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Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Category: Ears
Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an inflammatory condition caused by an uncontrolled immune system response that attacks the inner ear causing progressive sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) that usually starts in one ear and then affects the other ear. The body thinks a part of the inner ear should
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Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Category: Kids ENT Health
Acid reflux occurs when acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the swallowing tube that leads from the back of the throat to the stomach. In some children, when reflux happens so frequently and is so severe that it causes complications, it is known as pediatric gastroesophageal reflux
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Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
Category: Ears
Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS), also known as herpes zoster oticus, is a rare yet severe condition that causes facial weakness or paralysis and a rash on the outer ear. The same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, the varicella-zoster virus, can spread and affect the facial nerve, which controls the
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Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)
Category: Ears
Hearing loss can be broadly separated into two categories: conductive (problems in delivering sound to the inner ear) and sensorineural (problems of the inner ear, or cochlea, and/or the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain). Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) happens when there is
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Hyperacusis
Category: Ears
Hyperacusis, or sensitive hearing, describes a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing center perceives noise, often leading to pain and discomfort. People with hyperacusis have a hard time tolerating sounds that are typically not loud to others, such as noise from running water,
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Graves’ Disease
Category: Head & Neck
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the front of the neck. It produces thyroid hormone, which controls your metabolism, temperature regulation, and keeps your muscles and organs working properly. Graves’ disease causes the thyroid gland to become overactive. It is an autoimmune
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GERD and LPR
Category: Throat
Acid reflux occurs when acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the swallowing tube that leads from the back of the throat to the stomach. When acid repeatedly “refluxes” from the stomach into the esophagus alone, it is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, if the
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Cholesteatoma
Category: Ears
Cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth or skin cyst trapped behind the eardrum, or the bone behind the ear. Cholesteatomas begin as a build-up of ear wax and skin, which causes either a lump on the eardrum or an eardrum retraction pocket. Over time, the skin collects and eventually causes problems
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Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Category: Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive
A "cleft" means a split or separation. A cleft palate refers to the roof of your mouth with or without the lip being split as well. Oral clefts are one of the most common birth defects. A child can be born with both a cleft lip and cleft palate, or a cleft in just one area. During normal fetal development
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Conductive Hearing Loss
Category: Ears
Hearing loss can be broadly separated into two categories: conductive and sensorineural (damage to tiny hair cells in the inner ear). Conductive hearing loss results when there is any problem in delivering sound energy to your cochlea, the hearing part in the inner ear. Common reasons for conductive
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Cricopharyngeal Muscle Dysfunction
Category: Throat
If the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPM) in your throat malfunctions or is impaired, this can cause you to have difficulty swallowing. The top valve of your esophagus (food pipe) is called the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), or pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). The CPM separates the esophagus and throat.
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Ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie)
Category: Kids ENT Health
Ankyloglossia, which is also referred to as tongue-tie, is a condition where the tongue cannot move normally because it is attached to the floor of the mouth by the frenulum, which is too tight. The lingual frenulum is the band of tissue that attaches the undersurface of your tongue to the bottom part
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Zenker’s Diverticulum
Category: Throat
A Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) is a rare condition where an “outpouching” occurs where your throat meets your esophagus, the swallowing pipe that leads into your stomach. When this happens, a pouch forms and mucous, food, and/or liquid can become stuck instead of going down your esophagus and into
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Spasmodic Dysphonia
Category: Throat
Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a voice disorder that causes involuntary spasms or contractions of the vocal cords, interrupting speech and affecting the quality of a person’s voice. The voice may sound broken, strained, or breathy depending on the type of SD. The two most common types of SD are the adductor
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Sialadenitis
Category: Head & Neck
Sialadenitis is inflammation and enlargement of one or more of the salivary (spit) glands. The salivary glands are responsible for producing and storing saliva. The three major salivary glands are the “parotid” (on the sides of the face in front of the ears), “submandibular” (under the jaw),
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Rhinitis
Category: Nose
Rhinitis is a condition that typically involves nasal obstruction or congestion, runny nose or post-nasal drip, itchy nose, and/or sneezing. There are various causes for these symptoms, although they are broadly divided into two types: allergic rhinitis (nasal symptoms related to allergy) and non-allergic
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Nosebleeds
Category: Nose
