There is a type of bacteria typically found in the mouth called Fusobacterium nucleatum that is associated with 50% of all colon cancers (see references below). This germ is mainly found in periodontal disease, but can be found in tonsillar infections as well as abscesses of the mouth and throat.  This bacteria is rarely found in the intestines of normal, healthy individuals. However, this microbe can be found in high concentrations in colon cancer which has led to concern that it may be a contributing factor for causing colon cancer. Further research has determined that Fusobacterium ..read more

Research out of Johns Hopkins indicates that individuals with untreated hearing loss face a significantly higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with normal hearing. According to estimates, uncorrected hearing loss, even if mild, can double if not triple the risk for dementia. The mechanism behind this correlation is complex and is discussed in the video above.  Check you hearing using this free online hearing test! If you live near Warrenton, VA, we do sell hearing aids in our office as well for those suffering from hearing loss. References: Hearing intervent ..read more

On Feb 9, 2024, media reported on a passenger who died during a Lufthansa flight from Thailand to Germany on Feb 8, 2024. Eyewitness reports provided the following facts: • 63 years old male. • Passenger was ill-appearing even before boarding the airfreight. • Profuse bleeding occurred from the nose and mouth. • Litres of blood was lost with splattering to the walls of the airplane. • Flight attendants tried to resuscitate the passenger for 30 minutes before he died. There are only a few things I can think of to explain what happened. starting with the most to the least likely. 1) A very ..read more

Everyone has heard of reflux which medically is known as gastroesophageal reflux  (GERD). Some may even have heard of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) which is reflux that extends past the chest and up into the throat. However, few have heard of reflux that is even worse than LPR called nasopharyngeal reflux (NPR)where the reflux does not just reach the throat level, but extends past the throat and goes all the way up into the nose! Called nasopharyngeal reflux, this possibility is raised with certain abnormal endoscopic findings seen in the very back of the nose. Known as mulberry ..read more

Ruptured eardrums are a very common ear issue that triggers an ENT office visit. A ruptured eardrum may occur due to an infection or trauma (from a q-tip or being slapped over the ear). Although it sounds serious, the vast majority of a perforated eardrum heal closed within a few weeks. Rarely, it may take up to one year to close. The video shown above demonstrates a time-lapse healing of a traumatic ruptured eardrum healing closed over 3 weeks. Rarely, if a hole in the eardrum is suspected not to be closing and is causing problems such as hearing loss and recurrent ear infections, it can be ..read more

Normally, the human balance system incorporates information from vision, inner ear vestibular system, and the proprioceptive system. The inner ear vestibular system is responsible for detecting rotational and linear movements of the head whereas the proprioceptive system is responsible for knowing where one's body and limbs are positioned from information provided by the skin, muscles, joints. Vision provides information on where one is in space relative to other objects. Normal balance requires the brain to incorporate information from all 3 systems which is then synthesized into "normal ..read more

Although warts, pimples, and psoriasis are mainly considered dermatologic conditions, it fascinating to think about how such skin conditions develop over time from start to finish in one smooth time lapse. Using generative AI utilizing actual skin photos, it is possible to create such time lapse videos that otherwise would be impossible. Just to clarify, these are skin conditions treated by dermatologists (not ENTs). I just created these videos because I thought it would be cool! Check them out ..read more

There has been some research to suggest that ballet dance techniques can also help patients suffering from dizziness. Given this revelation, professional ballerina, Dani Moya with the Manassas Ballet Theatre has graciously provided her time and expertise to provide video instruction on 14 exercises geared towards improving balance. These exercises start out very simple, but get progressively more difficult. Although these exercises are specifically geared towards non-dancers, these same techniques are utilized by ballerinas to improve their overall sense of balance as well (and to prev ..read more

There was an interesting study published in 2020 that evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating tinnitus by evaluating 8 randomized controlled trials involving 504 patients. Although there was no difference between study and control groups on a visual analog scale (VAS), positive effects on secondary outcomes, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and tinnitus severity index (TSI), were seen. In these studies, the most commonly used traditional acupuncture points utilized were: • GB-2 (Tinghui) • SI-19 (Tinggong) • TE-21 (Ermen) • TE-17 (Yifeng) • GB-20 (Fengchi) • TE-3 (Zho ..read more

  On Sept 1, 2023, Jimmy Buffet died from merkel cell carcinoma which is a rare and deadly skin cancer... Way more deadly than melanoma. Melanoma has a 10 year survival rate of 61.3% whereas merkel cell carcinoma is only 17.7% [link]. 5 year survival rates for merkel cell carcinoma is 75% if localized to the skin (stage 1) and only 24% if it has already spread elsewhere in the body (stage 4) [link]. Jimmy Buffet died within 4 years of his merkel cell carcinoma diagnosis. It is unclear what stage his merkel cell caricnoma was at time of diagnosis, but early diagnosis is key to survival ..read more