Grommets or ventilation tubes are small tubes that are inserted into the eardrum to “ventilate” the middle ear. These are placed to stop recurrent middle ear infections or to treat a condition called “glue ear” or otitis media with effusion. Grommet insertion is more commonly performed in children who are more likely to suffer from middle ear infections and glue ear. Rarely,…
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Sudden hearing loss is a medical emergency to ENT Specialists. It is important to establish the cause of any hearing loss urgently. Hearing loss may be due to problems in the ear canal or middle ear such as ear wax or middle ear fluid (effusion). This is called conductive hearing loss as the conduction of sound to the inner ear is impaired….
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As ENT Specialists, we see many patients who have trouble with their ears when they dive. Diving is a common pursuit amongst people in Southeast Asia as there are numerous diving hotspots! A medical check-up is important before you embark on a diving course. PADI – the world’s leading scuba diver training organisation has an exhaustive list of medical requirements. Pain in…
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Including over the counter medications Access to an ENT specialist is not always easy. In some countries, even at the best of times it is difficult, and one may have to wait weeks to see an ENT specialist. In Singapore, one is fortunate to have access to good ENT surgeons in public and private hospitals. Most insurers will allow you to see…
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Ear wax is a common affliction. Whilst the conventional wisdom is that the ear canal is self cleaning, my own experience is that some people have persistent problems with wax and require medical attention. The pictures below are of a healthy ear canal with minimal wax and another with a large wax plug. This plug was eventually removed. Normal ear canal. Wax…
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Hearing loss is common in children and may often go unnoticed. Just a few days ago a parent brought a child to see me for a sore throat. The child, she said also had a wax problem for which her family physician had attempted syringing. Her mother said that there was no hearing loss. I enquired about speech development which had been…
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