Nosebleeds (called epistaxis) are caused when tiny blood vessels in the nose break. Nosebleeds are very common and affect many people at some point in their lives. In the United States, about 60 percent of people will experience a nosebleed in their lifetime. They can happen at any age but are most common
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Ménière’s Disease
Category: Ears
Ménière’s disease (also called idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops) is one of the most common causes of dizziness originating in the inner ear. In most cases, only one ear (unilateral) is involved, but both ears (bilateral) may be affected. Ménière’s disease typically affects people between the
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Earaches
Category: Ears
Earache, or pain in the ear, is common and can occur in both children and adults. It can be due to a problem with the ear or structures close to the ear. The pain may be dull, sharp, or burning and can occur in one or both ears. It may be constant or come and go. What Are the Symptoms of Earaches? Symptoms
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Tonsils and Adenoids
Category: Kids ENT Health
Tonsils are the two round lumps in the back of your throat. Adenoids are high in the throat behind the nose and the roof of the mouth (referred to as your soft palate). They are not visible through the mouth or nose without special instruments. Tonsils and adenoids are part of the immune system and help
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Pediatric Sleep-disordered Breathing
Category: Kids ENT Health
Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a general term for breathing difficulties occurring during sleep. SDB can range from frequent loud snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where part, or all, of the airway is blocked repeatedly during sleep. When a child’s breathing is disrupted
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Pediatric Sleep-disordered Breathing
Category: Sleep & Snoring
Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a general term for breathing difficulties occurring during sleep. SDB can range from frequent loud snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where part, or all, of the airway is blocked repeatedly during sleep. When a child’s breathing is disrupted
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Neck Mass in Adults
Category: Head & Neck
A neck mass is an abnormal lump in the neck. Neck lumps or masses can be any size—large enough to see and feel, or they can be very small. A neck mass may be a sign of an infection, or it may indicate a serious medical condition. It does not necessarily mean you have cancer, but it does mean you may
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Fine Needle Aspiration
Category: Head & Neck
Fine needle aspiration (FNA), also called fine needle biopsy, is a type of biopsy where a needle is inserted into a lump or mass to collect a sample of cells. These cells are then looked at under a microscope to help your doctor determine if the mass or lump is cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).
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Dysphagia
Category: Throat
Dysphagia means that you can’t swallow well. Dysphagia is not a diagnosis; it is the symptom. Many factors may cause dysphagia, and most are temporary and non-life-threatening. In uncommon situations, swallowing difficulties can be related to a tumor or a nerve system disorder. It happens to people
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Aspiration
Category: Throat
Aspiration is a medical term for accidentally inhaling your food or liquid through your vocal cords into your airway, instead of swallowing through your food pipe, or esophagus, and into your stomach. Once past the vocal folds, the food or drink enters your windpipe, or trachea, and can pass into your
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Tonsils and Adenoids
Category: Throat
Tonsils are the two round lumps in the back of your throat. Adenoids are high in the throat behind the nose and the roof of the mouth (referred to as your soft palate). They are not visible through the mouth or nose without special instruments. Tonsils and adenoids are part of the immune system and help
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Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain
Category: Head & Neck
“TMJ” pain is a common occurrence for many people, and it refers to pain or discomfort in the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). This is the hinge that connects your temporal bone (the bone that forms the side of the skull) and your mandible (the lower jaw) in front of your ear, making it possible for
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Skin Cancer
Category: Head & Neck
The skin is the largest organ in our body, and is made up of two major layers (epidermis and dermis), as well as various types of cells. The top (or outer) layer of the skin, the epidermis, is composed of three types of cells: flat, scaly cells on the surface called squamous cells; round cells called
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Sinus Headaches
Category: Nose
Not every headache is the result of sinus and nasal passage problems. For example, many patients visit an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist, or otolaryngologist, to seek treatment for what they think is a sinus headache, only to learn they actually have a migraine or tension headache. The confusion
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Nasal Fractures
Category: Facial, Plastic & Reconstructive
A broken nose, or nasal fracture, can significantly alter your appearance. It can also make it much harder to breathe through your nose. Getting struck on the nose, whether by another person, a door, or the floor is not pleasant. Your nose will hurt, usually a lot. You’ll likely have a nose bleed and
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Earwax (Cerumen Impaction)
Category: Ears
Earwax, called cerumen, is produced by special wax-forming glands located in the skin of the outer one-third of the ear canal. It is normal to have cerumen in ear canal as this waxy substance serves as a self-cleaning agent with protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. The absence of earwax
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Ears and Altitude (Barotrauma)
Category: Ears
Ear problems are one of the most common medical complaints of airplane travelers and divers. While they are usually minor annoyances, sometimes they can cause significant symptoms. When the eustachian tube in your middle ear is blocked due to altitude or pressure changes (sometimes called barotrauma),
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