Ear, Nose, and Throat (Otolaryngology)
Conditions We Treat
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
A Q&A with AAO-HNS Member Expert Barry E. Hirsch, MD, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Director, Division of Otology; and Chair, AAO-HNS Hearing Committee.
Go to Detail PageNosebleeds
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.
Go to Detail PageOtosclerosis
The term otosclerosis is derived from the Greek words for "hard" (scler-o) and "ear" (oto). It describes a condition of abnormal bone growth around the stapes bone, one of the tiny bones of the middle ear. This leads to a fixation of the stapes bone. The stapes bone must move freely for the ear to work properly and hear well.
Go to Detail PagePapilloma
A papilloma is a small wartlike growth on the skin or on a mucous membrane.
Go to Detail PageParanasal Sinus Cancer
Cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is rare. Doctors diagnose nasal cancer with imaging tests, lighted tube-like instruments that look inside the nose, and biopsies. The paranasal sinuses are small hollow spaces around the nose. They are lined with cells that make mucus, keeping the nose from becoming dry.
Go to Detail PagePediatric Feeding Disorders
Pediatric feeding disorders consist of problems related to feeding and swallowing, specifically addressing concerns around an infant, a toddler, or a child's ability to chew, swallow, and complete a feeding/meal safely and efficiently.
Go to Detail PagePediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
In some children, when reflux happens so frequently and is so severe that it causes complications, it is known as pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Go to Detail PagePediatric Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is the third most common solid tumor malignancy and the most common endocrine malignancy in children. It occurs four times more often in females than males and has similar characteristics as adult thyroid cancer.
Go to Detail PagePerforated Eardrum
A perforated eardrum is a hole or rupture in the eardrum, a thin membrane that separates the ear canal and the middle ear. A perforated eardrum is often accompanied by decreased hearing and occasional discharge with possible pain. The amount of hearing loss experienced depends on the degree and location of perforation. Sometimes a perforated eardrum will heal spontaneously, other times surgery to repair the hole is necessary. Serious problems can occur if water or bacteria enter the middle ear through the hole. A physician can advise you on protection of the ear from water and bacteria until the hole is repaired.
Go to Detail PagePost-nasal Drip
Mucus is normally swallowed unconsciously, but when there is a feeling of the mucus gathering in the throat or dripping from the back of your nose, it is called post-nasal drip.
Go to Detail PageRamsay Hunt Syndrome
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.
Go to Detail PageRhinitis
Rhinitis is a condition that typically involves nasal obstruction or congestion, runny nose or post-nasal drip, itchy nose, and/or sneezing.
Go to Detail PageSalivary Glands Disorders
The glands are found in and around your mouth and throat. The major salivary glands are called the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. They all secrete saliva into the mouth, the parotid through tubes that drain saliva, called salivary ducts, near the upper teeth, submandibular under the tongue, and the sublingual through many ducts in the floor of the mouth.
Go to Detail PageSensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) happens when there is damage to tiny hair cells in the cochlear and/or the auditory nerve.
Go to Detail PageSialadenitis
Sialadenitis is inflammation and enlargement of one or more of the salivary (spit) glands. The salivary glands are responsible for producing and storing saliva.
Go to Detail PageSinger's Nodules
Vocal nodules are benign (non-cancerous) masses that form on both vocal folds (cords). These structures open for breathing, close for swallowing, and vibrate as air passes through to produce sound. Nodules can interrupt normal vocal fold vibrations, causing vocal difficulties. Treatment is necessary to prevent the nodules from turning into hard callouses.
Go to Detail PageSinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC)
As a locally aggressive cancer, SNUC can have a variable course. Because it is aggressive, it is often treated with more than one modality, and modern treatment plans include surgery, radiation, and possibly chemotherapy. Non-surgical treatments are sometimes used as well.
Go to Detail PageSinus Headaches
Sinus and nasal passages can become inflamed leading to a headache. Headache is one of the key symptoms of patients diagnosed with acute or chronic sinusitis. In addition to a sinus headache, sinusitis patients often complain of pain and pressure around the eyes, across the cheeks and the forehead, achy feeling in the upper teeth, fever and chills, facial swelling, nasal stuffiness and yellow or green discharge.
Go to Detail PageSinusitis
Symptoms of Sinusitis include facial pressure or pain, nasal discharge that is yellow or green, post-nasal drip, and cough. For the most part, sinusitis symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are the same for the elderly as other adult age groups. However, there are special considerations for older Americans.
Go to Detail PageSkin Cancer
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 basal cells; and melanocytes, cells that provide skin its color and protect against skin damage. The inner layer of the skin, the dermis, is the layer that contains the nerves, blood vessels, and sweat glands. Skin cancer is a disease in which cancerous (malignant) cells are found in the outer layers of your skin.
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