It’s common knowledge that smoking affects your lungs, but you may not know it can also affect your sinuses. No matter if you smoke cigars, cigarettes, or vapes, the nicotine and toxins you inhale can mess with your nose’s natural function.
If you’re wondering how exactly smoking can affect your sinus health, keep reading from your Edinburg ENT team. Our experience in the ear, nose, and throat profession means we can help you!
Your nose has small hair-like particles called cilia that help protect your respiratory system from germs and move mucus along. Cigarettes and other smoking products can contain hydrogen cyanide and ammonia, damaging cilia. When you no longer have healthy cilia, you’re without protection against harmful pathogens and allergens.
Your nose is the first line of defense against sickness, and when the cilia in your nose aren’t functioning correctly, mucus begins to build up. The passages in your nose get clogged, and bacteria or viruses start attacking your sinuses, which can cause a frustrating and annoying sinus infection.
You don’t necessarily have to be a smoker yourself to be at risk for a sinus infection from inhaling smoke — sinus infections are also common among secondhand smokers. Sinus infections can be a result of just breathing in too much smoke.
Because damaged cilia cause mucus to build up in your nose, you may develop post-nasal drip. Post-nasal drip occurs when built-up mucus starts leaking into your throat, leading to coughing or clearing your throat more often as your body tries to clear the blockages. This is known as a smoker’s cough.
As we’ve already established, smoking causes mucus to build up in the nasal cavity. This build-up may make you feel more congested, especially in the mornings. Smoking also increases the risk of developing sleep apnea.
While smoking does affect your body in many different ways, it’s never too late to quit! When you stop smoking, you may notice an improvement in your smoker’s cough, runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes. While healing can take some time, it can do a world of good!
Keeping your sinuses healthy and happy is important since they can affect your sleep, breathing, and immune system! As you can see, smoking can damage so much of our nasal health. The smoke we breathe isn’t good and even affects our loved one’s health.
It’s hard to stop smoking, and we get that! If you’re finding it hard to quit, your doctor may be able to help you. Let our understanding and experienced ear, nose, and throat team at the Glatz Group help you get your sinuses back to protecting your body as they should!
Sleep is incredibly important to our overall health, including our mental and emotional health. But if you’re experiencing sinus pressure, headaches, drainage, or infections, you’re probably not getting the rest you need!
It’s time to get your tossing, turning, and nose-blowing nights under control! Read on to learn how to sleep with sinus problems by adjusting your sleeping position and visiting your Edinburg ENT doctor!
Sinus headaches and pressure can make it impossible to get to sleep. You can get relief from some of these symptoms by adjusting your sleeping position:
If your sinus issues have escalated and you have severe drainage or an infection, your sleeping position is even more critical. Sleeping on your back with your head elevated also helps if you have a sinus infection. While you’ll need to visit a doctor to get treatment for an infection, sleeping with your head propped up can relieve some of the symptoms, including drainage.
Adjusting how you lay may be the answer you need to get a good night’s rest. While your sleeping position does matter and can help relieve sinus pain, there are a few extra things you can do to help you get an even better night’s sleep.
Sometimes you can do all the right things, sleep in the correct position, and still experience sinus pain. It’s time to take it to the next step and stop counting sheep each night by visiting an experienced and compassionate ear, nose, and throat doctor!
Sleep is important for keeping you in tip-top shape, but sinus issues can really get in the way of that. You deserve a great night’s sleep without feeling sinus pain, pressure, congestion, or a runny nose.
It’s time to reach out to the Glatz Group to get the sleep you need! Our team will find out what’s causing your sinus problems and help you get relief so you can sleep. Don’t let another day go by trying to sleep with sinus pain, call us today for an appointment with your ENT doctor and team in Edinburg, Texas!
Winter weather in Texas isn’t as cold as in many of the northern states, but you may wonder if the cooler temperatures can improve your seasonal allergies. Since the sticky hot summer air has finally cooled off, you may hope that you’ll finally find some allergy relief.
Unfortunately, cold weather isn’t always a friend to your ears, nose, and throat. Keep reading to learn how a temperature change can trigger your allergies, and how you can get help from your Edinburg ENT doctor to fight off those pesky allergies!
When the outside temperature drops, the change can be hard on your lungs and lead to allergic reactions, including worsening congestion, runny nose, wheezing, and coughing fits.
