Hearing Aid Dispenser

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat is proud to announce Jessica Miller has joined the staff of Coastal Hearing and Balance Center. Dr. Miller received both her Bachelor’s and Doctorate in Audiology degrees from James Madison University in Virginia. She is a licensed Audiologist and Hearing Aid Dispenser. Jessica also holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. After experiencing a variety of clinical settings including hospitals, VA medical centers, ENT offices, & private practice, she has found her niche working with hearing aids.

Call (732) 280-7855 or visit us on our website to make an appointment.

NECK AND CANCER AWARENESS
Authored by Jaclyn Sylvia, PA-C


Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells. These cells begin to grow abnormally forming a mass of tissue, called a growth or a tumor. There are two types of tumors: benign and malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer. Malignant tumors are cancer. Their growth invades normal structures near the tumor and can spread to other parts of the body. Most head and neck cancers begin in the cells that line the mucosal surfaces in the head and neck area. These areas include lips, inside the mouth, tongue, salivary glands, nasal cavity, sinuses, pharynx, and the larynx (voice box).

Did You Know?

- Head and neck cancers, most of which are preventable, account for approximately 6% of all cancers in the United States
- More than 55,000 people in the U.S. will develop cancer of the head and neck in 2011; nearly 13,000 people will die from it
- Early detection and treatments are the keys to preventing these cancers
- Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use
- People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk of developing these cancers than people who use either tobacco or alcohol alone
- Cigarette smoking increases your risk of head and neck cancer by 15 times compared to a non-smoker
- Over the past ten years, an increasing number of people with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) who were young, non-smokers have developed oral, head and neck cancer

What Are the Common Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancer?

Symptoms of several head and neck cancer sites include a lump or sore that does not heal; a sore throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing, and a change or hoarseness in the voice. Other symptoms may include the following:

- Oral Cavity: A white or red path on the gums, tongue or lining in the mouth, swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly, or unusual bleeding or pain in the mouth
- Nasal Cavity and Sinuses: Sinuses that are blocked and do not clear, chronic sinus infections that do not respond to treatment with antibiotics, bleeding through the nose, frequent headaches, swelling or other trouble with the eyes, pain in the upper teeth
- Oropharynx and Hypopharynx: Ear pain and blood in your saliva or phlegm for more than a few days
- Nasopharynx: Trouble breathing or speaking, frequent headaches, persistent pain or ringing in the ears, trouble hearing
- Larynx: Pain with swelling, persistent ear pain, difficulty breathing

These symptoms may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious conditions. However, raising awareness of cancer symptoms and treatment options is crucial because an estimated 60% of patients fail to see doctors until their disease have gone into advanced states.

Call our office at 732-280-7855 to schedule an appointment or visit our website at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat.

NOSEBLEEDS
Authored by Jaclyn Sylvia, PA-C

In the United States, one of every seven persons develop a nosebleed at some point during their lifetime. Nosebleeds do not exclude any age group, but are most commonly found in children aged 2 to 10 as well as adults aged 50 to 80 years. As inconvenient as nosebleeds may be, ninety percent of nosebleeds are able to be easily controlled without significant invasive procedures. Nosebleeds are classified on the basis of the primary bleeding site. The most common area that bleeds is the inside front portion of the nose. Most cases of nosebleeds do not have one easily identifiable cause; however, local trauma is one of the most common. Another very common cause of nosebleeds is excessive dryness in the nose, which is often seen in the winter months. Dry heated indoor air, topical nasal sprays, cigarette smoking, chronic oxygen use, or antihistamines contribute to nasal dryness. Therefore, if frequent nosebleeds are a problem, it is important to focus on hydrating the nasal tissue.

There are things that can be done at home to keep the lining of the nose moist with the use of a product three times a day:

- Saline spray
- Saline gel such as AYR
- Bacitracin ointment or A+D ointment
- Aquaphor

If you develop a nose bleed, here are some tips to prevent future bleeding:

- Limit physical activities such as bending, lifting or stooping
- Sneeze within the mouth open
- Avoid blowing the nose for roughly 24 hours and continue with gentle blowing after
- Quit smoking or, at the very least, cut down on the amount of cigarettes consumed

If re-bleeding occurs, there are some at home tips that may help to slow, if not stop, the bleeding:

- Immediately squeeze the soft part of the nostrils firmly together for five minutes (make sure the head is bent forward so that you do not swallow the blood)
- Should bleeding continue, blow the nose to remove any coagulated blood
- Follow by spraying a decongestant spray such as Afrin nasal spray in the nose four times on each side
- Repeat these steps if needed
- After thirty minutes, if the bleeding persists, the patient should be evaluated by a medical provider

At Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat we have professionally trained otolaryngologists and a physician assistant to address your nasal concerns. Please feel free to come visit us.

Otitis Media (Inflammation of the Middle Ear)

Located within the middle ear space is a tube called the Eustachian Tube. This tube extends from the middle ear space to a region in the back of the throat and nose. In its normal state, the Eustachian tube is closed. However, when a person swallows or yawns, the Eustachian tube is forced open in order to allow air to enter the middle ear space, thus equalizing the air pressure in the middle ear to that within the ear canal. If the Eustachian tube fails to open and close properly, pressure builds up in the middle ear space allowing the accumulation of fluid.

