How your ENT specialist in Wayne, New Jersey can help when you are losing your hearing

If you think you might be dealing with hearing loss, it can be scary. You don’t have to deal with it all by yourself. Your ear, nose, and throat specialist can help. Dr. Frank L. Kardos in Wayne, New Jersey offers state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment options to help with hearing loss.

How do you know you may be dealing with hearing loss? One way to know for sure is to have a hearing test. There are some signs of hearing loss you can recognize. You should schedule a hearing test if you notice:

• Only hearing muffled sound and speech
• Difficulty picking out individual words from background noise
• Needing people to speak more loudly and slowly
• Wanting to avoid social events and conversations

If you think you may be dealing with hearing loss, you’re not alone. Over 30% of adults over the age of 65 are hearing impaired, according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Seniors aren't the only ones affected. 14% of adults aged 45-64 have some degree of hearing loss too, and nearly 8 million adults between ages 18 and 44 are also experiencing hearing loss.

Every adult 50 years old or younger should schedule a hearing screening every 10 years; adults over the age of 50 should schedule a hearing screening every 3 years.

Dr. Kardos offers a wide range of hearing loss treatment options, including a full range of hearing aids for you to choose from. Consider:

• (Completely in the canal) or CIC hearing aids, which fit entirely inside the ear canal
• (In the ear) or ITE hearing aids, which loop over your outer ear or the lower part of your ear
• (Behind the ear) or BTE hearing aids, which hook over the top portion of your ear
• Cochlear implants, to treat severe hearing loss

Hearing loss can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Your ear, nose, and throat specialist can help bring sound back to your life. To find out more about solutions for hearing loss, call Dr. Frank L. Kardos in Wayne, New Jersey at (973) 956-1200. Call now!

How your ENT specialist in Wayne, NJ, can help you breathe better

Struggling to breathe can be harmful to you, both physically and mentally, making you anxious about participating in activities and fearful of your future. Fortunately, your ear, nose, and throat specialist can help. Read on to learn how Dr. Frank L. Kardos in Wayne, NJ, can diagnose and treat the cause of your breathing problem, and help you breathe better.

Possible Causes

Allergies can cause significant breathing difficulties. Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies like hay fever, or environmental allergies like mold, pet dander, or dust mites, your ENT specialist can help by discovering what you are allergic to. Skin tests are one of the most effective ways of determining what triggers your allergy symptoms. Treatment for allergies may include:

• Prescription-strength antihistamines and decongestants
• Allergy shots and/or sublingual immunotherapy
• Counseling on how to avoid allergy triggers

Allergies may go hand-in-hand with asthma. Asthma can cause severe breathing problems, including sudden asthma attacks which can be life-threatening. Asthma can be effectively treated with inhalers to provide short term relief, and medications to provide long-term relief. You may have asthma if you are:

• Chronically coughing and wheezing
• Having trouble breathing during physical activity
• Feeling a tightness or heaviness in your chest
• Experiencing chronic, recurring bronchitis

If you are having breathing problems while you sleep, this could also be a sign of sleep apnea, which is another common condition that your ENT specialist is an expert at treating. Sleep apnea is caused by the tissue at the back of your throat relaxing and blocking your airway while you sleep. If you wake up with a gasping, choking sensation or have been told that you snore loudly at night, you might have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed through the help of a sleep study. The condition can be effectively treated by wearing a continuous positive airway pressure machine, known as a CPAP, or using an oral mandibular advancement appliance. Your ENT specialist can help you decide which is the best choice for you.

Concerned? Give Us a Call

These are just a few common causes of breathing problems. To learn more about how we can help you breathe easier, call Dr. Frank L. Kardos in Wayne, NJ, by dialing (973) 956-1200.

Acute sinus infections and inflammation usually clear up on their own, and the symptoms can be managed with over the counter medication, just like the common cold. Sinus problems can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, in which case you might require antibiotics. Chronic sinus problems can also be a sign of a middle ear infection. Dr. Frank Kardos, an ear, nose, and throat doctor in Wayne, NJ, recommends that you schedule an appointment if your sinus symptoms last for more than a week and don't clear up with over the counter medication, or if they continue to flare up over a prolonged time period.

