Ear, nose, and throat Archive

One morning last week I woke up hearing my heartbeat in my left ear. I hear it most clearly when I am in bed or sitting quietly. My health is good, and I was told after a recent cardiac workup that my heart was "perfect." Should I be worried?

A 2024 study found that the risk of premature death was 24% lower among people who used hearing aids regularly, compared with people who never used hearing aids.

Earwax helps keep the ear canal clean, but if it dries out it can clump together and cause a blockage. A few drops of water held in the ear canal for a minute or so will usually dislodge the wax.

Tinnitus is widely believed to be caused by hearing loss. But that theory hasn't explained the cause of the problem for people with normal hearing tests who still have tinnitus. Increasing evidence suggests that some of these people have "hidden" hearing loss: damage to the auditory nerve-which carries sound signals from the ear to the brain-that isn't picked up by conventional tests. The evidence offers hope that if perhaps one day auditory nerve fibers can be regenerated, it might help reduce the perception of tinnitus.

Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, or other sound in the ears. Age-related hearing loss is the most common cause of tinnitus, which can also be triggered or worsened by exposure to loud noises, medications, ear infections, head injuries, high blood pressure, and declining estrogen.

A 2023 study suggests using hearing aids may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, especially in older adults with the highest risk of developing severe cognitive impairment.

Removing tonsils in childhood was once routine care for healthy children, but is no longer recommended. Why are some organs and glands — appendix, tonsils, adenoids and more — considered expendable and why do we have them if they're not needed?

For people who buy over-the-counter hearing aids, getting the devices is only a first step toward better hearing. It takes time to learn how to use, wear, and adjust the hearing aids, especially during the first two weeks. Tips to ease through this adjustment period include wearing devices at home for at least a few hours per day, and longer if possible; allowing soft sounds to be louder than normal at first; and learning to switch device settings for changes in environmental noise, such as going from a quiet street into a noisy restaurant.

Daily persistent nasal drip or congestion is usually caused by chronic nonallergic rhinitis. Daily nasal irrigations and prescription nasal sprays are the recommended treatments.

A new medication called dupilumab (Dupixent) may help reduce nasal polyps in people with recurring polyps and chronic sinusitis.