A child’s Eustachian tube is an essentially narrow, straight, short tube which is the perfect condition for fluids and germs to gather in the middle ear space and cause problems. As children grow into adult bodies, this tube begins to widen, lengthen, and slope down into the back of the throat and nose space. Think of a properly functioning storm drain, an adult Eustachian tube allows for the proper drainage of fluid so that a buildup of fluid and germs is less likely to occur, similar to rain water properly running down the drain.

In addition to being at an anatomical disadvantage, a child’s immune system is not fully developed until the age of 7 years. Therefore, their bodies are not as good at warding off infections as adults. Environmental factors may also increase the risk of OM such as the use of pacifiers or bottles, exposure to second-hand smoke, and attending group child-care facilities where germs are easily spread.

In treating middle ear infections the physician will consider whether or not to use a “wait and see” approach, antibiotics, pressure equalization tube insertion, or a combination of two or more of these approaches. When planning the treatment approach the physician will consider the type and severity of the ear infection, frequency and duration of the ear infections, the age of the child, speech/language delays or learning disorders, state of hearing sensitivity and medical risk factors.

Pressure equalization tubes, or PE tubes, are surgically inserted in the ear drums. They help to drain fluid from the middle ear and equalize the pressure in the ear. The procedure takes about 10 minutes and is performed under general anesthesia. Children are most commonly able to leave about an hour after surgery and feel no pain after discharge.

If otitis media goes untreated, and fluid is allowed to remain in the middle ear for longer than 6 weeks, it may become thick. This thick fluid or mucous can cause significant damage to the eardrum and the tiny bones within the middle ear thus impairing hearing. Following your physician’s medical treatment plan is the best way to assure maximum recovery and hearing abilities.

Research about OM is ongoing; your doctor can talk to you about the current findings.

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat has been treating monmouth county and ocean county for ear infections for over a decade. Our practice offers audiologic/diagnostic hearing evaluations our doctors of audiology. So come visit our board certified physicians and let them help you treat your otitis media. If you like our blog please visit our facebook page and like us.

Please visit our website at www.coastalhearing.com under helpful links for more healthy hearing information.
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Dr. Suzanne McCorry is Director of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com

Meet Our Physician Assistant

Jaclyn Sylvia, our Physician Assistant, is committed to excellence in patient care. She received her bachelor’s degree in Health Services and Biology at Quinnipiac University in 2005. She continued on to obtain her Master’s degree in Health Science Physician Assistant at Quinnipiac University in 2007. She has been a practicing licensed medical professional working in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery for over three years providing care for both adults and pediatric patients. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Society of Physician Assistants in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery as well as an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants in order to promote growth and development of Physician Assistants in the ENT field.

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat: Telephone Use with Hearing Aids

Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat: Telephone Use with Hearing Aids

Telephone Use with Hearing Aids

Courtesy of Coastal Ear, Nose & Throat

During the holidays, we have the opportunity to spend time our family members and friends who we might not get to see often throughout the rest of the year. Why not enhance your daily communication with those close to you by improving hearing ability on the telephone? Understanding speech on the phone is a significant area of difficulty for the majority of individuals with hearing loss.
Our ability to understand speech is augmented by the cues provided by looking at someone’s face when they are talking and by binaural listening (hearing with two ears). Communication via the telephone can be extremely difficult due to the loss of visual cues and relying on only one ear. In the past, individuals with hearing aids may have experienced whistling when attempting to use the telephone in conjunction with their hearing aid. The technology available today allows for improved telephone communication.
Hearing aids can now come equipped with a telecoil to improve telephone use. The telecoil circuit allows for electromagnetic communication between the telephone and the hearing aid by positioning them appropriately close together – a program button can be provided on the hearing aid if an individual has difficulty with maintaining the position of the phone. How do you obtain the most optimal telecoil response with a hearing aid? Your landline phone should have at least a 100 milliamps per meter (mA/m) magnetic strength in order to achieve a good connection to the hearing aid telecoil. If your phone is not emitting a strong enough magnetic field, a magnet can be placed on the phone receiver. Cell phones should have a minimum of a M3/T3 rating. The M refers to use with the hearing aid microphone; whereas the T refers to the use with the hearing aid telecoil. The higher the rating, the better compatibility is with the hearing aid – M4/T4 provides the best compatibility.
Even more exciting … some of the hearing aid manufacturers have recently developed technology that allows the hearing aid to automatically send the telephone response to both hearing aids simultaneously to regain the binaural listening, which is lost with traditional telephone use. In addition, many hearing aids are Bluetooth compatible to allow for hands-free cell phone use without having to take out the hearing aids to use a hands-free Bluetooth device for the cell phone while driving.
Individuals with a more severe degree of hearing loss may require use of a captioned telephone or phone relay service. Captioned telephones have a visual display of every word that the person you are communicating with to improve your ability to understand speech on the phone. IP Relay Service is available for individuals who use American Sign Language as their primary means of communication to allow for telephone communication.

Remember to enjoy your holiday season and keep in touch with the ones you love!

Suzanne McCorry is Doctor of Audiology at Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune, NJ, and can be contacted at 732-280-7855; sbmccorry@coastalhearing.com; http://www.coastalhearing.com