Smell Loss After Upper Respiratory Infection

Losing the sense of smell is not uncommon with upper respiratory infections (URI), typically with a viral common cold or flu. According to some studies, smell loss or decrease may occur between 18-45% of  patients who suffer from a URI. It is estimated that about 1/3 of such patients will fully recover their sense of smell with 2-3 years, most within the first year. Unfortunately, that leaves 2/3 of these patients who suffer from some degree of smell dysfunction. The key determining …

1/11/2018 0

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Does Mouth-Breathing Decrease Risk of Viral Infections?

Image by Magnus Mertens in Wikipedia The New York Times published an article looking into this very question on Nov 11, 2016. However, the provided answer ("possibly") was incomplete. In essence, the question of whether mouth-breathing decreases risk of viral infections is based on the idea that contagious viruses spread via the nose by inhaling coughed/sneezed out water droplets infected with viral contagions. Unfortunately, such viruses can also be spread if such droplets …

11/16/2016 0

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Personal Steam Inhalers/Humidifiers to Treat Cough and Congestion

People with an upper respiratory infection with cough have found that taking a hot steam shower is often helpful for their symptoms. It can ease the nasal congestion and calm the coughing down. Due to these beneficial effects and the fact that dry airways can make a cough worse, a humidifier is a helpful device to have in a room. Beyond a humidifier, one can also purchase personal portable steam inhalers designed to put over the face. Cost can run anywhere from $20 to several hundred …

2/22/2015 2

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Color of Snot (Infographic)

1/29/2015 0

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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…

1/18/2015 0

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Elderberry Juice Helps Reduce the Severity and Duration of Viral URI (Flu and Cold)

Image by Lefterov in Wikipedia There has been more research being produced that suggests that Elderberry Juice may help reduce the severity and duration of viral upper respiratory illnesses including the common cold and the flu. However, in order for its beneficial effects to be maximally achieved, it needs to be taken within 24-48 hours of symptom onset. The suggested dosage for adults is 1 tablespoon 4x per day for 3-5 days. For children, the dosage is 1 tablespoon 2x per day for 3 d…

1/08/2015 0

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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

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Nasal Spray Cure for the Common Cold?

Well maybe not cure per se, but at least effective treatment to reduce the duration and severity of the viral cold at least. Austrian researchers have reported on the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 211 patients suffering from early symptoms of the common cold. [ link ] Treatment of the non-placebo group involved using a nasal spray containing carrageenan (a sulphated polysaccharide found in red seaweed/algae) three times per day for 7 days. Cold…

12/07/2013 2

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Lawsuit Alleges Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Paralyzed Patient's Face

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is being sued by a patient who underwent an experimental transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy which allegedly caused a facial paralysis which was than negligently treated. The trial is scheduled for Oct 13, 2013. [ link ] Briefly, the patient in 2008 underwent experimental TMS to treat constipation and incontinence. TMS is a noninvasive method to cause depolarization or hyperpolarization in the neurons of the brain using pulses of electr…

9/08/2013 2

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Dr. Chang Quoted in Voice Council Magazine

Dr. Christopher Chang was quoted in a Nov 4, 2012 article published in Voice Council Magazine. The Voice Council Magazine is based out of United Kingdom and focuses on "practical insight for the emerging vocalist." The article  by Megan Gloss was focused on why Celine Dion cancelled her concert 2/22/12 in Las Vegas (a viral laryngitis ), a subject I already blogged about here . Read the published Voice Council article here . Source: Celine Dion's Viral Voice . Voice …

11/04/2012 0

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"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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Celine Dion Cancels Shows Due to Laryngitis

In late Feb 2012, Celine Dion who was to have performed in Las Vegas Feb 22, 2012, cancelled her show at the last minute at the Caesar's Palace due to laryngitis on the advice of her doctors. According to media reports , her doctors instructed her to rest for 7 days to ensure full recovery due to vocal cord inflammation caused by a virus. What does that mean exactly? When a virus infects the mucosa of the upper airway, it causes inflammation of the mucosa lining including the vocal …

3/04/2012 0

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Natural Remedies for a Sore Throat, Cough, and Viral Infections

Homeopathy and alternative medicine often get a bum rap, but they have come up with some treatments for sore throats and upper respiratory viral illnesses that actually have been proven to work. Here's a few... 1) Honey Sore throats (and coughing ) can be soothed by swallowing honey straight-up or slightly diluted with warm water with honey to make it easier to swallow. The best time to do this is at bedtime given it will stick around for awhile (eating/drinking will wash away the…

12/11/2011 0

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Test That Distinguishes Between Bacterial or Viral Infections

From the pages of CSI: Miami ... a commonly used forensic chemical called luminol to identify traces of blood at crime scenes has been modified to be used in a novel medical test that can help differentiate a viral infection from a bacterial infection. Why is this important? Not uncommonly, it is sometimes hard to differentiate between a bacterial infection which is treated with antibiotics from a viral infection which is NOT treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, in the healthcare sys…

7/27/2011 0

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1 Out of 5 Kids With Viral URI Develop Ear Infections

According to a  study published in 2011, more than 20 percent of young children with colds or other respiratory viral infections will develop middle ear infections of varying severity-including some mild infections. This finding is not really that surprising. Even adults have ear symptoms with a viral URI including ear fullness and difficulty popping the ear. Though adults do what they can to keep the ears clear by valsalva, swallowing, chewing gum, yawning, or proactive ear popping, kid…

2/16/2011 0

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USNews: Cold versus Allergies... How to Tell The Difference

US News and World Report came out with a story on July 27, 2010 regarding how one can tell the difference between an allergy versus a cold, especially since each has symptoms in common. Especially with mild symptoms, it may be hard even for an ENT to distinguish the two. Add chronic sinus infections and flu to the mix, it can be downright difficult without allergy testing , CT scans , and other types of testing to come up with a correct diagnosis. To help distinguish among these possibl…

7/28/2010 0

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