But staying indoors all the time won’t help your allergies, either. Since it’s cooler outside, many people stay inside more often in the winter. You’re most likely keeping the windows closed and maybe turning the heat up a little higher. This creates a space with less fresh air and more dry heat. Staying indoors all the time in the winter can also make allergies to dust and pet dander worse.
Sometimes Texas winter days are really dry, which isn't the best for allergy sufferers. The cold, dry air can suck the moisture out of your nasal passages, lips, and skin, making it easier for allergens to settle into your lungs.
On the other hand, too much moisture in the air also isn’t good. If the Texas winter weather is too wet, it can encourage mold and dust mites to grow. The air moisture levels have to be just right to keep your allergies from reacting. However, that’s not always something we can control.
Being allergic to the cold is a real thing, and it’s called cold urticaria! The more common form causes itchy hives, swelling, and redness on the skin after exposure to cold temperatures. However, it needs to be under 39 degrees Fahrenheit for an allergic reaction to happen. Reactions usually pop up within a few minutes after warming the skin and only last a couple of hours.
Texas is great if you want to avoid having to deal with cold northern winters! However, you may not be able to completely escape your allergies just because the air is a bit warmer. But the Glatz Group has your back! There are a few things you can do to get winter allergy relief:
Knowing exactly what you’re allergic to can help you understand how you can protect your ears, nose, and throat. If you’re allergic to dust mites or pet dander, then you’ll know you need to dust often or bathe your furry friends more.
Reach out to our compassionate and experienced team at the Glatz Group to find out how you can fight off your allergy foes and still enjoy the cooler Texas weather!
The new year is here! Many people are making resolutions for their health, finances, or business goals this time of year. But if you have allergies or asthma, how about working toward breathing better in 2023 by setting some allergy and asthma relief goals!
Breathing comfortably is important whether you’re staying indoors or enjoying the cooler temperatures. It will also make completing your other New Year’s resolutions easier! Keep reading to find out how you can resolve to breathe better in the new year!
The air in your home could be to blame for your allergy and asthma flare-ups. With all that Texas wind, dust and allergens are being blown into your home constantly. But there are ways to fix the air quality in your home!
Keeping your home clean and free of excess dust, as well as using fresh air filters, could be the key to finding relief. Sleep better and breathe easier, even with your furry friends close!
Having uncontrolled asthma and allergies can put you at a higher risk of respiratory infections. And it’s so easy to pick up germs anywhere you go – even in your own home. One of your New Year's resolutions could be to improve your hand hygiene habits.
You may already be doing the proper technique for hand washing. Good for you! But don’t forget to do it often throughout the day, especially after sneezing, blowing your nose, changing a diaper, using the restroom, or caring for a sick loved one.
Asthma and allergies don’t mix well with smoking — and this includes vaping! Smoking any kind of tobacco-related products can increase inflammation of the airway and decrease breathing. As you can imagine, smoking can trigger an asthma attack or allergy reaction. While a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking can be hard to keep, talk to your ENT doctor for help on how to quit smoking in 2023!
Amazingly, what you eat and how much water you drink can affect your respiratory health! Staying hydrated and keeping your body loaded with essential vitamins and minerals can help you breathe, fight off infections, and reduce inflammation.
It’s also equally as essential to avoid certain foods that can cause further irritations to your ear, nose, and throat health. These include foods or drinks with artificial ingredients, foods that cause gas, and anything with sulfites (a type of preservative).
If your current allergy and asthma treatment plan doesn’t seem to be working, visit your Edinburg ear, nose, and throat doctor in the new year! Medicine is always being discovered or improved, so your treatment may benefit from an update. After all, the new year could mean a new you – including your breathing!
Let us help you complete one of your New Year’s resolutions by allowing you to breathe better and easier in 2023! Take a deep breath and take on the world by finding asthma and allergy relief with our caring team at the Glatz Group.
2023 is almost here, and it’s time to celebrate! Loud music, fireworks, and the screams of joy as midnight hits are all staples of ringing in the new year, but if you don’t protect your ears, they’ll be ringing too!
Loud noises we hear not just on New Year’s but throughout the year can actually cause hearing loss. These noises can damage your inner ear's sensory and hair cells, causing noise-induced hearing loss. Decide now to protect your ears and prevent hearing loss in the new year with these seven New Year’s resolutions!
