ENT Associates of South Atlanta

Balloon Sinuplasty is an in-office treatment for immediate and long-lasting relief of sinusitis for most people. In the past, FESS was the only effective alternative to medical therapy for patients who suffered from chronic sinus infections. Balloon sinus dilation offers a minimally invasive option for treating patients conveniently in the office that provides immediate and lasting relief with a quick recovery.

Proven local anesthesia protocol for patient comfort
Widens drainage pathways for lasting relief
Most Patients Recover in Hours vs. 1-2 Week with FESS outpatient procedure
No need for uncomfortable post-op debridement

Balloons offer a positive, life-enhancing procedure that may significantly improve our patients’ quality of life. In addition, the procedure is fast, convenient, effective and has a low office cost that results in exceptional patient satisfaction.

An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing.
Substances that often cause reactions are:

Pollen
Dust mites
Mold spores
Pet dander
Food
Insect stings
Medicines
How do you get allergies? Scientists think both genes and the environment have something to do with it. Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body’s defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm.

Allergies can cause a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling or asthma. Symptoms vary. Although allergies can make you feel bad, they usually won’t kill you. However, a severe reaction called anaphylaxis is life-threatening.

We test our patients for environmental and food allergies using skin testing. The test is quick and allergy treatments can be administered in office or at home, for eligible patients.

Allergy Testing and Treatment

Medical related articles say that avoiding allergy triggers at home is one of the best ways to prevent allergy symptoms. Controlling temperature, humidity, and ventilation are a few ways to allergy-proof the home. Cleaning, vacuuming, and using HEPA air filters also help control allergies. According to medical related articles, 20% of Americans suffer from allergies.

Keloids are abnormally thick and raised scars. These scars tend to occur in people with darker skin and can result from a wide range of skin injuries, from minor scratches to body piercings, burns and surgical incisions. The scars may be slightly larger than the injured area or may grow well into the surrounding areas of skin and become several inches long and wide. Keloids can develop over weeks or months and typically do not go away on their own.

Whenever possible, it’s best to try to prevent keloids from happening in the first place. For example, someone who is known to be prone to keloids may want to avoid ear piercings or tattoos. Also, avoiding the sun as a eloid is forming can help keep the scar from becoming darker than the surrounding skin.

One way to treat keloids is to remove them surgically, but because most people with keloids continue to be prone to abnormal scarring, a keloid may grow back in the same place after the surgery. Our practice combines surgical removal is often more effective if combined with non-surgical treatment such as injecting a steroid into the scar, which is currently the most common therapy for keloids. It may also be helpful to apply pressure to the keloid with a compression bandage (or a compression earring if the keloid is on the earlobe), or to cover the scar with an occlusive silicone gel dressing. Some people try medication creams and injections that can alter the way the body’s immune system and healing cells respond to the wound.

Other possible treatments for keloids include laser therapy, radiation or freezing (cryotherapy). Because keloids can be very difficult to reduce or remove, it is important to work with a physician who specializes in skin scarring and healing to help find the best treatment.

One on One with Children’s Ear Infections

Because children’s ear infections are the common reason for frequent visits of parents and guardians to pediatricians, it is important if they know essential information about this illness. Awareness can lessen and avoid unnecessary stress and panic whenever it occurs. So kiss the blues away about ear infections and know the fundamentals.

What is an Ear Infection and its causes?

Ear Infections are the usual cause of earaches and they include infection in the middle ear (small space at the back of the eardrum) or in the ear canal (otitis externa). Children’s ear infections normally follow a common cold or other kinds of respiratory infections because the middle ear is joined to the upper respiratory tract by a channel called the Eustachian tube. The germs in the nose or sinus can go up into this tube and then enter and grow in the middle ear.

Why does it occur more with children?

Children are more prone to ear infections due to their developing immune systems that’s why they are weaker and can’t easily fight infections. Their Eustachian tubes are also smaller which makes it hard for the fluid to be drained even under normal conditions. Fluid can’t also be removed when the Eustachian tubes are swollen or blocked with mucus because of cold or other respiratory illness.

Symptoms to look for

It’s quite challenging to know that there’s something wrong with a child’s ear especially if he/she can’t talk yet. It would be helpful to know some indicators of an ear infection.

Normally a child has difficulty in sleeping, keeps on tugging or twitching one’s ear, continuous crying, clumsy balance, high fever, fluid draining from the ear and trouble hearing or reacting to quiet sounds. Earache is also a common symptom of ear infections. It is due to accumulated mucus in the middle part of the ear after experiencing cold.

How to treat Ear Infections?

Good news mommies, children’s ear infections normally clear out on its own after two to three days even without treatment (with the help of course of the child’s immune system). However, painkillers and antibiotics may be of some help in some cases. If the child is experiencing continuous earaches or pains, then painkiller is useful to ease the intensity of the feeling.

