BPPV , is one of the most common causes of dizziness. It happens when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear, called otoconia, become dislodged and move into one of the semicircular canals, typically the posterior semicircular canal. Usually, this occurs only on one side. However, rarely both posterior canals on each side can become affected resulting in bilateral posterior canal BPPV. Treatment requires the displaced crystals from each side to be repos…

9/09/2025 0

Continue Reading