Big news this week: a study published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association found that antibiotics do not offer any significant help against a sinus infection. So now you are wondering: have we all been doing it wrong? Well, yes and no. Last week I discussed the growing menace of drug resistance … Continue reading Antibiotics Can’t Cure a Sinus Infection?
View More >>This is not really sinus-specific, but it caught my eye: an article in the New York Times about how NSAIDs may impair the body’s natural healing process. Inflammation is the key; specifically, preventing inflammation can interrupt your body’s recovery process. Money quote: [M]assage works quite differently from NSAIDs and other anti-inflammatory drugs, which reduce inflammation … Continue reading The Case Against NSAIDs
View More >>Longtime readers know that I am not especially prone to alarmism in my writing, but occasionally a situation develops that is empirically dire. Case in point: the rapid spread of so-called superbugs throughout the U.S. and Europe. Superbugs are bacteria that are resistant to almost every form of antibiotic we possess. They arise through simple … Continue reading The Looming Superbug Epidemic
View More >>The evidence mounts. I have discussed before how sinusitis can affect your clarity, focus, energy level and productivity. Now there is more good science to support the claim that balloon sinus surgery can reverse these symptoms and revitalize your efforts: Results published in the January/February, 2011 issue of International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology demonstrate … Continue reading Balloon Sinus Surgery Cures Fatigue
View More >>Nasal polyps are the small sacs of tissue that can grow in your nose or sinuses. Although they are painless and generally harmless, they can cause big trouble: too many polyps, or polyps that are too large, can obstruct your breathing and lead to respiratory distress. If you have polyps that don’t respond to medication … Continue reading Avoiding Nasal Polyps in Los Angeles
View More >>Here’s one from the grab bag: why does your nose run while you’re exercising? Answer: we don’t know. So-called exercise-induced rhinitis can look and feel like its more chronic cousin, allergic rhinitis (also known as seasonal allergies), but in this case the flow stops when you do. Scientists have posited all sorts of possibilities to … Continue reading Runny Nose While Exercising?
View More >>I am one of the most active endoscopic sinus surgeons here in L.A., but even I continue to be surprised at how popular the procedure has become. I recently came across an article that estimated that 80 to 90% of sinus sufferers report a significant reduction in symptoms following this type of sinus surgery. The benefits … Continue reading Endoscopic Sinus Surgery By the Numbers
View More >>My work as the director of the Los Angeles Sinus Institute involves performing frequent sinus surgeries, as you might expect. But no matter how many times I plan these procedures, I continue to be surprised by the number of patients who forget to follow, or simply ignore, the detailed pre-operative instructions we offer at the … Continue reading How to Prepare for Sinus Surgery
View More >>I am a sinus surgeon in Los Angeles, so it’s hard to escape questions about Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgery. One of the most common of these centers around septal surgery, a simple procedure to correct a deviated septum. The question is whether septal surgery will change the shape of the nose. The answer is … Continue reading Will Septal Surgery Change My Nose?
View More >>Adult-onset asthma has often been called a medical mystery. It seems to strike with no apparent rhyme or reason, although several studies have correlated the syndrome with environmental pollution. Still, it wasn’t until recently that adult asthma had been strongly linked with other conditions such as sinusitis. That changed in December with the publication of … Continue reading A Link Between Sinusitis and Asthma?
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