ENet News is a weekly compilation of news and features available
on the internet, produced by the AAO-HNS Communications Department.
It is designed to inform memberson recent media coverage available
to our patients and the public. Online publication does not
imply endorsement by or official policy of the AAO-HNS. News
organizations' Internet websites are randomly reviewed and
items of interest to the membership are selected. Academy
executives staff approves the final summaries.
The New York Times, October 16, 2008
Noise from personal music players is a routine annoyance for travelers on buses, trains, and planes. But it also threatens permanent hearing loss for as many as 10 million Europeans who use them, according to a scientific study for the European Union that will be published Monday.
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ABC News,October 16, 2008
Johns Hopkins researchers reported in a study published in February in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that between 1973 and 2004 the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers among people in their 40s nearly doubled. Today more than 34,000 people have oral cancer and 39 percent of those cases are related to HPV, according to data from the American Cancer Society.
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The New York Times,October 16, 2008
Since 2000, American toddlers have been immunized against Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, an organism that preys largely on children younger than 5 and the elderly. Up till 2002, rates of infection from these bacteria had dropped as much as 80 percent in some places. But progress has now stalled, and infection with a particular type of pneumococcus, Serotype 19A, is steadily rising.
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MSNBC, October 26, 2007
Many people are seeking natural approaches to healthcare, but just aren't comfortable telling their traditional family doctor about it. Thirty-six percent of adults are using some form of complementary or alternative medicine, according to a 2004 survey from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Many doctors of both conventional and alternative persuasions say they’ve seen a rise in patients who are interested in both forms of medicine.
Reuters, October 30, 2007
The results of a new survey indicate that 48 percent of physicians between 50 and 65 years of age are planning to reduce or end their clinical practice in the next one to three years. The findings also suggest that many older physicians believe that their younger counterparts do not have the work ethic they do, and that many older physicians are simply unhappy with the changes that have taken place in medicine over the years.
WRC-TV (Washington, DC), October 25, 2007
Old Bay Seasoning, the popular combination of paprika, black pepper, spices, and most of all, salt, has been found to trigger Meniere’s Disease, leading some in Maryland to find other ways to eat their steamed crabs (Streaming video).
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HealthDay News, October 24, 2007
The addition of the chemotherapy drug, docetaxel, to the standard two-drug regimen used for head and neck cancers improved the efficacy of the treatment while reducing the toxicity, two new studies report. The triple drug chemotherapy regimen was so effective that it increased survival in both studies and more than doubled the average overall survival in one of the studies.
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WOAI-TV (San Antonio), October 24, 2007
Schools in the San Antonio area report a rise in suspected sinus infections that turn out to be staph infections instead. Doctors say it’s the result of more cases of staph as the bacterium grows more resistant to antibiotic treatment.
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MSNBC, October 11, 2007
Drugmakers on Thursday voluntarily pulled kids’ cold medicines off the market less than two weeks after the government warned of potential health risks to infants. Products aimed at children under the age of two are being removed from store shelves due to “rare instantances of misuse” that could lead to accidental overdose, a trade group that represents over-the-counter drug makers said.
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Roanoke Times (NC), October 11, 2007
The University of Virginia football team’s leading rusher says that times when he was at a loss for energy may be coming to an end now that he’s been diagnosed as suffering from sleep apnea. Help is on the way in the form of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, commonly known as CPAP, a process that opens up the airways either through a nasal mask or pillow.
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The Daily Mail (UK), October 9, 2007
A patient recounts to a British journalist her experience undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery to relieve painful pressure around her nose and cheeks.
UPI, October 8, 2007
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have discovered that tinnitus - phantom auditory sensations - originate somewhere in brain, not in the ear. By using positron emission tomography - or PET scans --to view the brain activity of people with tinnitus, the researchers showed the phantom auditory sensations originated somewhere in the brain, not in the ear.
Chicago Tribune, October 7, 2007
Poor sleep habits have become so closely associated with obesity that some scientists want obesity therapists to address sleep with the same intensity as diet and exercise, according to the National Sleep Foundation. For decades, studies have found that overweight and obese people tend to have poor sleep habits. But the evidence was only statistical. The physiological link, albeit in a relatively small study, came in December 2004 when a University of Chicago researcher in endocrinology found that poor sleep disrupted two hormones associated with appetite.
