Houston ENT and Allergy Blog

  An ear infection is often a viral or bacterial infection affecting your middle ear. This is the air-filled area behind your eardrum containing the very small vibrating bones of your ear. Kids tend to get ear infections more than adults. Ear infections are also usually painful due to the buildup of fluids and inflammation in the middle ear. The accumulation of fluid inside your ear canal can damage your ear canal's protective layer. This is known as swollen ear canal and is a condition of the ear associated with redness and inflammation inside the canal. Lipid makes up the protective layer.… Read More

  Whether you’re purchasing hearing aids in Houston or need assistance managing certain ear, nose, and throat procedures with high deductibles, CareCredit and Houston ENT and Allergy go hand-in-hand.… Read More

  You're struggling with sinus problems and your doctor examined you and gave you a diagnosis of sinusitis, which you’ve learned is sinus lining inflammation. The doctor prescribes you medication after your symptoms weren't responding to over-the-counter medications. However, even the prescription medication isn't providing you with enough relief and you're still experiencing congestion all day and throughout the night to the point that you’re now suffering from chronic sinusitis.… Read More

If you've been diagnosed with otosclerosis, your doctor may recommend stapedectomy surgery. Otosclerosis is a self-limited bone growth in one or both ears that can cause hearing difficulty. As the bone growth becomes larger it can lead to progressive hearing loss. To avoid this, you may want to consider having the stapedectomy procedure done.… Read More

  Branchial cleft cysts develop during the developmental-embryonic stage when there is abnormal or improper neck or collarbone tissue development.  Branchial cleft cysts can be noticeable and look like an opening on one or both sides of the neck. The openings drain fluid, leading to the formation of a pocket or cyst. Sometimes there's infection in the pocket or cyst which oozes out of the skin's opening. Most of the time, branchial cleft cysts aren't harmful, and they usually don’t provide the ENT doctor a diagnostic challenge since they tend to have a consistent clinical presentation and physical locations.… Read More

  People who have a branchial cleft cyst are born with the condition, which begins in early in the embryonic stage. Though it is present at birth, it may not be recognized until adolescence among those who have this condition.… Read More

  Week four in May (May 20-26) of Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) focused on increasing awareness of older Americans and falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 25 percent of people, aged 65 or older, fall each year. By the age of 80, that number increases to 50 percent. Unfortunately, only half those who fall inform their physicians. What you may not know, though, is that falling once in a year doubles your risks of falling again.… Read More

During May, which is Better Hearing and Speech Month, communication disorders and swallowing disorders are of interest to many as there is an increased awareness of these conditions as a result of the campaign.… Read More

  May is "Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM)" in the U.S.  May 1st marked the beginning of  BHSM and those with hearing loss as well as organizations all over the nation hope to raise awareness of communication disorders, treatments, available hearing technology and the outcomes of communication in individuals with hearing loss.… Read More

  Auditory processing disorder (APD) or what doctors also refer to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is a type of hearing issue that affects children during their school-age years. It also affects adults. According to a study published in the Journal of Otology, there's a two to five percent prevalence rate of auditory processing disorder in school-aged kids — 23 to 76 percent in older adults.… Read More