WP Medical Mystery: Sudden Hearing Loss

The Washington Post on 7/27/10 published a story in its Medical Mystery segment describing a patient who had sudden onset of hearing loss in one ear with tinnitus (or buzzing in the ear). This sudden hearing loss is known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss and is considered an urgent issue for which a patient needs to see an ENT as soon as possible. Why? Because treatment is most effective if given within 4 weeks of hearing loss onset. Treatment is with either high dose prednisone and/…

7/27/2010 0

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Doxycycline Helps Shrink Nasal Polyps

A new research study was published that showed that the anbitiotic doxycycline (as well as methylprednisolone steroid) significantly decreased nasal polyp size compared with placebo. The effect of methylprednisolone was maximal at week 3 and lasted until week 8, whereas the effect of doxycycline was moderate but present for 12 weeks. What patients suffering from nasal polyps need to realize is that such effects from steroids and even doxycycline are temporary... the nasal polyps come back. …

7/10/2010 1

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Allergy Medications Explained

A new webpage has been posted going over the different types of allergy medications in the market today. Given that there is plenty of information on the internet on the science behind how these medications work, the webpage does not go into the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, but rather uses terms hopefully a layperson can understand. Furthermore, small useful tidbits of info are given including differences between allegra and allegra-D not only in terms of medical benefit but also …

1/16/2008 0

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