Dr. Chang Medical Expert for PBS Show Gross Science

PBS show Gross Science hosted by Anna Rothschild recently aired a show (6/29/15) called "What Are Tonsil Stones" for which Dr. Chang was consulted on as a medical expert. Check it out! I'm listed in the video description . Thanks Anna! More info on tonsil stones can be found here .

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Why Do Mammalian and Reptilian Eardrums Look the Same?

Image by Bogdanov of Wikipedia From an evolutionary standpoint, reptiles/birds and mammals are as different as one can get among vertebrate animals. Given just how different the two animal classifications are, it is strange why the eardrums look SO similar. So similar that there has been a debate whether the ear in reptiles/birds and mammals evolved from a common ancestor OR... did the ear evolve independently to a similar appearing structure. Based on Japanese research , the argument is…

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How Good is the Sound With a "Bionic" Ear? [Audio Simulations]

Given the media exposure (and popular  YouTube videos ) of patients getting their "bionic ear" turned on with subsequent tears of joy... there is an often mistaken belief that such bionic ears, otherwise known as cochlear implants , provide superior hearing compared to an ordinary hearing aid . A cochlear implant is actually implanted through the skull and directly into the cochlea rather than placed on the outside of the ear (watch video ). Well, this blog article will try to pro…

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Lead Singer Chad Kroeger Has Vocal Cord Cyst

Image by Thakingdome of Wikipedia Media  reported June 23, 2015 that Nickelback is canceling its 2015 tour due to lead singer's Chad Kroeger suffering from a vocal cord cyst .  He will be undergoing surgery to excise this cyst sometime in July 2015 and will need to be on voice rest . He joins a number of other singers over the past few years who had to cancel their tours due to such vocal cord problems including: • Sam Smith - April 2015 •  Nathan Sykes  - April 2013 •  Nicki M…

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Am I a Candidate for the Bionic Ear???

Given the media exposure (and popular YouTube videos ) of patients getting their "bionic ear" turned on with subsequent tears of joy... it is no wonder that patients disappointed in their "ordinary" hearing aids come knocking on their ENT's door desiring a bionic ear as well. Otherwise known as a cochlear implant , the device is actually implanted through the skull and directly into the cochlea rather than placed on the outside of the ear (watch video ). Unfortunat…

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Blood and Spit Test that Detects Cancer of the Head and Neck

Over the years, simple blood tests have been developed to detect specific types of cancer in the human body. We have PSA for prostate cancer; BRCA for breast cancer; CEA for colon cancer... and potentially in the very near future... a blood as well as spit test for head and neck cancer! Finally! Developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins, this new blood/spit test is able to detect squamous cell carcinoma with astounding accuracy using a combination of both DNA mutations and HPV markers.  …

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Pro Golfer Jason Day Collapses from Vertigo During 2015 US Open

If you are an avid golfer, you have probably seen by now pro golfer Jason Day stumbling several times and ultimately collapsing on the 9th hole during Round 2 of the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay. Later, his agent reported that Jason suffered from BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo). This condition is classically described as sudden onset severe spinning attacks that lasts only a few seconds to minutes triggered by a head position change. Although scary, this is perhaps one of the e…

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Toddler Dies from Ear Infection

Stock Image Unrelated to Blog Article In March 2015, Hope Delozier who was 18 months old, died from an untreated left ear infection. According to media reports , the ear infection first started about 2 weeks prior to death. The parents elected to treat the child with a homeopathic approach and herbal treatments. Unfortunately, this treatment approach did not work and child became sicker. On the day she died, she apparently did not wake up from a nap and mom noted that the breathing was la…

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Does Tonsil Removal Negatively Effect a Person's Body/Immune System?

Tonsils are basically lymph nodes that are on the surface (of the mouth) where they can be seen. Most lymph nodes are located under the skin where they can be felt, but not directly visualized. As such, tonsils are part of the body's immune system which helps to guard against infections. Indeed, tonsils are known to produce antibodies. So this begs the question of what adverse effects may result from tonsil removal ? If there are any negative effects, how severely is it impacted? What p…

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Breastfeeding Mom Being Selfish Fixing Baby’s Tongue Tie? (Guest Blog)

This is a guest blog by Lactation Consultant Jennifer C. de Franco, RN, IBCLC (RLC) of Premier Lactation Services, LLC Serving Northern Virginia. As an IBCLC (Registered Lactation Consultant) about 30% of the moms I see complain of painful latch or prolonged feeding. Another 30% is for newborn poor weight gain and low milk supply. The remaining moms call for various concerns from breast refusal, nursing twins, chronic mastitis or plugged ducts, to introducing a bottle, toddler weaning to…

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Fauquier ENT Posts Sign Given Comments by Sir Tim Hunt #Distractinglysexy

Ever since the world has blown up over the sexist comments by Nobel Prize Winner Sir Tim Hunt at an international conference in South Korea , where he reportedly said, "You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticize them, they cry," I felt compelled to post the following sign warning all medical personnel and patients coming to our office. You have been forewarned! #Distractinglysexy

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Dr. Chang Quoted in EliteDaily Newspaper

On June 11, 2015, EliteDaily.com published a story that quoted Dr. Chang regarding why a recorded voice sounds different than the way you think it should sound. It is a common question for which Dr. Chang has already written more comprehensively about here . But at least in this particular article , he is quoted as saying: When [people listen] to a recording of their voice speaking, the bone-conducted pathway that they consider part of their ‘normal’ voice is eliminated, and they hear…

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Suppressing the Gag Reflex

Given doctors often look in the mouth, the gag reflex is something that is encountered all too often. Suppressing it is even more important when testing or biopsy of an oral mass is required. But suppressing it can be a challenge. Interestingly, 1/3 of the human population lack a gag reflex. The gag reflex has both a physical as well as mental component. The physical gag reflex can be suppressed and will be discussed further here... However, the mental gag reflex (i.e., looking at vomit) …

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Laser vs Scissor Technique for Tongue/Lip Tie Release

One of the most common questions I get is "Do you use a laser or scissor method to perform infant  tongue / lip tie release to help with breastfeeding problems?" My typical response is "both," but depending on several factors, I will be swayed to use one method over another. The key questions in my mind when deciding which method to use is: 1) How thick or deep is the tongue/lip tie? 2) How much bleeding is anticipated? 3) How quickly can the procedure be performed?…

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Types of Ear Tubes

Ear tubes are placed whenever adequate ventilation of the middle ear is compromised and unresponsive to medications. Such situations include chronic ear infections , eustachian tube dysfunction , hearing loss due to fluid, etc. Once the decision is made to place an ear tube, the surgeon has many choices of ear tubes that could be placed. There are three main "classes" of ear tubes: grommet tubes (A), intermediate tubes (B), and T-tubes (C). When selecting what class of tube to pl…

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Oxymoronic Medications

When a medication is given to treat a problem that has a potential side effect of causing the same problem, that's what I call an oxymoronic medication. A classic example of an oxymoronic medication is tylenol which is typically taken to alleviate a headache, but does have a potential side effect of causing a headache! For tylenol and many others, the oxymoronic side effect is typically due to a rebound effect, but for some others, it may be a more direct effect. Here's a list o…

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Ear Plugs That You Can Manually Mute or Enhance Sounds

Image from KickStarter Although being funded on Kickstarter is no guarantee that a product will become a success, I sure hope that this Ear Plug called " Here " is as good as it sounds and makes it to store shelves. Described as an "active listening" device you can control wirelessly with your smartphone, you supposedly will be able to mute out undesirable sounds like a crying baby while still be able to hear all other sounds. OR, enhance certain sounds like the bass…

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