Deseret Morning News, October 2, 2007
Patients with severe pain who use opioid-based medications may suffer sleep apnea and its complications, including greater likelihood of death, according to a study in Pain Medicine, the journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. The research shows that three-fourths of patients on chronic opioid therapy have some degree of sleep apnea, said Dr. Lynn R. Webster of Lifetree Clinical Research and Pain Clinic in Salt Lake City, who is lead author on the study. They also found a "direct dose-response relationship" between central sleep apnea and methadone used with benzodiazepines.
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, LA Times, September 30, 2007
he Los Angeles Times’ Healthy Skeptic column looks into so-called “stop snoring” nasal sprays to determine whether they get the job done as advertised.
Fox News , September 28, 2007
Some researchers believe research is needed to determine whether the HPV vaccine, sold under the brand Gardasil and currently available to young girls in the U.S., is effective for boys. The question is being raised as researchers see an increase in cases of oral, head and neck, and anal cancers.
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, Reuters, September 28, 2007
Treatment of the nighttime breathing disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) seems to have a beneficial impact on early signs of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), Brazilian researchers report. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the throat repeatedly collapse during sleep, temporarily cutting off breathing. It has been linked to heart attack and stroke, and both associations appear to be fueled through effects on atherosclerosis. Whether effective treatment of OSA would reduce the plaque burden, however, was unclear.
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, Reuters, September 28, 2007
If you have a hard time hearing conversation at a bar, it may not be because of the noise, a study suggests. Alcohol, UK researchers found, seems to temporarily diminish a person's hearing -- particularly when it comes to discerning the sounds of conversation. Lower-frequency hearing, which is necessary for discerning speech, suffered the most, the researchers report in the online journal BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders.
, ESPN.com, July 10, 2007
Highly touted basketball prospect Greg Oden, 19, the number one overall selection in last month's NBA Entry Draft, will be sidelined for the summer in order to undergo a tonsillectomy. Officials with the Portland Trailblazers say the 7-foot, 250-pound center has had his tonsils swell to the size of golf balls, which is obstructing his breathing and limiting his stamina.
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, New York Post, July 10, 2007
Many people who have cosmetic nose jobs could also use some work on their personalities, says a new study. Patients in Iran who opted for rhinoplasty often showed personality abnormalities, including obsessiveness, hypochondria and depression, according to the study published in the journal Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. There has been an increase in elective rhinoplasty over the past ten years in both the United States and abroad, and American facial plastic surgeons report having an increased number of Iranian patients. The upswell of interest in Iran is attributed to the fact that the nose is one of the few visible body parts for women wearing traditional Islamic garb.
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, US News & World Report, July 8, 2007
In the aftermath of the Fourth of July fireworks displays comes a renewed awareness of noise-induced hearing loss. Case in point: silence is zero and the explosion of a firecracker is 150 dB. A rock concert can get up to 140; a noisy bar, almost 100. As a general rule, a whisper is 30 dB; the purr of a quiet motor is 40, and a normal conversation, 60. Regular exposures to levels over 85 are damaging to the ear.
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, HealthDay News, July 3, 2007
Losing your sense of smell might be an early sign of cognitive decline, a new study finds. The study results fit in with one leading theory surrounding the development of Alzheimer's disease, which hypothethizes that Alzheimer's begins with trouble in certain specialized areas of the brain, then spreads more widely until it involves the major thinking areas.
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, Parents Magazine, November, 2006
The November 2006 issue of Parents Magazine
features an extensive article detailing the surprising
number of health and behavior problems--from ADHD
to sleep apnea--can be treated by removing a child's
tonsils. Academy member Nina Shapiro MD explains
to Parents that "enlarged tonsils are the main cause
of sleep apnea," and whereas the American Academy
of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery supports
that although only about one percent of children have
sleep apnea, about 10 percent of kids snore every
night. Academy member Marcella Bothwell MD is also
mentioned in the article as stating that "unfortunately
these symptoms are easy for doctors and parents to
brush off, so a child's tonsils can get overlooked,"
therefore getting an accurate diagnosis is critical.
, MedPage Today, October 9, 2006
Results of a new study suggest that the link between
breathing problems during sleep and hypertension
seen in adults may be present in children as well. In
the small study, children with enlarged tonsils and
hypertension were more than twice as likely to have
sleep-disordered breathing as those with
adenotonsillar hypertrophy alone. The researchers
said that based on their findings, hypertension in
children may constitute an additional risk factor for
sleep disordered breathing in addition to obesity and
enlarged tonsils, which have previously been shown
to be risk factors.