Sinus Treatment in Wayne, NJ

Sometimes it's hard to tell if you have a sinus infection because they can occur in conjunction with and share many of the same symptoms as the flu or the common cold. The most common signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:

• Nasal inflammation
• Deep nasal congestion and difficulty breathing through the nose
• Thick nasal discharge or drip down the back of the throat
• Facial tenderness and swelling around the sinuses (sinus pain can also extend to the jaw and feel like a toothache)
• Compromised sense of smell and/or taste
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Halitosis
• Fatigue and exhaustion

Cause of Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis can be triggered by a few factors such as:

• Allergies
• Nasal polyps (tissue growths)
• Deviated septum
• Bacterial or viral infection

If you don't feel better (or continue to feel worse) and your symptoms don't improve with over the counter medication, home remedies, or rest after about a week, schedule an appointment to rule out a bacterial infection or other complication.

Some of the standard sinus treatment options for chronic sinusitis are:

• Nasal, oral, or injectable corticosteroids
• Nasal irrigation with saline
• Antibiotics
• Immunotherapy to manage allergies when they are identified as the underlying cause
• Endoscopic surgery to open the nasal passage (if conservative treatments are ineffective)

Find an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Doctor in Wayne, NJ

For more information about sinus treatment for chronic sinus infections, contact our office by calling (973) 956-1200 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kardos today.

Many people experience dizziness on occasion and most of the time there is nothing to be concerned about. It is important to see an ear, nose and throat doctor, though, if you are experiencing severe or ongoing dizziness. Persistent or severe dizziness is sometimes a sign of other health concerns or conditions, such as an inner ear infection or vertigo. Dr. Frank Kardos is your ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor for the treatment of dizziness in Wayne, NJ.

Causes of Dizziness

The sensation of feeling dizzy often results when our brains perceive us to be off balance. The inner ear sends signals to the brain that help with maintaining a sense of balance. The signals provide the brain with information about the body’s movements and positioning. A feeling of dizziness can occur when the signals from the inner ear misfire or are blocked and do not make it to the brain. Additionally, ear infections, poor circulation, neurological problems, and other conditions can interfere with the signals as they travel to the brain, which can lead to dizziness.

There are several common causes of dizziness. An ENT doctor can diagnose the cause of your dizziness and recommend an appropriate treatment. Specific conditions that can produce a sensation of dizziness include:

• Migraines
• Meniere’s Disease
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Inner ear infections
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Treatments for Dizziness

Occasional instances of dizziness that are infrequent do not necessarily require treatment, but persistent dizziness should be treated promptly by an ENT doctor. Treatments for dizziness include medications, such as antibiotics or antihistamines, and balance exercises. Medications treat dizziness by reducing inflammation or clearing up infections in the inner ear that were interfering with the signals being sent to the brain. An ENT doctor who treats dizziness in Wayne could recommend the appropriate treatment options based on the cause of your dizziness.

There are several common causes of dizziness, such as inner ear infections or vertigo. An ENT doctor can identify the cause of your dizziness and prescribe the right treatment. For the treatment of dizziness in Wayne, NJ, schedule an appointment with Dr. Kardos by calling the office at (973) 956-1200.

Are you suffering from breathing problems?

Your Wayne, NJ, doctor is an expert when it comes to breathing problems and can help determine what the issue is and how to treat it. The nose has three main functions: warm, humidify, and filter air that passes into the body. When there is something wrong with your breathing, or you suffer from breathing issues, this may impact one or multiple bodily functions.

More About Breathing Problems

• Breathing problems can be temporary or chronic, mild, or severe.
• Breathing issues increase with age.
• Breathing problems are assessed using breathing tests: lung function tests, X-rays and CT scans.

What are common breathing problems?

• Allergies: When an allergen enters the body, the immune system is what causes symptoms typically associated with allergies, like hay fever, headaches, sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, nasal congestion, and scratchy throat. There are many allergic substances and not everyone reacts the same to each substance. To treat allergies, you should reduce exposure to the allergen, take medication, antihistamines, and nasal decongestants, or, for severe cases, allergy shots.
   
• Deviated Septum: The septum is a vertical structure that divides the two nasal passages. If the septum is crooked or bent, it is called a deviated septum, and can block the flow of air through the nose. Surgery may be needed to correct this issue.
   
• Environmental Factors: Molds, dust, and dry air are common environmental allergy culprits that induce allergies.
   
• Sinusitis: This is the inflammation of sinus tissue behind both upper cheeks. People experience congestion and pressure, sometimes in response to moving up and down. People suffering from sinusitis have symptoms of watery eyes, but many over-the-counter medications treat mild sinusitis.

Need a consultation?

If you’re experiencing persistent breathing problems, please contact your doctor's Wayne, NJ, office and schedule an appointment by calling (973) 956-1200 today!