The sinuses are air cavities in the skull that are surrounded by bone and lined with mucous membranes. Mucous membranes are the “skin” that covers the inside of the nose and the sinuses. This membrane has glands that produce mucous and has hair cells called cilia that move the mucous and filter the air. The job of the nose is to warm and filter the air that passes through the nose during breathing. The sinuses and the nasal cavity produce 1 liter of mucous daily. This naturally moistens the nose and throat and helps in the initial process of food digestion. When the mucous gets trapped in the sinuses and or the sinuses are not breathing well, sinus pressure and possibly sinus infections will occur. People who have poorly breathing sinuses do so because of variations in normal anatomy that narrow the natural sinus doors, if the doors are narrow then air does not get into the sinus as well as it should and mucous cannot get out of the sinus as well as it should. Those individuals that have structurally narrow sinus doors are more prone to sinus symptoms when exposed to allergens, viruses or simple changes in our barometric pressure as these factors increase nasal swelling and block the doors even further. When mucous gets stuck and the sinuses are blocked, the sinus lining will swell and cause pressure over the affected sinus. Sinus patients can often predict the when we will have precipitation as they have an increase in sinus pressure. The sinuses are located over the forehead, between the eyes, over the cheeks and behind the nose. Sinus symptoms are usually located over the sinus that is inflamed at the time. It is common to have pressure between, under, over and behind the eyes with sinus symptoms as the eyes are surrounded by the sinus cavities. Not everyone with chronic sinusitis has trouble breathing through the nose and not everyone with trouble breathing through the nose has sinus problems. Not everyone with chronic sinus pressure gets recurring sinus infections. Those affected by their sinuses each have their own pattern of symptoms that they will describe with variations of what was discussed above.
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Should You or Should You Not Use Q-tips
When purchasing a box of q-tips we usually have one plan for use in mind, even though there are no instructions on a box of Q-tips on how to clean your ears. The instructions for use range from cleaning the grout between your tiles, make up-removal and the cleaning of electronics. Unfortunately we live in a litigious society and ear trauma with a q-tip is the “fault of supplier not the user”. If you tend to produce a lot of ear wax, and you know who you are, then q-tips are a bad idea. They will push the wax in further, block the hearing and make it harder to eventually remove. There are over the counter ear cleaning kits which are affective for many people, read the directions carefully before you use them. Some people will do ear candling with some very good success, but remember the people performing ear candling do not look in your ear to confirm whether or not you have wax to remove. Many patients will have successful wax removal by their primary care physician. If these methods are unsuccessful for you then a visit with your local ENT will do the trick.
Ear Pain with Pressure Change
Do you Suffer from Ear pain with Diving and Flying?
Many people experience ear pain when they dive or fly. Many people feel that they cannot dive because they have trouble “clearing” their ears even when in a swimming pool. The middle ear space lives at normal atmospheric pressure, the same pressure in our environment. That pressure is regulated by the Eustachian tube. This tube ventilates the middle ear space and opens into the back of the nose. The act of breathing through the nose will allow air into the middle ear space through the Eustachian tube. This Eustachian tube opens and closes as needed to allow the correct pressure in the ears. The act of swallowing and chewing will help open this tube as the palatal muscles are attached to the Eustachian tube. This is why chewing and swallowing are natural for us when we are landing on an airplane and the ears feel pain or pressure.
Why am I always coughing in NYC?
“Why am I always coughing? Is it Allergy? Is it Asthma? Do I have an infection? I took 2 courses of antibiotics but it did not go away, so I had a chest X-ray, which was normal. I took allergy medication, and it still did not go away. My doctor gave me inhalers to treat asthma and the cough is still there. The only thing that helps is cough syrup, but I am tired of taking that. Some days I feel better and I think the problem has resolved, but the next day the cough is back.”
What is a Deviated Septum and Do I Have One?
Everyone has a deviated septum, even after septal surgery the septum will never be perfectly strait. The septum is the cartilage and bone that divides the right side of the nose from the left side of the nose, and is the “tent pole” that holds the nose up. When this structure is deviated it simply means that it is shifted to one side, the other or both. It may be very mild and not noticeable or severe enough to compromise the nasal breathing. Septal deviations can result after trauma to the nose or can simply be the result of your genetic make-up. Having your septum fixed is not a “nose job” and will not change the appearance of the outside of the nose.
Post Nasal Drip and Throat Clearing
Post nasal drip and chronic throat clearing are very common complaints. Without other associated symptoms of allergy: (runny nose, sneezing, congestion and/ or itchy eyes), allergies and sinus problems, may not be the cause. These are common symptoms of “silent reflux”. Silent reflux does not present with classic “heart burn” and indigestion. Stress is a large contributing factor and many people can link the start of their symptoms to a recent stressful event.
Shortness of Breath, Bronchial Infections and Asthma In NYC
The cause of shortness of breath, recurring bronchial infections, and chronic asthma in most patients is acid reflux. 85% of all patients diagnosed with asthma have acid reflux as an underlying cause. If all patients with acid reflux presented with heart burn and indigestion, the diagnosis would be easy. As a result patients would take over the counter reflux medication for their uncomfortable “classic” reflux symptoms. But what happens if a patient doesn’t experience these “classic” symptoms. What if they feel short of breath or keep getting bouts of bronchitis. Naturally they would go to the doctor, possibly have a breathing test and find that their breathing is not good. Often these patients are diagnosed with allergies or asthma. But allergy medications and inhalers are not working. They are frequently given recurring courses of antibiotics for bronchial infections. In most cases the diagnosis is not correct and the underlying cause of all of the symptoms is missed.
In Office Sinus Dilation Article by Stacy Silvers, MD
Otolaryngology specialist Dr. Stacy Silvers from Madison ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery in New York, New York wrote the following article about in office sinus dilation. For questions about sinus dilation, contact Dr. Silvers at her office on Madison Avenue in NYC by calling (212) 213-3339. Doctor Silvers specializes in Balloon Sinuplasty which is a form of sinus dilation used to treat chronic sinusitis.
Dr. Stacy Silvers Featured on NY1 News
Dr. Silvers was again featured in NY1 News discussing misdiagnosis of chronic sinusitis.
Many patients are misdiagnosed with Allergies or Acid Reflux, when in fact, they suffer from Chronic Sinusitis. Over 7 Million Americans suffer from Chronic Sinusitis.
Having A Hard Time Hearing?
Dr. Silvers was featured in a news segment on ABC’s Eyewitness News NY regarding the improper use of cotton swabs and the effects of such use on hearing. One message Dr. Silvers would like to send out to viewers and patients is that there are many causes for hearing loss, some are as simple as ear wax and some are more serious. Either way, you should check with your physician if you are experiencing hearing loss, and not to feel embarassed or funny about showing up in the office if it is an ear wax problem.