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1910 results found

The pong of poverty: George Orwell on the problem of olfactory classism

Throughout his fiction and non-fiction, George Orwell incorporated references to olfaction to invoke strong reactions in his readers. For example, in Nineteen Eighty-Four the protagonist Winston describes “the pleasant smell of [Julia’s] hair”. Orwell emphasises the invasiveness and emotional force...

Clinical WG1. Establishing a standard for tinnitus: patient assessment and characterisation

Rilana Cima and Haúla Haider introduce an ambitious pan-European collaboration that seeks to establish guidelines for achieving best clinical practice for managing, assessing and treating patients with different tinnitus profiles. Tinnitus heterogeneity is the major reason for inconsistent results in...

Sushruta and Indian rhinoplasty

Vijay Pothula explains rhinoplasty’s roots in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and how it was introduced to the Western world. In 1794 The Gentleman’s Magazine published a surgical operation which was long established in India but unknown in Europe [1]. A...

Spotlight on Africa: paediatric ENT focus

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) carries 24% of the global disease burden but employs only 3% of the world’s health workers [1]. Unique workforce considerations exist in SSA including a paucity of skilled health professionals and fluctuant political climates [1,2]. Shazia Peer...

Establishing a hearing service and ear hospital in Nepal: the Ear Aid Nepal experience

Following the earthquake that devastated Nepal in April 2015, the year ended on a positive note with the opening of an ENT hospital in Pokhara. Mike Smith, a UK-born ENT surgeon has been the driving force behind the conception and...

OBITUARY: Dr David Pothier

David Pothier passed away on July 27, 2018 in the early hours of the morning following a struggle with recurrent brain cancer. His passing extinguished a brilliant light, the likes of which few of us will witness in our lifetime....

The future of facial plastics and rhinoplasty

Interest in facial plastic surgery and in particular rhinoplasty has never been greater. From his wealth of experience in the field, Professor Palma outlines the potential problems of this increasing popularity and how they may be addressed, areas on which...

Cartilage myringoplasty to treat patulous eustachian tube dysfunction

Patulous eustachian tube (PET) dysfunction, where the eustachian tube is abnormally opened at rest, is a notoriously difficult condition to treat. Symptoms can mimic symptoms of superior semicircular canal dehiscence: autophony, aural fullness, hyperacusis and breathing synchronous tinnitus. Treatment has...

What is balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET)?

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is the result of a combination of factors that interfere with the mucosal functional or cartilaginous structures. Failure to open the eustachian tubes can cause aural pain, pressure in the ears, muffled hearing, crackling/popping sounds in...

Olfactory neuronal damage in sinusitis

So many patients with nasal disorders have poor olfactory function, yet sometimes the nose may seem comparatively clear of conductive problems. This study postulated that neuronal damage in the olfactory apparatus would lead to a leakage of neuron specific enolase...

How can we treat a patient with aural fullness?

Aural fullness is a common complaint that we often come across in many of our otology patients. Management of this condition can be quite challenging. Common differentials include eustachian tube dysfunction, patulous eustachian tube dysfunction, otitic barotrauma, superior canal dehiscence...

Do intranasal corticosteroids resolve eustachian tube dysfunction?

Eustachian tube dysfunction is a widely prevalent problem, both in children and adults. In many ways, it affects the quality of life in terms of earaches, feeling of blockage and variable hearing. Use of intranasal corticosteroids is customary but whether...