Lawrence Chow / ENT Doctor
Understanding Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
Our immune system constantly works hard to protect our body from harm caused by alien substances like toxins, bacteria, and viruses. Blood proteins called antibodies attack and remove these foreign substances from our body to prevent them from causing illnesses and infections.
The immune system is one of those things that you don’t really notice as long as it’s doing its job right; but once it malfunctions, it’s hard to ignore. Sometimes, the human body mistakenly identifies its own as foreign and attacks itself. This is what we call an autoimmune reaction. Continue reading
Raise Your Voice Against Your Aging Voice
As we age, our bodies’ physiology also changes – our muscles become weaker, our joints become stiffer, and our skin starts to sag, among others. But we often overlook our changing voice including the differences in its tone and pitch, as well as our ability to speak in ways that others can understand well.
We shouldn’t dismiss these voice-related issues because these can affect our quality of life. If it applies to you, you should raise your voice, so to speak, and raise your concerns with your otolaryngologist. If you don’t have one, you will find plenty of ENT doctors who will listen to your concerns and work closely in finding the best possible solutions for them.
Know the Causes
For many elderly people, their voice-related issues are mainly due to their aging larynx, known as presbyphonia, and to glottic insufficiency (i.e., the vocal cords aren’t closing solidly). This causes several voice changes in terms of pitch and tone, as well as in shorter duration in phonation and in poor vocal projection. These changes can make it challenging to express yourself even to family and friends, even affect your sense of confidence.
But it isn’t just the voice-related parts that contribute to your aging voice. It may also be caused by an underlying medical condition that affects pulmonary capacity (i.e., breathing) and neurological function. It may also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition that, once appropriately treated, can reduce the impact of the voice alterations.
The underlying medical conditions include tumors, allergies, changes in hormones, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Your doctor will consider the possibility that, indeed, there are multiple factors affecting the quality of your voice. You may, for example, observe changes in your voice as the first symptom in a diagnosis of ALS or Parkinson’s disease, a common occurrence.
Know the Treatments
Fortunately, your otolaryngologist can recommend several treatments that can improve the quality of your voice. You have to choose from among these treatments depending on your own needs for them. You may have to combine two or more treatments for the best results.
- Voice therapy is a first-line defense because of its non-invasive nature although it takes time, energy and effort to get results.
- Surgery can also be considered. The procedures include injection laryngoplasty, a procedure where a filler is injected into the larynx so that the vocal cords can be bulked up; and thyroplasty, a procedure involving placing an implant in the neck.
You will also likely be taught about effective coping mechanisms in dealing with your changing voice. No matter your treatment plan, you should strive for compliance if and when you want to benefit from it.
For more details of our ENT services, please contact HK ENT Specialist.
HK ENT Specialist
offering ENT services,
Hearing aids prescription,
Swallowing disorder assessment and treatment,
Head and Neck Oncology,
Sleep disordered breathing Management,
and Facial Plastic Surgery, etc.
Children with Down Syndrome and Their Common ENT Issues
Health issues related to the ears, nose and throat are common among children with Down syndrome. Most of these issues are also present throughout the children’s lives thus emphasizing the importance for both parents and ENT doctors to work closely in their management. Their effective management is a must, too, considering that ENT issues are closely linked to the child’s physical, mental and social development. Continue reading
Special Considerations for Senior Citizens with Rhinitis
When the elderly have chronic rhinitis, the most common complaints, health-wise, include:
- Feeling of nasal obstruction
- Crusting on the nose, especially during cold winter
- Constant need for throat clearing
- Feeling of vague pressure on the face
- Reduced sense of taste and smell from the blocked nose
For the most part, the symptoms of rhinitis or sinusitis among seniors are the same as in younger populations. But because of their age, ENT doctors must consider the special considerations that affect seniors with rhinitis. Continue reading
Tongue-Tie Shouldn’t Tie Down Your Child’s Life
Don’t be tongue-tied when telling your doctor about the possibility that your child may have the condition known as tongue-tie (ankyloglossia). Your child’s quality of life can be adversely affected when it’s left untreated, especially when surgery is required. Your child, fortunately, can live a normal life when his condition has been treated – and the treatment is easy, too! Continue reading
There’s Hope in the Treatment of TMJ Disorders
Think of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) as a sliding hinge – it’s the connection between your jawbone and your skull. In fact, you have one of it on each side of your jaw! But it’s also vulnerable to injuries and illnesses.
TMJ disorders are no laughing matter because of their painful symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with it, you have likely suffered from pain, soreness and tenderness in your jaw and/or joint. You may also have difficulty in chewing, sharp pains in your face and in your ear, and locking of the jaw, which means you have difficulty in opening and closing your mouth. Continue reading
Know the Causes of Tinnitus, Know the Possible Treatments
Tinnitus refers to the perception of noise by the affected person –and studies have shown that 1 in 5 people are affected by it. But it isn’t a medical condition in itself but it is instead a symptom of an underlying health issue, which can be an ear injury or age-related hearing loss.
Indeed, the determination of the cause of tinnitus is a must for formulating an effective treatment plan. When we say “effective treatment plan”, we don’t necessarily mean that the ringing, buzzing, or clicking noises will be completely eliminated. In some cases, the symptoms can only improve in the sense that these noises are reduced in severity, frequency and duration. Continue reading
Get Treatment for Sleep Apnea, Sleep Better
Sleep apnea (or sleep disorder) will definitely affect sleep quality! If you have been diagnosed with it, your breathing will either be nearly completely or completely obstructed on an intermittent basis during the night. You will then briefly wake up to remove the obstruction, which will adversely impact your otherwise restful sleep.
Fortunately, you can seek medical treatment and adopt lifestyle remedies to improve your symptoms. You will then enjoy more restful sleep periods that will improve your health in more ways than one. Continue reading
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另所有文章內使用的人名均為化名。
另所有文章內使用的人名均為化名。