Hearing can decrease gradually over many years, and many people do not realize it until someone else points it out. Spouses, family members and close friends usually notice the changes first. I have had patient... continue reading  about  My husband has been complaining that I'm not hearing everything he says. If I had hearing loss, wouldn't I certainly know it?

The loss or diminishment of the senses of smell and/or taste are common with sinus infection problems. Tissues inside the nose become swollen and secretions are increased, both which alter airflow through the n... continue reading  about  I have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and have lost my sense of smell and taste. Prednisone has helped but I refuse to take it on an ongoing basis since I also have osteoporosis. I can't take NSAIDS with a history of gastric ulcer. Any suggestions?

Retracted eardrums are usually an indication that there is negative pressure (a vacuum) behind the eardrums in the middle part of the ear. Some of the symptoms can be: a feeling of fullness or pressure in the e... continue reading  about  Our doctor told my husband that he has a retracting eardrum. What does this mean?

Generally nose bleeds occur because the small blood vessels are shallow within the tissues of the nose. This is normal, but the constantly wetting then drying of the nose can cause the nasal tissue to crack (si... continue reading  about  My 7-year-old son gets nosebleeds often. What causes them and can they be prevented?

A couple of possible answers come to mind. First, there is a large source of blood flow in your head close to the bottom of your ear canal. The carotid artery is large and can sometimes produce a pounding or he... continue reading  about  What would cause a muffled thumping sound in my left ear (almost like hearing a heart beat)? This sound is not in the right ear, only the left. It doesn't happen all the time and there is no hearing loss.

Hearing loss has many causes and affects people at different times in their lives. If we look at hearing loss and aging, it is difficult to isolate hearing loss causes without looking at several factors: geneti... continue reading  about  Is there any research being done to help treat and prevent hearing loss? So many older people I know seem to be dealing with it.

When using an MP3 player, the recommendation is to keep the volume at one half the scale, or less. Specifically, on an I-Pod device, I counsel my patients and family members to keep the volume no more than half... continue reading  about  I use ear buds with my MP3 player and wondered what volume of sound is safe. Can loud music cause hearing loss?

Headaches after climax have been described over the years and are felt related to changes in the size of blood vessels after sex. Vertigo is more unusual and might suggest a problem with the inner ear system; a... continue reading  about  For the first time in my life I experience vertigo after climaxing. Why is that?

There are two reasons that bee pollen would not be expected to help with allergies:The type of pollen that bees carry is not the kind of pollen that causes allergy. It's the wind-transported pollen that causes ... continue reading  about  Does bee pollen help reduce allergies?