Otolaryngology (ENT)

What is physician career success without a trophy case?

Jayson Greenberg, MD

October 25, 2026Oct 25, 2026

I recently read a press release announcing a physician as the new head of a regional health system. Among his accomplishments were six consecutive "Top Doctor" citations and a long list of other accolades. Closer to the end of my…

I recently read a press release announcing a physician as the new head of a regional health system. Among his accomplishments were six consecutive “Top Doctor” citations and a long list of other accolades. Closer to the end of my career than the beginning, I found myself taking stock of my accomplishments. My trophy case looked decidedly sparse in comparison, and I started to question my legacy and impact.

My trophy …

What health care gets wrong about mid-career physicians

Ben Feldman, MD

October 22, 2026Oct 22, 2026

I'll never forget the moment when I knew I was going to have to make a big transition. After more than a decade of navigating what had become an ongoing tension between work and life, I remember running the numbers…

I’ll never forget the moment when I knew I was going to have to make a big transition. After more than a decade of navigating what had become an ongoing tension between work and life, I remember running the numbers one evening and realizing something had to give. My overhead and schedule pressures became impossible to ignore.

As a private-practice otolaryngologist, I lived and worked in the same community where my …

When to refer a child for cochlear implant candidacy

Samantha P. Scharf, AuD

October 16, 2026Oct 16, 2026

Pediatric hearing loss is far more common than many recognize, standing as one of the most frequent congenital conditions diagnosed in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that approximately 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 infants who undergo a newborn hearing screening have a detectable level of hearing loss. Thanks to universal newborn hearing screenings, which were implemented at the …

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Hearing screening in primary care is a single question

Rachel Artsma, AuD

September 29, 2026Sep 29, 2026

We measure blood pressure before a patient has a stroke. We check cholesterol before a coronary event. We evaluate vision before impairment interferes with driving or reading. So why is hearing treated differently? For many people, the last routine hearing…

We measure blood pressure before a patient has a stroke. We check cholesterol before a coronary event. We evaluate vision before impairment interferes with driving or reading.

So why is hearing treated differently? For many people, the last routine hearing test they remember was in elementary school. Decades pass before anyone checks again, often after the problem has become impossible to ignore. Conversations are frustrating, family members are repeating themselves, and …

Diagnostic overshadowing and the war in her throat

September 28, 2026Sep 28, 2026

The referral came from a mental health clinic. A woman had been putting the hose of a handheld vacuum cleaner into her mouth, pushing the nozzle toward the back of her throat, and turning it on. She had done this more than once a day for several days. The clinician who examined her found bruising and abrasions throughout her mouth. She was referred to me because her mouth and throat …

Why hearing loss and brain health belong together

Kylee Gabler

September 25, 2026Sep 25, 2026

There are plenty of things we tend to accept as part of getting older: turning the television up, struggling to follow conversations in restaurants, or asking people to repeat themselves because everyone seems to mumble these days. Other signs are…

Other signs are easier to overlook. You stop noticing the microwave beep or refrigerator alert. You miss phone notifications. While none of these seem significant on their own, they capture one of the biggest …

When chronic sinusitis and brain fog get blamed on age

August 23, 2026Aug 23, 2026

There is a sentence I hear from older patients that bothers me more than it used to. "I guess I'm just getting old." They say it almost apologetically. They came to see me because they can't breathe through their nose,…

There is a sentence I hear from older patients that bothers me more than it used to.

“I guess I’m just getting old.”

They say it almost apologetically. They came to see me because they can’t breathe through their nose, they wake up exhausted, or have lived with sinus pressure and congestion for years. But somewhere near the end of the visit, another symptom slips out.

“I can’t concentrate like I used to.” …

Why your sinus infections keep coming back, and antibiotics may be the reason [PODCAST]

July 30, 2026Jul 30, 2026

You keep getting sinus infections, so you keep getting antibiotics. What if the antibiotics are part of the problem? Franklyn R. Gergits is a board-certified otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained otolaryngic allergist with about 30 years in practice. This episode is based…

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How motherhood made me a better pediatric surgeon

Yemeng Lu-Myers, MD, MPH

July 18, 2026Jul 18, 2026

"Are you like Doc McStuffins?" I look down into a pair of bright, inquisitive blue eyes framed by thick black lashes. My first pediatric patient is sitting on her stretcher in a Care Bear-covered gown, her arms crossed. She is…

“Are you like Doc McStuffins?”

I look down into a pair of bright, inquisitive blue eyes framed by thick black lashes. My first pediatric patient is sitting on her stretcher in a Care Bear-covered gown, her arms crossed. She is clearly auditing my credentials to see if I measure up to her animated hero.

