Fauquier ENT Blog

Showing posts with label sinusitis. Show all posts

April 18, 2021

Vaccine to Prevent Frequent Ear Infections, Sinus Infections, and Upper Respiratory Infections

Did you know that there is a vaccine that effectively and significantly reduces ear infections, sinusitis, and upper respiratory infections of all ages? Did you know that this vaccine is available in most if not all pharmacies and primary care offices since 2000, the latest and greatest version of this vaccine since 2010? The pediatric version of the vaccine is called Prevnar13 and the adult version is called Pneumovax23. Commonly, this vaccine is called the "pneumonia shot," and it i…

4/18/2021 0

June 03, 2020

Can Cholesterol Statin Drugs Prevent Sinus Infections?

Lipitor is one example of a common statin drug Prior to 2020, I would have said that it would be preposterous to think that cholesterol medications can influence chronic sinus infections in any way. But a 2020 study published in Laryngoscope determined that statin drugs actually decrease the frequency of chronic sinus infections. Nobody understands why that may be. The effect is relatively small, but definitely present. The population based study found that in those taking a statin, ch…

6/03/2020 0

October 15, 2017

Migraines Pretending to be Sinusitis

It is shocking to me just how many people suffer from migraine headaches. Even more surprising is just how many people present to an ENT clinic with complaints of a persistent sinus infection when really the sinus pain is actually due to a migraine . In fact, there are some estimates that up to 80% of patients who present to an ENT clinic with primary complaint of sinus headaches or chronic sinusitis ultimately are proven to be suffering from migraines instead. See references below. Thi…

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February 21, 2017

High Blood Pressure Medication Helps with Nasal Polyps!

Verapamil , a blood pressure medication, may help with an uncommon disorder called nasal polyps that afflict certain individuals causing significant nasal congestion, nasal obstruction , smell loss, and chronic sinusitis . Nasal polyps appear like a cluster of grapes within the nasal and sinus passages leading to subjective sino-nasal symptoms. Although sinus surgery can physically remove the nasal polyps , whatever trigger caused their initial formation can lead to their regrowth. As suc…

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November 01, 2016

Chiropractic Nasal Balloon Procedure to Treat Sinuses, TMJ, Concussion, etc

Screen shot from YouTube A patient recently came to my office complaining of chronic sinusitis that has been treated over the past year unsuccessfully by a chiropractor using a "balloon that is inserted into the nose and inflated several times." Curious about this interesting technique, I investigated further what and how allegedly this procedure works. It is called "Nasal Release" or "Neuro Cranial Restructuring" or "Endo-Nasal Cranial Facial Release&q…

11/01/2016 0

July 24, 2016

Local ENT Surgeon Missed Rare Sinus Pathology on CT Scan

Ditto in right maxillary sinus cavity. A well-respected ENT surgeon in Warrenton, VA created an uproar in the medical community when it was discovered that he failed to detect a rare sinus pathology on a CT sinus scan. This parasitic growth was easily discovered by the patient's teenage son within seconds of looking at the CT scan in spite of still being in high school. It's called a " Ditto " claimed John Smith, 14, son of the patient who suffered from this missed patho…

7/24/2016 0

February 20, 2016

New Video on Sinusitis and Sinus Surgery Explained (Balloon Sinuplasty and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery)

A new video has been uploaded to YouTube that explains how sinus infections occur as well as how sinus surgery helps with this condition via balloon sinuplasty or traditional endoscopic sinus surgery . Sinus topics demonstrated in this video include: • Chronic Sinusitis • Endoscopic Sinus Surgery • Balloon Sinuplasty

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October 29, 2015

Immune Problems Causing ENT Problems

The immune system is what helps a body fight off infections. However, the immune system can also cause problems when it does not work properly resulting in symptoms and misery. Within our bodies float millions of tiny cells called White Blood Cells (aka, leukocytes) which are the soldiers that look for and destroy any abnormal cells or germs. Other proteins in the blood called immunoglobulins (aka, antibodies) are like free-floating drones that immediately stick on to any abnormal cells o…

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January 29, 2015

Color of Snot (Infographic)

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January 18, 2015

Recurrent Infections of the Ear, Sinus May be Due to Immunodeficiency

Image Courtesy of marcolm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Your immune system is what helps to fight off infections. But if the immune system is deficient in some way, a child or adult may experience recurrent infections. When it comes to ENT, such repeated infections may only involve the ear / sinus , or manifest itself as frequent URI. What are some key questions that may prompt an investigation for an immunodeficiency, especially if surgical management fails to resolve? • Need more than fo…

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July 08, 2014

Does Sinus and/or Nasal Surgery Help with Sleep Apnea?

