If you’ve suffered a sudden loss in hearing, you may just now be wondering “What is a Chlosteatoma?” An ENT doctor in Los Angeles will diagnose you with this condition, and they will recommend you get it treated right away.

A cholesteatoma is a skin-lined cyst that grows near the eardrum, and as it increases in size, it will invade the middle ear. Since it’s inside your ear, a cholesteatoma may not be noticeable until it’s big enough to do damage.

The symptoms you may have a cholesteatoma in your ear include:

• Fluid draining from the ear
• Foul odor
• A feeling of fullness in the ear
• Earache, especially at night
• Hearing loss
• Dizziness
• Facial muscle weakness on the side of the infected ear

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek a diagnosis from a medical professional.

These cysts can grow quickly and collect dead skin, and they can also wrap around the bones in your ear and even crush them.

Immediate removal is recommended for various reasons, including:

• A cholesteatoma will start to decrease your hearing by blocking your middle ear.
• As it gets bigger, it will press on the fragile bones of your middle ear and even break them. Cholesteatoma has the capacity to eat away bone. Bone erosion can lead to hearing loss by destroying the small hearing bones (malleus, incus, stapes) that carry sound in the middle ear.
• The lining of the cholesteatoma can gather bacteria and become infected. Antibiotics and ear drops are not impacted by this kind of infection; the only way to stop the infection is to remove the infected tumor.

Keep in mind that although a cholesteatoma is not cancerous, these growths are serious. This condition is treatable, and quick treatment can prevent serious side effects, such as deafness and meningitis.

Contact an abnormal ear growth doctor in Los Angeles at Westside Head & Neck to start treating your cholesteatoma.

This Saturday marks 20 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan on September 11, 2001. It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 decades since the collapse of the Twin Towers and the sudden and intense tightening of the nation’s airport security procedures.

The thick layer of dust and debris that covers the area surrounding where the Twin Towers once stood can clearly be seen in photos. However, people at the time did not know the health risks, as only a few first responders initially wore protective masks.

These tragic attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives, but those who survived are now experiencing chronic and painful health complications that doctors attribute to being nearby when both skyscrapers collapsed. Survivors and first responders have reported respiratory illness due to their exposure to what many scientists refer to as “World Trade Center Dust.”

Being nearby when a building collapses will send dust, fumes, and toxic chemicals into the airways, and it wasn’t until 2004 that doctors like our ENT doctor in Los Angeles began to connect being present at Ground Zero with ongoing respiratory complications.

Those who found themselves in the cloud of dust that surrounded the collapsed building report multiple health problems, including chronic diseases that they will battle for the rest of their lives.  9/11 survivors report acute rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, chronic sore throat, and cough.

In all, experts estimate that being present at the World Trade Center attacks, takes an average of 12 years off a person’s life.

Not only were the 9/11 attacks tragic in and of themselves, but the chronic health problems that plague those who once called themselves lucky make the historical event even darker.

Those who visit a chronic cough doctor in Los Angeles or another large city will find multiple treatment options. The repercussions of the 9/11 attacks on respiratory health have only made headlines recently. Those who are experiencing trouble breathing and chronic coughing should get tested for COVID, then visit an ENT doctor immediately should their COVID test come up negative.

Bulimia is a poorly misunderstood eating disorder centered around purging habits where someone does not allow their food to digest and instead induces vomiting or abuses laxatives. Eating disorders are a common issue that sufferers often don’t report or see a doctor for.

Eating disorders are notoriously hard to treat, and experts estimate that it takes around 7 years to fully recover from unhealthy binging and purging habits. An eating disorder is typically a coping mechanism for some other psychological issue in the person’s life. Many find that addressing the underlying issue can relieve some of the pressure to lose weight.

One of the reasons why eating disorders are so hard to quick is due to the ease with which bulimics and anorexics can induce vomiting.

Most bulimics start purging by sticking their fingers or another object down their throat, activating the body’s gag reflex. Over time, the body becomes used to vomiting multiple times a day, and the stomach contents constantly passing up through the esophageal sphincter cause it to loosen. Eventually, all a bulimic has to do is bend over to make themselves purge. The vomit flows freely into the esophagus and mouth.