“Kind of?” I offer. Her lips immediately purse into a skeptical pout. I sit on the edge of …

We prescribe antibiotics for sinusitis without a diagnosis

July 6, 2026Jul 6, 2026

Here is a question I have never been able to get comfortable with: How did we build an entire prescribing system for one of the most common infections in America without ever confirming what we are treating? Acute sinusitis generates…

Acute sinusitis generates more than 30 million patient encounters a year in the United States. Antibiotics are prescribed at 84 to 91 percent of those visits. And at virtually none of them does …

When hearing loss in older adults steals connection

Rupa Rao

June 25, 2026Jun 25, 2026

Life's most meaningful memories are often built around shared experiences. Whether it's a wedding toast, a graduation ceremony, a holiday dinner, or a grandchild's soccer game, these are the moments families remember for years, not because of where they happened,…

Life’s most meaningful memories are often built around shared experiences. Whether it’s a wedding toast, a graduation ceremony, a holiday dinner, or a grandchild’s soccer game, these are the moments families remember for years, not because of where they happened, but because of the conversations, laughter, and connections that took place along the way. Unfortunately, hearing loss can create invisible barriers that prevent people from fully experiencing those moments.

As …

Bridgett Wallace, DPT, PT

The 15-provider road to vestibular disorder diagnosis

June 9, 2026Jun 9, 2026

That question came to me, again, at the end of a community webinar I gave recently for individuals living with vestibular disorders. It is the most common question I am asked when I speak to community audiences. It is asked…

“Why don’t more health care providers know more about dizziness?”

I owe that question an …

Your sinus infection may not be an infection

June 2, 2026Jun 2, 2026

Years ago, when I was the only otolaryngologist in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, I treated a young boy with allergies. We had tested him, confirmed his sensitivities, and gotten him stable: a daily antihistamine, a nasal steroid spray, and allergy shots he received in my office. He was doing well. Then, at the end of one summer, he went back to school and fell apart. His controlled allergies flared. His asthma …

Recurrent sinus infections leave damage beyond your sinuses

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

When a patient walks into my office after five failed antibiotic courses, the first thing that goes through my mind isn't clinical. It's human. I'm worried about what happened to the healthy bacteria in her nose, the protective organisms that…

When a patient walks into my office after five failed antibiotic courses, the first thing that goes through my mind isn’t clinical. It’s human. I’m worried about what happened to the healthy bacteria in her nose, the protective organisms that have been defending her sinuses since the day she was born. I’m worried about her gut. And honestly, I’m worried about something bigger than both: the generations of kids and …

Health technology

Bayesian reasoning in health care: When to refuse medical tests

Martin Bello, PhD

March 28, 2026Mar 28, 2026

I was diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The diagnosis was not surprising. I had experienced several brief but intense episodes of vertigo, sudden, disorienting sensations that made it difficult to remain upright. During one episode, I slumped against…

During one episode, I slumped against a bookcase. I did not lose consciousness, but the event was concerning enough that my physician suggested enhanced head and neck MRIs to rule out vascular causes. I have no fear …

Unfinishedness in medicine: When a good visit feels incomplete

Alan P. Feren, MD

March 10, 2026Mar 10, 2026

Most clinicians can recall a visit that technically went well, and still didn't feel finished. The history was taken. The exam was appropriate. High-risk diagnoses were reasonably excluded. The plan followed guidelines. The note was clean. The visit ended on…

Most clinicians can recall a visit that technically went well, and still didn’t feel finished.

The history was taken. The exam was appropriate. High-risk diagnoses were reasonably excluded. The plan followed guidelines. The note was clean. The visit ended on time.

And yet, something lingered. Not alarm. Not guilt. Something quieter and more familiar.

We rarely talk about this state in medicine, even though we encounter it daily. We have names for missed …

Why your migraine might be causing your tinnitus [PODCAST]

December 17, 2025Dec 17, 2025

Otolaryngologist Brian F. Worden discusses his article, "The surprising link between migraine and tinnitus." He reveals that for the 26-47 percent of tinnitus patients who also report migraines, the tinnitus may actually be an atypical migraine symptom, even without a…

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Otolaryngologist Brian F. Worden discusses his article, “The surprising link between migraine and tinnitus.” He reveals that for the 26-47 percent of tinnitus patients who also report migraines, the tinnitus may actually be an atypical migraine symptom, even without a headache. Brian explains how migraine, a complex neurological disorder, activates …

How to protect your voice like a professional

Carly Bergey, CCC-SLP

October 13, 2025Oct 13, 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently made headlines for his marathon public appearances, speeches, and press briefings. Watching him, I could not help but wonder what his voice coach or speech-language pathologist might say. As a clinician who specializes in voice therapy, I see teachers, pastors, lawyers, and health care providers (people who depend on their voices every day). Politicians are no different.

Our voices are often our most valuable tool, yet …

The surprising link between migraine and tinnitus

Brian F. Worden, MD

October 2, 2025Oct 2, 2025

Recent research has revealed that atypical migraine can influence tinnitus in some individuals. Some patients report significant improvement in tinnitus when treated with migraine-specific therapies. But how can someone know whether migraine is a factor in their tinnitus, and what…

Understanding migraine beyond headaches

Migraine is a complex neurological disorder, not just a severe headache. Some people experience migraine without ever having a headache. It is thought that inherited …