Bluntly, the answer is not really... Although it may make sense that improving nasal airflow should help with obstructive sleep apnea , the reality is that it does not make a profound difference. Indeed, there was a study in 2014 that looked into this question. In this study , 3 groups of patients were looked at divided into patients with mild, moderate, or severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These patients underwent sinus surgery , septoplasty , and turbinate reduction . What was found …

7/08/2014 1

January 03, 2014

Why Do Babies Hate Getting Their Nose and Face Wiped???

I have often been asked this question by parents... and even more so by my wife as we try to clean the snot off our little kids' noses as they shriek as if we're torturing them. Given it seems ALL young kids have this nose-wiping aversion across cultures and racial ethnicities, it would seem that this reflex reaction is hard-wired into human babies. But why would evolution favor this reaction? I tried to find an answer to this question to see if any bright researchers actually stu…

1/03/2014 1

December 12, 2013

The Nose is a Jungle of Germs (even in Normal Healthy People)!

A fascinating study was conducted by Stanford researchers on the amount and types of germs found inside the nose in normal healthy individuals, whether they are staph carriers or not. In a typical nose in a healthy individual without any symptoms, the following "germs" can be found. Keep in mind that ALL these germs have the potential to cause a pathological sinus infection : • Corynebacterium • Propionibacterium • Escherichia-Shigella • Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA…

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November 02, 2013

Pediatric Sinus Development and Sinusitis

There is a tendency for any type of nasal drainage to be attributed to " sinusitis " in children. Especially in young children, "sinusitis" is a relatively rare cause for nasal drainage and congestion which is actually more commonly due to viruses and enlarged adenoids . The reason why sinuses play a relatively minor role in nasal drainage and congestion is because sinuses are not fully developed in children. It probably is not until around the age of 7 years old th…

11/02/2013 0

August 29, 2013

Sinus Infection Leads to Skull Removal in Child

The UK reported a 9 years old boy who had an extremely rare sinusitis complication that ultimately resulted in the left skull being removed temporarily. Briefly, in Feb 2013, the child developed headaches and a droopy eyelid. Surgeons ultimately had to remove his left skull due to brain swelling and concern the bone itself was infected. Over the next few months, the child had to wear a bike helmet to protect his brain which was no longer protected by his skull. A few weeks ago, he underwe…

8/29/2013 0

April 13, 2013

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Child Can't Shake that Cough

Guest Blog Post by Dr. Julie Wei Any parent who has lived with a toddler or preschooler knows the pain of hearing a child’s endless cough, daytime, nighttime, all the time... It seems as if the cough never clears up in a day or two, or after a cold, but may last for weeks. Even if it does clear up, it always seems to return without much warning, and can be more stubborn than your 4 year old about eating vegetables! If you are wondering why cough medications can't stop your child's…

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April 02, 2013

Why Do Culture Results Take So Long? [video]

One of the most common questions I get after obtaining a culture of pus whether from the ear or the nose is how long it takes before the culture results are back... especially when MRSA is a concern. Does it take a few hours? 24 hours? Days? Disappointingly, it can take up to 5+ days if not longer. You want to know why? Well, rather than explaining, watch a 6-minute video that explains the numerous steps that goes into providing a diagnosis after a culture has been obtained... in th…

4/02/2013 0

January 14, 2013

How Long Does it Take for a Cough to Clear Up?

Hypothetically speaking, how long would it take for a cough to clear up if a person comes down with an acute respiratory infection ? According to a telephone survey of 493 adults, the lay-public expect the cough to clear up in 7 to 9 days. Now, is this one week guess actually true? Not at all... In reality, it takes about 17.8 days on average. This number was determined on a recent study that reviewed 19 prior studies that determined how long a cough lasts for. It should also be m…

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January 04, 2013

Dr. Chang Featured in Regional Newspaper Regarding Balloon Sinuplasty

Dr. Chang was recently featured inside a regional quarterly newspaper regarding balloon sinuplasty in the treatment of chronic sinusitis . Sinus surgery has come a long way compared to even just 5-10 years ago and great patient experiences after this type of surgery is not uncommon now. A few key features of sinus surgery of the 21st century that is provided at Fauquier ENT include: • Nasal packing rarely occurs • Most patients are surprised by how little pain there is •…

1/04/2013 0

October 12, 2012

"Bitter" Taste Sense Contributes to Immune Defense

As children, we all learned about the 4 different taste qualities the human tongue can appreciate: salty, sugar, bitter, and sour. Savory or umami was added in 1985. "Calcium" has been proposed in 2008 as well as more recently, "fatty" taste. However, we are slowly learning that "taste" is much more complex than simply the ability to perceive the taste qualities associated with food. That tongue map we all memorized in elementary school? It's a lie... Rea…

10/12/2012 0

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