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, The New
York Times, September 6, 2005
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or B.P.P.V., a common
cause of dizziness caused by a malfunction of the inner ear's
balance mechanism is said to account for 25 to 40 percent
of patients seeking medical attention for dizziness. The New
York Times delves into the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and
treatment of vertigo. The article mentions how the diagnosis
and treatment of vertigo have improved in the last two decades.
For all but the most difficult cases, which occasionally require
surgery, the simple and low-tech Epley maneuvers is mentioned
as one of the most effective and least costly of treatments
for vertigo. (Note: Free registration is required to view
this article)
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, The
Boston Globe, September 6, 2005
The MP3 player component that can have the greatest impact
on hearing is the headphone. A study published last year in
the journal Ear and Hearing found that the smaller the headphones,
the higher their output levels at any given volume control
setting. A second study found that insertable headphones are
not as efficient at blocking background noise as some larger
ones that cover the ear, so there is more incentive to turn
up the volume. Last month a study of iPod users between 18
and 54 in Australia found that about a quarter of the people
surveyed kept their iPods at volumes that could cause long-term
hearing damage. The article closes by stating “THE BOTTOM
LINE: MP3 players may increase the risk of hearing loss for
some people.”
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, Vertigo, Asbury
Park Press (NJ), September 6, 2005
The Asbury Park Press lists several steps people can take
at home to prevent falls from dizziness and vertigo. Some
tips include rearranging furniture, fastening area carpets
to the floor, not to use throw rugs, never stand on a chair,
and use shower chairs and bath benches to minimize the risk
of falling.
,
Reuters, September 5, 2005
A new study suggests excessive daytime sleepiness could also
signal depression or even diabetes, regardless of the quality
of an individual’s nighttime sleep. In the study, the
likelihood of being excessively sleepy during the daytime
was more than three times higher in those who reported they
were being treated for depression. Individuals reporting treatment
for diabetes were close to two times more likely to report
excessive daytime sleepiness than those who were not being
treated for diabetes. The study also found people who are
overweight, younger than age 30 or over 75, and smokers may
have an increased likelihood of excessive daytime sleepiness.
, The Washington
Post, September 4, 2005
Buying hearing aids can be troublesome for consumers. High
prices, too-short refund periods, costs not covered by insurance,
and poor customer service all leave the potential for problems.
A 2003 survey by the Consumer Union of hearing aid complaints
filed in 1999 found that three-quarters of the complaints
against sellers of hearing aids concerned problems with the
30-day trial period and denial of refunds. By law, most states
give consumers a minimum 30-day money-back return guarantee
on hearing aids, and some manufacturers offer longer.
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,
RxPG News, September 4, 2005
A Johns Hopkins study suggests hearing-impaired individuals
with severe to profound hearing loss and poor speech understanding
who possess some residual hearing in one ear may experience
significant communication benefits from a cochlear implant
even if it is placed in the worse-hearing ear. “There
is growing evidence that the amount of hearing in an ear prior
to surgery is unrelated to a patient's ability to interpret
speech using an implant,” says Academy member and the
study’s lead author Howard W. Francis, M.D. “Therefore,
the better-hearing ear could be saved for the continued use
of a hearing aid or future technology to complement a cochlear
implant.”
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,
WFIE TV (IN), September 3, 2005
Thousands of homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and
those that were damaged will need major repairs and cleanup
with special attention to preventing mold. Academy member
Frank Astor, M.D. explains how inhaling or touching spores
can affect your health. Tips for keeping mold under control
and recommendations for mold clean-up are also given.
, Reuters, September 2, 2005
Research from the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil supports
the hypothesis of a direct link between obstructive sleep apnea
and cardiovascular diseases. The research team measured indicators
of early atherosclerosis in 30 patients with untreated obstructive
sleep apnea and in 12 matched healthy volunteers. The measurements
of early atherosclerosis tended to show a direct correlation
with the severity of sleep apnea. A parameter reflecting artery
stiffness was significantly higher among patients with severe
sleep apnea than among patients with milder apnea and among
the healthy comparison group. The same was found for the thickness
of the artery walls.
, WTOP Radio
Network (DC), September 2, 2005
New research has found that children with asthma whose fathers
have a history of the disease are at significantly greater
risk for serious airway constriction than children whose father
has no such history. Chronic and serious airway constriction
can negatively impact the development of a child's air passages
and lung functions down later in life. Researchers have found
that a paternal-child connection exists regardless of nongenetic
factors such as exposure to smoking, family wealth, and parental
education.
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