You probably take your sense of smell for granted, but do you ever wonder what it would be like if you had a loss of sense of smell? A total loss of smell is known as anosmia. When you don't have a sense of smell, your food will taste different, you won't be able to smell flowers — and you may even find yourself in dangerous circumstances unknowingly (i.e. gas leaks).… Read More
Sinus infection (sinusitis) is a major health issue. It impacts 31 million individuals in the U.S. alone, with Americans spending over $1 billion on OTC medications each year to treat it. Chronic sinusitis is evaluated and managed in a similar manner as acute sinusitis. Below you'll learn more about chronic sinusitis and six of its most common symptoms. What Is Chronic Sinusitis? Sinusitis is inflammation of your nasal or sinus passage. Chronic sinusitis is where you have chronic inflammation of your nasal or sinus passages that lasts for over 12 weeks at a time. If you experience more than four sinusitis episodes within a one-year period, it's considered recurrent sinusitis.… Read More
View Video Vocal cord paralysis can impact how you speak and breathe, resulting in vocal cord muscle paralysis.This is due to your vocal cords (or your vocal folds) doing much more than simply produce sound. Your vocal cords also keep your airway protected by preventing your saliva, your food and your drinks from entering your trachea (windpipe) and causing you to choke.… Read More
A speech-language disorder is where your ability to understand and/or express ideas and thoughts is impaired. It can affect speaking, writing, reading, interacting socially and processing information. Swallowing and feeding disorders interfere with how you eat and swallow food and beverages safely, and they can affect education performance and overall well-being.… Read More
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists provide state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and treat voice disorders. One essential tool they use in the evaluation process is videostroboscopy. What Is a Videostroboscopy Procedure? A videostroboscopy procedure is a non-invasive exam of your larynx. It's thought to be the gold standard in laryngeal examinations. There are various reasons why you'd be referred for this procedure, including if you're experiencing: Persistent laryngitis Hoarseness Vocal cord dysfunction A foreign or globus body sensation Other vocal complaints… Read More
It's essential you keep a healthy larynx since it contains your vocal cords (folds). Air passes through your larynx and over your vocal cords, causing them to vibrate which produces sound. It helps you breathe, talk and swallow. It's positioned at the top of your trachea or windpipe at the back of the throat. It contains your vocal cords that vibrate, making sounds as you speak. Your doctor will use a laryngoscope (a small hand tool) to look into your larynx as well as other surrounding parts of your throat or if they need to insert a tube into your trachea to help you breathe. Laryngoscopy Definition Laryngoscopy definition: Laryngoscopy is a visual exam using a throat scope to view below the back of the throat where your larynx that contains your vocal cords is. It's an efficient procedure to help the doctor discover the cause of:… Read More
Laryngitis is where your larynx (voice box) becomes inflamed due to irritation, overuse or infection. You can have acute (short-lived) laryngitis or chronic (long-lasting) laryngitis. Either way, the symptoms can interfere with your daily life. Here you'll learn the definition and differences of acute vs chronic laryngitis in terms of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. What is Acute Laryngitis? Acute laryngitis usually is a short-lived illness that produces a sore throat and hoarseness. Often, it's caused by an upper respiratory tract infection. It typically lasts for around three to seven days. It might have infectious causes or non-infectious causes like straining the vocal cords by overusing your voice or gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) could cause it which is known as reflux laryngitis. … Read More
Hoarseness is a presentation doctors see in primary care and ear, nose and throat practices, and is the reason for around one percent of all primary care consultations. It's important to know hoarseness isn't a disease in itself, but rather a symptom. What is a Hoarse Voice (Hoarseness)? Hoarseness, or dysphonia, is where you have an abnormal change in your voice quality, which makes it sound: Strained Raspy Breathy Lower or higher in pitch Weak Fatigued Inconsistent It often makes it difficult for you to talk. This typically occurs when you have a problem in the vocal cords of your larynx (voice box) which produces sound. When you breathe your vocal cords (folds) are separated, however, when you make a noise, they come together and they vibrate when the air is leaving your lungs. Hoarseness results when anything alters the closure or vibration of your vocal cords.… Read More
View Video Laryngitis is a condition many individuals have dealt with at some point in their lives. Most laryngitis cases are temporary, improving once the underlying cause becomes better, however, some people do end up with chronic laryngitis. In their lifetime, it's thought that 21 percent of the population might develop chronic laryngitis. In some cases, an infection causes it could spread to other areas of your respiratory tract.… Read More