The gradual weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter causes frequent acid reflux and difficulty swallowing. For someone who is already addicted to not keeping their food down, this just fuels the habit by making it so easy.

Those who are recovering from bulimia find their weakened lower esophageal sphincter a big hurdle to overcome. Many who are determined to avoid slipping into their old ways are confined to swallowing their vomit back down. Luckily, our ENT doctor in Los Angeles has a method to heal the loose muscle.

A LINX device can be installed around the lower esophageal sphincter to keep it closed. This band will prevent the backward flow of stomach contents, and our patients who suffer from acid reflux report great results.

Speak to an acid reflux specialist in Los Angeles to learn how your loose lower esophageal sphincter muscle can be tightened. Our doctors are here to help you heal.

When you wake up and begin speaking to your roommates, significant other, or coworkers, you may notice that your voice feels tight and raspy. It may even sound deeper than your traditional talking voice.

The feeling of pain in your throat when you wake up can have many causes, both internal and external.

One of the most common causes of a hoarse voice in the morning is inflammation of the larynx. Phlegm naturally passes through the throat throughout the day, but when we are asleep, it can pool around the larynx, causing it to swell in irritation.

On top of that, hoarseness can be caused by sleeping with the mouth open. This is a very natural occurrence during sleep, but it causes dry air to be cycled down the throat and to the lungs, which can lead to inflammation and infection. Drying out the vocal cords can also cause pain when they rub together to make sound during conversation.

If you have acid reflux, then the stomach acid that is regurgitated into your throat can irritate your larynx and other parts of your throat. Other symptoms include heartburn and difficulty sleeping. Acid reflux is very common, and your ENT doctor in Los Angeles can give you multiple treatment options. Sleeping on multiple pillows and not eating close to bedtime are two easy ways to minimize this occurrence.

It’s also possible that allergens in the air are causing your tight throat. If you sleep with the window open, you may want to rethink this, as it lets in more allergens. You can invest in a humidifier or fan to help minimize the allergens in the air.

Waking up and immediately feeling unwell is a terrible way to start the day, but know that your chronic sore throat in the morning is likely not a cause for concern. Some simple at-home treatments like showering in the morning and drinking something warm can give you tremendous relief.

You probably won’t need vocal cord surgery in Los Angeles, but you should contact a doctor if this sore throat impacts your everyday life. It could be due to an underlying disorder or infection that needs attention.

Jessie J has been diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, which she revealed on her Instagram Live. The “Bang Bang” and “Domino” singer said that after having problems with her hearing and balance, she decided to visit an ENT for ear problems in Los Angeles.

“I woke up and felt like I was completely deaf in my right ear, couldn’t walk in a straight line,” Jessie J said. “Basically, I got told I had Ménière’s syndrome.”

Like in Jessie’s case, Ménière’s disease typically only affects one ear, and it causes dizzy spells and hearing loss. While the exact cause of this disorder is unknown, many believe that it’s a result of the buildup of fluid in the middle ear. Most people who come into our office and find out they have this disorder are young and middle-aged adults.

While the hearing loss and feelings of imbalance last for a lifetime, those suffering from this disorder can find relief with a good ENT doctor in Los Angeles.

Whichever ENT specialist you choose to visit will be able to offer a treatment plan that can help manage, if not minimize, your symptoms. This is important because Ménière’s disease can really impact your life if you don’t get a doctor involved.

When you first visit your ear doctor, they will conduct both a hearing assessment and a balance test to see how your body differs from the average person. To ensure that you have Ménière’s disease and not some other disorder, they may also do an MRI or blood test.

The treatment for Ménière’s disease is typically to reduce feelings of vertigo, as there are currently no treatments for the hearing loss. The medications for vertigo include:

• Motion sickness medication
• Anti-nausea medication

Since this disorder is chronic, your doctor will also prescribe you a long-term treatment plan, which may include a diuretic to help drain the excess fluid in the ear. Some also choose to undergo ear injections on a semi-regular basis.

Many people are choosing allergy testing in Los Angeles to find out what sets off their allergies. Knowing what you’re allergic to is helpful because then you can avoid your allergens or know when they are going to flare up.

