Otolaryngology

Bayesian reasoning in health care: When to refuse medical tests

Tech

March 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 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

Physician

March 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 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]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 17, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

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 …

How to protect your voice like a professional

Carly Bergey, CCC-SLP

Conditions

October 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

Conditions

October 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 treatments might help?

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 …

What Beauty and the Beast taught me about risk

Jayson Greenberg, MD

Physician

September 16, 2025

What do you remember most about the movie and musical Beauty and the Beast? For some, it is the powerful theme of inner beauty versus outward appearance. Others might resonate more with the music (“Be our guest, be our guest …”). For me, it is the vision of Belle’s inventor father, Maurice, and the townspeople laughing at his follies that has left a lasting mark and continues to trigger me …

Better dizziness diagnosis through skilled exams [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

May 27, 2025

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Physical therapist John Corsino discusses his article, “Lifelong learning: a game-changer in diagnosing dizziness.” He highlights how often the answers to complex cases, like acute dizziness, are present in the exam room but can …

Beyond survival: How nerve repair is reshaping outcomes in jaw surgery

James C. Melville, DDS

Conditions

April 7, 2025

John Németh, winner of multiple Blues Music Awards, built his life and musical career as a singer and harmonica player. But X-rays taken during a routine dentist visit threatened to change that.

John’s dentist discovered an ameloblastoma, a benign but aggressive tumor, that was rapidly growing in his jaw and chin and needed to be surgically removed. This was a reality that could mean the end of his career and the …

Performing in the clutch: lessons from a pediatric airway surgeon

William O. Collins, MD

Physician

September 30, 2024

I have a confession to make: I have blood on my hands. My actions have led to the death of children. Now, that sounds extreme, and in reality, it is. Not in the course of everyday life, of course. But as a pediatric otolaryngologist (ENT) and airway surgeon, I have had to make near-instantaneous decisions with life-or-death consequences for the patient. Fortunately, the vast majority of the time, things go …

Getting caught in the crossfire of the hearing aid wars

Edward C. Halperin, MD

Policy

June 24, 2024

My hearing precipitously declined four years ago. As a patient and practicing physician, I became dependent upon hearing aids. Thus, I was introduced to the off-putting business of hearing aids in America.

The American hearing aid market is estimated to generate between $3 to 4 billion per year annually. It is expected to grow six to eight percent annually as our population ages. Assistive listening devices can be a vast mystery …

Virtual rehabilitation of central sensitization syndromes

Hamid Djalilian, MD

Conditions

May 7, 2024

Modern medicine often fails to effectively manage complex chronic conditions. Physicians are often constrained by tightly packed clinic schedules, leaving only brief windows of time for each patient encounter. While this setup may allow for basic diagnosis and treatment planning, there is scarcely enough time for comprehensive patient education, let alone providing the necessary support, guidance, and empowerment that complex patients need.

Fortunately, the post-pandemic surge in telemedicine has brought fresh …

Laughter is the best medicine (but use it wisely with patients)

Bradley B. Block, MD

Physician

April 1, 2024

According to The Onion founder Scott Dikkers, “Comedy is meant to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”

As physicians, our patients are the “afflicted,” so how can we use comedy to comfort them? Before we get to the how, let us start with the why.

Why make patients laugh? Because laughter is the best medicine. After steroids. Steroids are the best medicine. Laughter is the second-best medicine, and it has fewer …

Physician burnout: a surgeon’s story of exhaustion, recovery, and systemic change

Julie Wei, MD

Physician

March 20, 2024

An excerpt from Safeguarding Physician Wellbeing.

There are numerous books written by physicians of various specialties, primary care, and subspecialists, on the topic of physician burnout. Most physician authors, like me, have been inspired to write a book due to personal experience with a high degree of burnout, and/or have had academic interests and research on the topic. Writing such books can be cathartic, intended as a warning for our …

The virtuous yellow brick road in medicine

Christopher Nyte, DO

Physician

January 11, 2024

Studies involving the virtue ethics of a sound medical practitioner have provided insight into the nature of ethical demands on the physician as a moral person. Kotze et al., the authors of “Virtue in Medical Practice: An Exploratory Study,” agree that thinking about virtues contributes to doctors’ and medical students’ thinking about common moral dilemmas in medicine. However, they also acknowledge that the question of what virtuous medical practice …

Stop and smell the cadavers

Randall S. Fong, MD

Physician

October 28, 2022

Medical students are an odd bunch. At least in my day. Warning: The following may seem a little distasteful, violating the doctrine of proper decorum expected of medical professionals. I feel your anguish for those bent to the more sensitive side, but to sugar-coat a narrative only robs it of its essence.

I attended the Medical College of Wisconsin in the late 1980s, so what follows may not represent medical training. …

Read more…

Stop and smell the cadavers

Hearing loss is a significant public health problem

Randall S. Fong, MD

Conditions

October 4, 2022

Hearing loss can be a real pain in the rear. Aside from its annoyance on friends and loved ones, it can pose a significant health problem. For instance, there is growing evidence linking hearing loss and dementia.

Yes, impaired hearing can lead to dementia, which is an impairment of cognition. Cognition is the mental process that allows one to acquire knowledge and understanding through thought. It is the …

Toughness is not infinite and is not defined by a dollar amount

Jayson Greenberg, MD

Physician

August 29, 2022

We knew the job would be tough but never considered how tough. Demanding jobs should be compensated accordingly, but what is the correlation between job choice, toughness, and salary? Is no job too tough as long as they pay you enough?

After residency, I narrowed my options down to two private practice positions. One was a small group practice with one office location and a higher call burden in the Midwest. …

How hearing is connected to well-being

Amy Sarow, AuD

Conditions

August 23, 2022

As an audiologist, treating hearing loss is a part of my everyday life. Even still, I’m sometimes amazed at the difference hearing aids can make in patients’ lives. For example, recently, when an older patient with longstanding hearing loss was fitted with a pair of hearing aids, he was suddenly able to participate in conversation with his son again. The smile across his face said everything.

Hearing well can slow cognitive …

Read more…

How hearing is connected to well-being

Ergonomics: How to live pain-free and have a long surgical career

Theodore Klug, MD and Rachad Mhawej, MD

Physician

July 24, 2022

Ergonomics is the study of how humans and machines interact. More specifically, it addresses the interplay between humans and machines through an examination of optimal positioning of equipment and personnel to allow for the most efficient work play and use of time and space. With its study and importance growing in scope following the invention of the assembly line by Henry Ford in 1913, ergonomics has now found itself as …

Stories of surgery, clarity, and grace [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

December 3, 2021

“My mother, bless her ninety-year-old heart, is slowing down. The things that made her happiest — getting to church, visiting friends, taking walks, and wandering the aisles in the grocery store —are increasingly difficult. She worries that her lack of energy will soon make every activity impossible.

It is 2005 and …

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