It may be hard to avoid all loud noises, but you can prevent hearing loss by moving as far away from the noise as possible. The farther away you are, the less damage the loud noises will do to your ears. So you can still enjoy the New Year’s fireworks display, but do it from a distance.
If you’re attending an air show, working around heavy machinery, mowing the lawn, or doing something else that you know will involve loud noises, put on some ear protection. You can prevent noise-induced hearing loss simply by wearing some headphones or earplugs.
You can also protect your ears by wearing noise-canceling headphones. You can even use them when you’re not listening to music. Slip the headphones on, turn on the noise-canceling feature, and enjoy a quieter evening.
Noise-canceling headphones also allow you to block out background noises. With regular headphones, you might turn the volume all the way up so you can hear over what’s going on around you, but with noise-canceling headphones, you don’t have to!
Sometimes we don’t realize how loud the volume on our TV, radio, or phone really is. Over time, the blaring music or voices do more harm than good. You can prevent hearing loss and train your ears by turning down the volume!
Our hearing health is actually connected to our heart health. People with diabetes or cardiovascular disease have a higher chance of hearing loss. But you can prevent hearing loss and other complications by keeping up with your exercise routine and maintaining a healthy weight!
Smoking is bad for many reasons, but it can also cause hearing loss. Your ears and throat are close together, and the smoke can cause blockages in your ears. Quitting smoking is hard, but you can talk to your doctor to learn more about getting the help you need to stop smoking.
Even if you haven’t noticed any hearing loss, you could still benefit from a hearing test and checkup from your ear, nose, and throat doctor! Noise-induced hearing loss usually is gradual and painless, so you might have already lost some hearing and not even know it.
Hearing tests only take a few minutes of your time. Check off an easy and quick New Year’s resolution by scheduling a hearing test with the Glatz Group! Our team of hearing experts will find out if you’ve lost any hearing, show you how you can prevent further hearing loss, and provide hearing solutions if you need them!
Between the cooler winter air and the common cold and flu, most people expect some sinus issues this time of year. While medication and rest may work for some people, if you’re suffering from chronic sinus infections or swelling, you may need a different approach for sinus relief.
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure during which a small balloon is inserted into your nasal passage to open the airway. During the procedure, your ear, nose, and throat doctor will also be able to flush out any bacteria or mucus with a quick saline rinse.
Keep reading to find out if the balloon sinuplasty is right for you and how your Edinburg ENT can help you breathe better!
Sinus problems don’t just affect the nose; sometimes, they can cause facial pain, pressure, headaches, congestion, and discharge. A balloon sinuplasty could be the answer to clearing up these annoying sinus issues.
ENTs generally recommend a balloon sinuplasty treatment after people with chronic sinus infections have tried medication and gotten no relief. Doctors also use it to treat sinusitis, a swelling or inflammation of the sinuses.
Not everyone will be a good candidate for a balloon sinuplasty. If you have an ethmoid disease, nasal polyps, nasal tumors, or anatomical issues like a deviated septum, balloon sinuplasty isn’t right for you.
However, if you’re an adult who has suffered for more than 12 weeks with sinusitis, or it keeps coming back, you may be a good candidate for a balloon sinuplasty, depending on your symptoms.
Keep in mind that doctors will try medication to resolve the issues first before attempting a balloon sinuplasty.
Your care team will place you under general or local anesthesia for the procedure. Most patients are able to resume normal activities within a couple of days. You may not be able to blow your nose for 24 hours and have to avoid strenuous activity for one week after the procedure.
Since a balloon sinuplasty is less invasive than an open sinus surgery, you shouldn’t have any bruising or scars on your face. You may experience discolored nasal drainage or small amounts of blood in your nasal drainage, congestion, and discomfort for a few days during recovery.
A balloon sinuplasty is not only effective in relieving symptoms, but it also requires minimal downtime! Without the need to cut or remove tissues, the risk of infections, complications, bruising, or swelling is much lower than with an open sinus procedure.
At the Glatz Group, Dr. Glatz and his trusted team are here to make sure you stay comfortable throughout the procedure and recovery process. While a balloon sinuplasty isn’t the right fit for everyone, it may be for you! Reach out to our Edinburg office to find out if balloon sinuplasty is the answer you need to breathe better!
