Houston ENT and Allergy Blog

  Many individuals require their voices for work. Among those who need their voices for work, most commonly it's singers, public speakers, teachers, sales people, customer service representatives, and lawyers. Around 17.9 million individuals in the United States say they experience issues with their voice. Voice abuse/misuse can be avoided by properly caring for your voice. What Is Vocal Abuse/Misuse? Voice abuse/misuse is where you use your voice in specific ways that can contribute to or cause the development of laryngeal pathologies. This means that you sprain or strain your voice resulting in injury to one or more of your vocal cords. Some include vocal abuse behaviors and using inappropriate vocal components like:… Read More

  Facial pain is linked with high levels of healthcare utilization and significant morbidity and continues to be a challenge in both diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for both doctors and patients. It's often diagnosed on the basis of exclusion. … Read More

Sinus and nasal complaints are common reasons for a visit to your primary care doctor, an allergist or an otolaryngologist (ENT). If you're asking yourself, "what are the reasons why I can't breathe through my nose," two common culprits to consider are a nasal obstruction and chronic sinusitis.… Read More

  Sinus pressure and sinus pain occur when your nasal passage membranes become swollen or inflamed. A variety of factors can cause sinus pressure and pain, including having chronic sinusitis. What Is Sinusitis? Your sinuses are cavities filled with air and are situated: Behind your forehead and eyebrows Inside your cheeks' bony structure In front of your brain, behind your nose One either side of the bridge of your nose Sinusitis is an inflammation of your sinuses. It can be of two forms: Acute sinusitis. If you have acute (temporary) sinusitis, it typically goes away after three to eight weeks on its own.  Chronic sinusitis. If you're dealing with chronic sinusitis, it lasts longer than eight weeks or more than 12 weeks occurring multiple times per year, and requires treatment. Chronic sinusitis symptoms can last for months, or even years. Some physicians will call sinusitis chronic instead of acute if it lasts a minimum of three months.… Read More

  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