Antibiotics on the other hand are not applicable in most cases unless the case is severe, infection is not receding within three days and complications are starting to show up. Diarrhea and appearance of rashes may be the side effects of antibiotics on some children.

Despite the continuous treatment of antibiotic after three to four months and the child still has an ear infection, fluid in the ears, delay in speaking and hearing loss, Myringotomy with Tubes is an alternative solution.

Myringotomy with Tubes is a procedure wherein small cut is done in the eardrum so that the fluid in the middle ear (ear canal) can be suctioned out. Tubes are then put in the eardrum to permit future fluid drainage. The results of this surgical procedure often lead to children being able to talk, hear, sleep and behave better and they are less irritable.

Chances of preventing Ear Infections to happen

Prevention is always better than cure that’s why parents should also consider some do’s and don’ts to avoid children’s ear infections from coming back. Yearly flu vaccination would be helpful to ensure that children won’t catch a cold or flu (which would most likely lead to ear infections). Frequent washing of hands is also a big check as it limits the spread of germs.

Children should also not be exposed to smoke as studies show that it triggers more ear infections in the long run. Also, don’t expose one’s child to another sick child to ensure that germs and viruses won’t be transmitted in any way. The above are just some safety precautions that can be done but still nothing can beat a well rounded and healthy child.

Everything will be alright

All parents want their children to always be free from any sickness but that is not likely to occur. Every child undergoes some kind of disease as they grow up but with proper guidance and medication, it can just easily pass on. Children’s ear infections can also just simply slip away with the help of expert advice and the above details.

Ear, nose, throat, head and neck problems are a common occurrence in children of all ages. Besides the treatment of various disorders, the Our practice provides ongoing medical supervision, education and support that continues even after treatment. Medical and surgical interventions are available when necessary.

Tonsillectomies and Children’s Ear Infections
One on One with Children’s Ear Infections Because children’s ear infections are the common reason for frequent visits of parents and guardians to pediatricians, it is important if they know essential information about this illness. Awareness can lessen and avoid unnecessary stress and panic whenever it occurs. So kiss the blues away about ear infections.

Patients over 65 have a special set of needs that include voice, hearing, and vertiginous syndromes. The Administration on Aging predicts that there will be more than 72 million Americans over the age of 65 in the year 2030. In the past, many clinicians—and their patients—dismissed certain ear, nose and throat problems as unavoidable parts of the aging process.

However, there are often solutions to common issues associated with aging.

Hearing loss is a normal occurrence because of aging and other environmental factors that’s why many companies venture in focusing more to produce hearing aids for adults. Even if hearing loss is usually associated with elderly people, sometimes adults in their 50s or 60s, some adults on their 40s or even younger also have the same dilemma.

What is surprising is the fact that even if large part of the population needs to have hearing aid, only few of them continue to purchase one because of lack of knowledge about the device and the benefits that it can give.

What are Hearing Aids and What to Expect Afterwards
Hearing Aid is a tiny electronic device worn inside or behind the ear that intensifies sounds to a person with hearing loss. Those who are thinking to purchase one would be able to have better listening and responding experience as the sounds can be clearly heard. Due to advancement of technology, some hearing aids have the ability to reduce the background noise and to activate multiple listening programs.

Hearing Aid Styles and How to Know which One to Use
People with difficulty in hearing need to consult to an ENT to ensure that the best style suited for one’s lifestyle and needs would be known. There are six known styles of hearing aids for adults as well as for other ages such as BTEs (Behind the Ear), OTEs (On the Ear), ITEs (In the Ear), ITCs (In the Canal) and CICs (Completely in the Canal).

BTEs are placed on the outer ear and it is appropriate for the entire range of hearing loss. OTEs on the other hand are extremely small with a narrow tube going into the ear canal. For mild to moderate loss, ITEs are the best choice and they are fitted on the contours of the outer ear. Barely visible hearing aids for adults
are also available in the form of ITCs as they are fitted farther into the ear canal.

When it comes to hearing aids with the smallest size, it would be the CICs and they are closest to one’s eardrum. The normal concern of adults in choosing hearing aids would be the cosmetic aspect as they don’t want others to know that they’re wearing one.

How much would it Cost?
Another important factor that hinders people to buy hearing aids for adults is the price of these devices. The cost still depends on the style, kind, and also with the brand. There are advantages of choosing one kind from the other and it’s for the buyer and their doctor to decide. Hearing aids normally range from $500 up to $3,000 or higher considering other added features.

It pays to browse all of the available products in the market so that prices and specifications can be compared. A hearing aid is a device that is constantly used, and it pays to invest on the one with the best quality and performance.

Relax and Enjoy the Benefits of Hearing Aids.
Other people’s perception about the use of hearing aids should not hinder someone who needs to use the device. Everyday interaction is more important rather than considering what others may think. In terms of prices, some people may not be able to afford relatively high prices of hearing aids but don’t easily lose hope. Our practice works to ensure patients have access to the best technology at the best possible prices.