An allergy test consists of creating a grid on someone’s back or forearm, and each square in the grid is labeled. Then, a drop of a suspected allergen is pricked on the skin’s surface in the grid square that corresponds. After performing the test, you will be held in your ENT’s office for fifteen minutes to an hour to see which squares cause a reaction.

Based on the redness and swelling at the test site, your ENT doctor in Los Angeles can then identify the allergens that are specific to your reactions. A site with a positive reaction will induce itching red bumps which look and feel like mosquito bites.

While the test was a success because you now know what you are allergic to, you may still feel unhappy because your test site is itchy and uncomfortable.

But how long do the swelling and itching last after an allergy test?

The itching and bumps should go away in a few minutes or hours. For more severe allergies, you may still feel their effects for an hour or two. In order to shorten any discomfort you may feel, your allergy doctor may give you an antihistamine pill or cream to use.

An antihistamine will decrease your reaction and make you feel more like normal.

Our office for allergy testing can test for just about every allergy, whether it’s due to food, pet fur, or pollen allergies. We can also offer effective allergy treatment plans so that you don’t just experience a minimized reaction, but instead, you reach immunity against these allergens.

The doctor can then prescribe you allergy shots or allergy drops to help treat these allergies. By exposing you to a minuscule amount of an allergen and then increasing that amount over time, your body can then reach immunity.

Contact our office if you’d like to stop your allergies from controlling your life. We will work with you for a treatment plan so that you can start enjoying the changing of the seasons and the great outdoors again!

Your tone of voice is not determined solely by your vocal cords; the voice is comprised of the cooperation of the throat, mouth, sinuses, and nose.

This combination of throat and mouth function is called the vocal tract, and it’s what determines how your voice sounds. As an example, you’ll notice that your voice changes when you have sinus congestion.

One common reason behind nasal congestion is a deviated septum. Deviated septums are extremely common, as hardly anyone has a perfectly straight septum. When your septum is deviated, one nostril is blocked by the off-center cartilage and bone.

By having a blockage in your nasal cavity, you may experience difficulty breathing, which can make daily activities like sleeping and exercising difficult. Many choose to undergo deviated septum repair in Los Angeles, as they often find it makes their nose look better as well as feel better.

The surgery to fix a deviated septum is called a septoplasty procedure in Los Angeles. This is done by an ENT doctor in Los Angeles with a steady hand and a proven record of satisfied clients. You can find that at Westside Head & Neck!

Something our patients often ask prior to their septoplasty is if their voices will change. If you are a singer, as many are in Los Angeles, you may be concerned that fixing your deviated septum will alter your voice.

By opening up your blocked nasal passage, more air will pass through. Therefore, more air will resonate within the nose and sinuses, which then will add additional lustre to the voice. While you may be concerned that this voice change will hurt your career, many of our singers who have severely crooked septums fixed report a vast improvement in their voice.

If your septum was not severely deviated, then you may notice no change at all. It really just depends on how blocked your septum was prior to surgery.

However, our doctors can assure you that you will be happy with the results of your nasal surgery, whether it results in vocal improvement or not.

The legendary guitarist and vocalist Eric Clapton has revealed that he’s suffering from severe hearing loss.

His hearing is perhaps the most important part of his fame. Clapton is the only person to ever be inducted three separate times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is only one of his accolades, as Clapton has also been ranked second in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” fifth in Time magazine’s list of “10 Best Electric Guitar Players,” and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.”

Even as a man in his 70s, Clapton continues to go on tour, but this could be the very thing causing his hearing loss. According to Clapton’s ENT for ear problems in Los Angeles, he has tinnitus, which is a condition in which the ear simulates noise as a sign that you are suffering hearing loss. The most common sign of tinnitus is the sound of ringing in the ears, although sounds can vary.

While tinnitus is most often associated with hearing loss that comes naturally with age, it’s often linked to those who have careers that put them in loud places. Examples of these professions include bartenders, construction workers, and of course, musicians.

Not only do musicians stand net to speakers blasting decibels of their music, but those decibels are being blasted to thousands of screaming fans. This cruel irony makes many musicians start to lose their hearing.