As we age, hearing loss is very common. It’s primarily seen in people 65 or older, but if you have a job that exposes you to repetitive loud noises for a long time, you may experience hearing loss even earlier.
Hearing loss doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a gradual change you may not notice for a long time. Sometimes your loved ones may notice it when you have to ask them to repeat themselves. Your friends and family may also notice that the TV is really loud, but to you, it’s not.
Keep reading to learn more about the early signs and stages of hearing loss, and when it’s time to see the doctor for hearing loss treatment!
Early signs of hearing loss may be more related to the volume and clarity of what you can hear. Speech and other sounds may be muffled, or you may struggle to hear certain words. You may also notice that you often have to ask everyone to speak a little slower, clearer, and louder.
But remember that your early hearing loss symptoms could differ from those you know. You may lose the ability to hear higher-pitched tones, such as women's and children's voices, or really low tones, like the clicks from a car turn signal.
There are five stages of hearing loss. Depending on your symptoms and hearing test, you may need treatment for your hearing loss. You may also experience hearing loss in only one ear or both ears.
The first stage is when you’re having difficulty hearing quiet sounds like a dripping faucet. Or it could be hard to hear a conversation if there’s a lot of background noise.
In the next stage, you may notice it’s much harder to hear conversations, especially on the phone. Stage 2 is when you may benefit from using hearing aids.
When it’s hard to hear loud noises, even when they happen right next to you, you’ve reached the third stage of hearing loss. It’ll also be harder to have a conversation without hearing aids.
If you have stage four hearing loss, you’ll need a stronger level of hearing aids, and you won’t be able to listen to conversations at all without them.
At this point, you’ll need powerful hearing aids or possibly an implant. And without an implant or hearing aids, you’ll have to depend on sign language, lip reading, or hand motions to communicate.
Treating hearing loss depends on what’s causing it and how severe it is. If your hearing loss is from built-up wax, you’ll simply need to have your ears cleaned. But if that’s not the issue, then your hearing solution may be to wear a hearing aid.
Surgery is another option if you have an abnormality in your eardrum or bones. You may also need tubes placed if your hearing loss is due to repeated ear infections.
A cochlear implant is another way to treat hearing loss. Doctors use cochlear implants for severe cases of hearing loss and after you’ve unsuccessfully tried hearing aids.
Sometimes we’re not entirely sure when it’s time to make an appointment to see a doctor. And especially since hearing loss can be so gradual we don’t even notice it immediately. It’s time to make an appointment if you notice a sudden hearing loss or if your hearing loss is starting to affect your daily activities.
If you’re noticing that it’s time to talk to an ear, nose, and throat doctor about your hearing loss, reach out to the Glatz Group! With our experience in hearing treatments, we can help you figure out what stage of hearing loss you have and what hearing solutions may be best for you. Don’t let muffled sounds hinder your day-to-day — contact Dr. Glatz to improve your hearing today!
If your loved ones' sneezes are enough to blow over the Christmas tree, they are probably looking for some relief! The cold and dry winter air can cause allergy flare-ups, and you don’t want anyone miserable during the holiday season. Give your friends and family a gift they can actually use for sinus relief this Christmas!
On the other hand, maybe your loved one’s allergies are under control, but you don’t want to give them a gift that could further irritate their ear, nose, or throat. Keep reading to find the ultimate list of gift ideas for anyone with allergies on your Christmas list!
Your loved ones will love the extra thought and care you’ve put into giving them a gift they can use for allergy relief!
You could also build a sinus relief holiday gift basket! Include tissues, nasal spray, decongestant tablets, allergy relief teas, and a gift card to their favorite pharmacy. Or, if they already have all the vacuums, air purifiers, and humidifiers they need, consider gifting your loved ones extra filters, as they can get a little expensive.
The one thing you don’t want to do this holiday season is to give your loved ones a thoughtful gift and then watch them suffer with a fit of sneezes. Protect your friends and family this Christmas by avoiding these gifts.
If your friends and family have a specific brand they know is safe, buy from them! Always ask before you buy a questionable product to avoid making your loved ones sick.
Allergies can really bring down the holiday spirit! Spending time sniffling, laying in bed, or sitting in front of the humidifier trying to find allergy relief isn’t the best way to spend the Christmas season.
