Bike Helmets Can Potentially Fracture the Voicebox

Image courtesy of vectorolie at  FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bike and motorcycle helmets are known to help protect against head injury. However, it may come at the cost of injuring the voicebox due to the clasp used to secure the helmet during a crash. In a research paper published in Jan 2018, 3 documented laryngeal fractures in a single medical institution were described. It is unknown whether additional laryngeal fractures have occurred due to helmet use that was never reported or identifie…

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Is Suppressing a Sneeze Bad For You?

Image courtesy of stockimages at  FreeDigitalPhotos.net Also known medically as the "closed-airway sneeze," it may be socially preferable, but healthwise may be harmful if not dangerous. With a sneeze, tremendous air pressure is created in the lungs which ideally should be released out the mouth... but if internalized to prevent release out the mouth, can cause immense pressure to buildup internally which may cause significant damage ranging from minor to severe requiring hosp…

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LeBron James and His Broken Nose

LeBron James suffered a broken nose. He first broke it Feb 2014 when playing against Oklahoma City. He than got hit to the nose again (while wearing a mask) when playing against Houston in March 2014. [ link ] Regardless of whether you are an NBA player or not, treatment of most  nasal and even facial fractures  do  NOT  require surgical repair. The key elements that lead towards a decision for  facial and/or nasal fracture surgery  are the following (not all-inclusive, but general pointe…

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Bengals Punter Kevin Huber Suffers Jaw Fracture During Game

Courtesy of  Jeffrey Beall  from Wikipedia This past weekend, Cincinnati Bengals punter Mark Huber suffered a  broken jaw  when he was viciously knocked to the ground by Steelers Terence Gavin who lead the tackle with his helmet. [ link ] Given bleeding from the mouth, there is the possibility of an open fracture extending into the mouth, though it could also be from a self-inflected bite when Huber got hit. Unlike most  facial fractures  that do NOT require any surgical intervention,…

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Actor Zac Efron Broke His Jaw

Image by Liam Mendes from Wikipedia This past weekend, actor Zac Efron slipped in a puddle of water outside his home and fell resulting in a severe facial cut as well as a broken jaw . [ link ] Unlike most facial fractures that do NOT require any surgical intervention, most jaw fractures do need to be surgically repaired and typically entail wiring the jaw shut. Often, a metal plate with screws will be utilized to stabilize the fracture as well. The reason the jaw is wired shut is so …

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Cheerleading A Dangerous Sport from an ENT Perspective

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published its first policy statement regarding cheerleading due to the increasing rate of injuries found in this increasingly competitive sport. Who knew that although the overall risk of injury is lower than other sports, it has one of the highest rates of catastrophic injuries including closed-head injury, skull fractures, cervical spine injuries, paralysis, and even death. After all, cheerleaders do not wear protective gear and safety is utterl…

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