Clapton is not alone in his hearing loss, as singers like Neil Diamond, Bono, Sting, and Ozzy Osbourne also suffer hearing loss. Some younger musicians like Louis Tomlinson and Jessie J have also begun to suffer hearing loss.

“I’m hoping that people will come along and see me just because, or maybe more than because I’m a curiosity,” Clapton told BBC2. “I know that is part of it, because it’s amazing to myself I’m still here.”

Those who are experiencing a noticeable change in their ability to hear should visit an ENT doctor in Los Angeles immediately.

ENT doctors in Los Angeles and other large cities are seeing an uptick in famous musicians that need throat surgery. John Mayer, Adele, and Keith Urban have all undergone vocal surgery in the past decade.

Known for her powerful and wide vocal range, Adele said had to cancel all appearances to undergo laser microsurgery to fix a hemorrhaged vocal cord. Guitarist and singer John Mayer also had to have surgery and could not use his voice at all for a month after. Keith Urban also had to visit an ENT doctor to remove a polyp on his vocal cords.

“I know it’s not only disappointing because of the show, but it’s plane tickets, hotel bookings, birthdays, anniversaries, and time wasted,” Adele said in a public statement after canceling several shows.

Other singers who have had to have throat surgery include Justin Timberlake, Björk, Sam Smith, MARINA, and Tove Lo. Elton John had to undergo a vocal surgery that ended up permanently lowering his vocal range.

This increase in need for vocal cord surgery in Los Angeles is attributed to how the music industry has changed. While singers used to make a large chunk of their money from album and CD sales, the domination of streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube have seriously affected the way they make money. Instead of relying on album sales, musicians now have to rely on appearance fees and ticket sales to make the majority of their income.

Interviews and live performances require strong vocal cords, and many singers have increased these appearances. It’s possible for singers to go on tour and perform a 2 to 3-hour concert almost every night.

Performing multiple times a week can be tiring for many people’s voices, but the rockstar lifestyle can make it worse. Many musicians have a vice for alcohol, as John Mayer and Elton John have openly admitted. Many others, including Adele, also smoke cigarettes.

Alcohol and smoking are some of the worst things you can do for your voice. Even so little as a glass of wine the night before a performance can hinder your vocal ability.

Many voice doctors notice a decrease in their patient’s vocal abilities as time goes on, and they recommend simple lifestyle changes to try and prolong their beautiful voices. In the days before a show, it’s a good idea to limit speaking as much as 50% and to avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.

If you need to use your voice as part of your career, contact our doctors. We have extensive experience in solving problems of the ear, nose, and throat.

As with many different kinds of cancers, your risk of developing throat cancer increases as you age. Most patients with throat cancer are men over the age of 65, and they’re actually three times as likely as women to develop throat cancer.

Our head and neck cancer doctors in Los Angeles can offer treatment for cancer, but we also encourage those to be proactive in their health.

It’s important to do everything you can to stay healthy to avoid developing cancer.

Lifestyle Factors
Having a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of developing cancer; whole fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that build a healthier body.

On top of preventing cancer through lifestyle choices, you can also increase your risk of developing throat cancer through certain lifestyle choices. The most obvious of which is smoking. Inhaling tobacco smoke can greatly increase your risk of throat cancer. It’s unclear if smoking cannabis has the same detrimental effects, as a study by UCLA recently showed that it does increase your chances of cancer.

Diseases
Certain diseases can also increase your risk of developing throat cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to other complications. Researchers have linked HPV to rising rates of throat cancer. To protect your body against HPV, you can get the Gardasil shot if you are a man or woman under the age of 27.

Many of the patients that our ENT doctors in Los Angeles treat have acid reflux. If your lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly, you may experience the taste or movement associated with acid being regurgitated into your throat. Chronic acid reflux, or GERD, can increase the risk of throat cancer depending on how frequently you experience these symptoms.

The Epstein-Barr virus, also known as Mono, is easily transmitted by kissing or sharing straws, foods, and drinks. Studies have shown that having Mono can increase your likelihood of developing throat cancer later in life.