Bring your loved ones with allergies to the Glatz Group to help them find relief this yea. With our experienced team, your friends and family can find the best solution to fighting allergies and get back to enjoying the things that matter most!
Now that summer has arrived, you may be hoping for some sinus relief after the colder winter months! Unfortunately, summer weather can still cause issues with your sinuses, despite being warmer. The changes in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure can affect your sinuses, leaving you with pain or pressure in your eyes, cheeks, and forehead.
When humidity or dry heat hits, you may experience sinus pressure or pain. An ENT can help you learn how to keep sinus pain away this summer! Keep reading to learn how your sinuses can be harmed by humidity or dry heat and get some tips to avoid sinus pain this summer.
Your sinuses are covered by a thin lining called the mucous membrane, which itself is covered by tiny particles called cilia. The cilia keep your sinuses clean and push out mucus. However, they can also be vulnerable to changes in the weather.
When the humidity is high, the extra moisture in the air causes the cilia in your nose not to work as they should, which can cause you to have extra mucus. This excess mucus can drain into your throat, leading to coughs or sore throats, or can drain into your ears, causing them to clog, feel tender, or become infected.
Cilia in your body are affected by dry heat as well. With less moisture in the air, there is less moisture in your nose, which causes the mucus to dry up and become thicker and more likely to clog your sinuses. Not only is this uncomfortable, but dry mucus can lead to swelling, nosebleeds, and infections.
When the humidity rises, you can take action to help your sinuses. Follow these five tips to prevent sinus pain from humidity this summer.
5 Ways to Avoid Sinus Harm From Dry Heat
You may not be able to control the dryness of the summer day, but you can do some things to help keep your sinuses moist. During the dry summer, you can find relief for your sinuses by following these five tips.
Summer is supposed to be a great time for fun and adventures, but sometimes you may experience sinus pain from the humidity or dry heat. Don’t let the weather ruin your summer!
Dr. Glatz and his team of sinus experts are here to help you with your sinus troubles so that you can get back to your summer plans!
Summertime is here, and one of the many exciting activities of the season is swimming. Swimming is a great way to stay cool in the summer heat, and is fun for adults and kids alike. But it isn’t fun when your ears get irritated by bacteria in the water while swimming, causing an earache.
Whether swimming in a pool, splashing at a splash pad, or floating on beach waves, swimmer's ear can happen to anyone. This irritating earache usually causes the ear to feel itchy, painful, and full of pressure. The good news is relief can be found with help from a McAllen ENT. Keep reading to learn more about swimmer’s ear and where you can go to find earache relief.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear’s outer layer that is mostly caused by bacteria. Swimming in dirty water is the most common cause, but an infection can also be caused by attempting to remove an obstacle, scratching the inside or outside of the ear, or cleaning the ear with a swab. Even the high Texas humidity can create extra moisture in the ear, breeding harmful bacteria.
Everyone’s body may react a little bit differently when fighting off an infection such as swimmer’s ear. Some people may experience several symptoms, but others may only have one or two. Common symptoms of swimmer’s ear are as follows:
Because swimmer’s ear can spread and cause more problematic infections, it’s important to see an ENT when symptoms of swimmer’s ear begin. Treatment may last 7 to 14 days, depending on the severity and depth of the ear infection. Swimmer’s ear can be treated in a few different ways.
Two types of ear drops may be used to fight the infection. Antibiotic ear drops are commonly used to kill harmful bacteria. You may also be prescribed corticosteroid ear drops to help reduce swelling and itching while the antibiotic works to kill the infection.
Infections that have spread further inside the ear may need a different approach. Oral antibiotics may be prescribed in place of antibiotic ear drops. You may also be given corticosteroid ear drops with the oral antibiotics for optimal earache relief and recovery.
While waiting for the antibiotics to kick in, your doctor might recommend you take an over-the-counter pain reducer. You can also apply a heating pad on the outside of the infected ear to reduce pain. Be sure to discuss with your doctor any concerns you may have about pain-reducing methods.
Swimmer’s ear is a pesky type of infection, but it doesn't have to ruin your whole summer! If you are experiencing an earache in McAllen, don’t spend your summer days suffering.
With the right ENT for you and your loved ones, you can find the help you need to fight that infection. Let the compassionate team at Glatz Group to care for your earache needs today!
