ENT DOCTOR BLOG
Posts for: October, 2017
Do you need to speak to a medical professional about your sinuses? Are you unsure what the problem may be? If so, Dr. William Bond Jr. in Washington, D.C., can help diagnose and treat your sinus issue.
What is a sinus infection?
Contracting a viral cold can set off an allergy attack, where your nose becomes congested. When you experience some sort of an irritation due to environmental pollutants, your nose may become congested. In order to assess the situation and get the right diagnosis, you need an ENT like Dr. Bond. He will be able to determine if you have sinusitis.
If you're suffering from a sinus infection, you may suffer from these symptoms:
- Blocked sinuses due to inflammation
- Experiencing difficulty breathing
- Your nose not draining fluid properly
- Facial pain
- Pressure accompanied with the nasal blockage
The fluid is actually mucus that helps moisten your nasal passages and sinuses. When the mucus doesn't drain properly, you can get an infection due to the presence of bacteria. If the symptoms mentioned above being are persistent or worsen after 10 days, you may be suffering from a chronic issue.
Treatment:
If chronic sinusitis isn't treated, your sinuses and cheekbones may be damaged. Your Washington doctor may need to do one of the following:
- Use antibiotics to treat your infection
- An in-office operation to clear out your nasal pathways and fix damage done to your sinuses
What is a nasal polyp?
Nasal polyps are growths present in your sinuses or nasal pathways. The small polyps are tear-shaped but aren't cancerous.
Polyps can be the cause of a lot of discomforts and they are also more common among young adults.
If you feel any of the following, you may need to visit your Dr. Bond:
- Stuffy nose and sinus congestion
- Facial pressure and difficulty breathing through the nose
- Sneezing, runny nose and postnasal drip
- Loss of taste or smell, frequent infections, and snoring
If you have any questions or concerns, schedule an appointment with you Washington, D.C., ENT Dr. William Bond Jr.
If you hear only mumbling when other people speak, need the television louder than others or strain to hear conversations, you may have hearing loss. Hearing loss is more common as we age, but can occur for a variety of reasons. If you think what you’re experiencing may be hearing loss, talk to your ear, nose and throat doctor about a hearing aid.
Signs of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is more than just a lowering of the volume. Hearing loss may make it difficult to distinguish one sound from another. To consider whether you need a hearing aid, ask yourself if you experience any of the following:
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Needing the phone volume turned all the way up
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Difficulty understanding people when you can’t see their faces
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Feeling impatient and withdrawn because conversations are becoming difficult
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Difficulty hearing high pitched sounds
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Difficulty focusing when more than one person speaks
If you experiencing any of these common symptoms of hearing loss, make an appointment with your ENT for a hearing test and medical evaluation.
What Can a Hearing Aid Do?
A hearing aid will help to amplify the sound to a volume that you can comfortably hear. It can also improve your ability to understand speech so it doesn’t sound like people are mumbling to you. Certain hearing aids can help to amplify the higher pitched sounds. They can also enable you to hear someone speaking in a noisy environment.
One or Two Hearing Aids?
Some people wonder if they need a hearing aid for each ear. Even if you only have hearing loss in one of your ears, your doctor may recommend wearing a hearing aid in each ear to improve the quality of sound.
If you think it may be time about a hearing aid, your ENT has services to meet all your hearing needs. Schedule a consultation today to get on the road to hearing clearer, more vibrant sounds with a hearing aid.