Otolaryngology News and Research

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The medical discipline and practice of otolaryngology is a specialty that addresses conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. Another name for this practice is otolaryngology head and neck surgery.

New research blames pollution and everyday allergens for laryngitis

Researchers say everyday exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, allergens and air pollution may be the root of chronic cases of laryngitis.

23 Sep 2008

Sweet smells mean sweet dreams

New research has found that what you smell as you sleep has the power to influence your dreams.

22 Sep 2008

New guidelines for dealing with earwax

Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists in the U.S. have come up with new guidelines for dealing with earwax.

2 Sep 2008

Earwax removal - new guidelines

The American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) will issue the first comprehensive clinical guidelines to help health care practitioners identify patients with cerumen (commonly referred to as earwax) impaction. The guidelines emphasize evidence-based management of cerumen impaction by clinicians, and inform patients of the purpose of ear wax in hearing health.

1 Sep 2008

Stanford Medical School severely restricts industry funding of continuing education for physicians

The Stanford University School of Medicine will no longer accept support from pharmaceutical or device companies for specific programs in continuing medical education, as industry-directed funding may compromise the integrity of these education programs for practicing physicians, officials said.

26 Aug 2008

Inherited form of hearing loss stems from gene mutation

Pat Phalin learned she had hearing loss at 30, when she volunteered to give hearing tests at her local school. The pupils heard sounds she could not hear.

31 Jul 2008

PET-CT scanners detect secondary head and neck cancers

For patients with head and neck cancer, accurately determining how advanced the cancer is and detecting secondary cancers usually means undergoing numerous tests - until now.

22 Jul 2008

Medical professionals worldwide endorse WHO checklist for safer surgery

A new safety checklist for surgical procedures developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) won the endorsements of nearly 250 health organizations from over 40 countries at a launching event yesterday at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C

26 Jun 2008

Smoking and obesity linked to hearing loss

One of the largest studies into the risk factors for age-related hearing loss has found that smoking and body mass index (BMI) are two of the main culprits whereas alcohol has a protective effect, but high levels of work noise remain the biggest risk.

11 Jun 2008

Smoking and body mass index found to be risk factors in age-related hearing loss

Smoking and body mass index (BMI) are risk factors in the development of age-related hearing loss, says one of the largest-ever studies into risk factors for hearing loss - but alcohol has a protective effect.

11 Jun 2008

New studies provide insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing health

Three new studies published in the June 2008 edition of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery focus on what role gender plays in the prognosis of oral tongue cancer, chronic ear infections in children, and the success rates of hearing aid implants in the elderly.

1 Jun 2008

Quality of life predicts cancer survival

Head and neck cancer patients who reported lower physical quality of life were more likely to die from their disease, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The findings could mean that identifying patients with poor quality of life could also identify patients with particularly aggressive tumors.

30 May 2008

Bilateral cochlear implants: A case when two are definitely superior to one

A study of cochlear implant patients seen by Indiana University School of Medicine physicians is the first research to show evidence that cochlear implants in both ears significantly improves quality of life in patients with profound hearing loss and that the cost of the second implant is offset by its benefits.

30 May 2008

When facelifts go wrong: Stanford expert counsels plastic surgeons on dealing with unhappy patients

Watch for the red flags: the patient who pulls out a photo of Tom Cruise and says he wants to look just like that, or the perfectionist who comes to the initial interview with each hair in place, makeup just so.

21 May 2008

New discoveries in hearing health

Three studies published in the May 2008 edition of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery reveal substantial new findings in several areas of hearing health, including research that indicates that patients with profound hearing loss benefit substantially from having cochlear implants placed in both ears, rather than one, as is the common practice.

1 May 2008

Nasal surgery improves quality of life for those with obstructive sleep apnea

Nasal surgery to remove obstructions from the airway is associated with improvements in quality of life for patients with obstructive sleep apnea and symptoms of nasal blockages, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

21 Apr 2008

Plastic surgeons to develop groundbreaking therapies for war injury research

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will play a pivotal role over the next five years developing groundbreaking therapies to better treat U.S. soldiers critically injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

17 Apr 2008

New hybrid hearing aid/cochlear implant device

A new hybrid hearing aid/cochlear implant device designed for patients who can benefit from both is being evaluated by UT Southwestern Medical Center otolaryngologists, as part of a multisite, national study.

17 Apr 2008

Potential blood test for chronic sinusitis identified

A protein profile has been identified in the blood of chronic sinusitis sufferers that may enable physicians to objectively diagnosis and treat the disease, researchers say.

15 Apr 2008

Nasal irrigation can relieve sinus symptoms safely, cheaply

Your spring cleaning routine might include vacuuming the coils on your refrigerator and storing bulky sweaters and corduroy pants. You may want to add to that list, according to a University of Michigan Health System expert, another area that could use some cleaning.

7 Apr 2008