Tag Archives: los angeles ent
Headaches Caused by Perfume Allergies
Fragrances are such a prominent part of our world, but perfumes or other scented products can irritate your sinuses and cause debilitating headaches. At times even compared to a migraine, perfume headaches can cause you to miss work or impact other areas of your life. It can be hard to pinpoint the cause of repeated … Continue reading Headaches Caused by Perfume Allergies
View More >>Sinusitis and Antibiotics By the Numbers
The principal problem with antibiotic prescriptions in this country is that they are often dispensed on a preventive basis. Viewed on the level of each individual doctor, it isn’t hard to see the logic in this choice: “Just in case” can seem like an innocuous phrase, especially when placed next to words like “infection” or … Continue reading Sinusitis and Antibiotics By the Numbers
View More >>Preventing Sinus Surgery Early
I am a sinus surgeon here in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean that I assume every problem that I face warrants a sinus surgery procedure. On the contrary: one of my bedrock commitments as a medical doctor is to prevent undue procedures wherever possible. This latest study looked at some of the ways that … Continue reading Preventing Sinus Surgery Early
View More >>When the Flu Outpaces the Shot
Perhaps you’ve heard: this season’s flu shot is a bit of a bust. The reasons something like this fails can be myriad and may take years to fully analyze, but the results don’t lie. Although the shot has provided some protection, its success rate is far lower than many researchers had hoped to see. At … Continue reading When the Flu Outpaces the Shot
View More >>A Picture of Pollen You Will Never Forget
We all know that pollen is a pernicious source of seasonal allergies, also known as rhinitis. For those who must contend with this miserable affliction on a daily basis, it can sometimes feel like wading through a cloud of steel wool just to get to the curb. This microscopic image may help explain why. As … Continue reading A Picture of Pollen You Will Never Forget
View More >>Bird Flu Flying Back
The H7N9 bird flu has been known and studied for some time, but that doesn’t mean scientists have found a foolproof way to contain the disease if it becomes more transmissible. And with this week’s announcement of 14 new cases out of mainland China, global concern is on the rise. The principal fear is that … Continue reading Bird Flu Flying Back
View More >>Remember Swine Flu? It Was Worse Than You Thought
Remember H1N1, also known as swine flu? Back in 2009, many experts were predicting it would become a major outbreak that could profoundly affect communities. Americans lined up by the thousands for a vaccine that seemed to be forever in short supply, while news outlets trumpeted dire predictions of a global pandemic. And then, it all … Continue reading Remember Swine Flu? It Was Worse Than You Thought
View More >>Balloon Sinuplasty Rides into Texas
Here we go again: a new local news outfit has caught a whiff of the revolution that is balloon sinuplasty, and a new patient has gone on record reporting her astonishment with its success: Judy Spain “was sick all the time, I had no energy, and a constant sinus headache. I did what I had … Continue reading Balloon Sinuplasty Rides into Texas
View More >>The Hypnosis of Diagnosis
Proper diagnosis is both art and science—a mix of careful listening, accumulated knowledge, pattern recognition, and instinct. There are some who are better at this than others, but all physicians receive extensive training in the skill before leaving medical school and residency. Still, problems can arise when rare or misleading symptoms present, which is why … Continue reading The Hypnosis of Diagnosis
View More >>Kid Has a Cold? Try Beer
Let’s get this out of the way first. That title? Facetious. Do not give your kid beer. Now onto the interesting news behind the headline: researchers in Japan have discovered evidence that a compound known as humulone can protect children against the dreaded respiratory syncytial virus. Humulone, as it turns out, occurs naturally in hops, … Continue reading Kid Has a Cold? Try Beer
View More >>