Understanding your Health Insurance

By Kelly Warf, Au.D. Susan Forman, CCS-P David Tojo, M.D. Many are unaware of what happens between giving their health insurance information to a medical office and the bill they receive from the appointment. Health insurance is an important investment. However, just because you have medical insurance doesn't mean you...

What is an Otolaryngologist?

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. Alexander Goldin, M.D. An Otolaryngologist is a physician trained in both medicine and surgery to diagnose and treat diseases and conditions of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck. Otolaryngology is short for otorhinolaryngology which is derived from the Greek words otos (ear), rhino (nose), laryngo...

What You Need to Know About Salivary Glands

By Kelly Warf, Au.D. David Tojo, M.D. Salivary glands, while very small, play a huge role. They are found in the mouth, face, and neck in order to produce saliva to moisten the mouth, initiate food digestion, and help protect the teeth from decay. Salivary glands can produce as much...

Loss of Smell

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. David Tojo, M.D. Losing the sense of smell or taste has been a key symptom in COVID-19. However, this diagnosis occurred long before COVID-19. Anosmia is the term for lack of smell; often this is accompanied with lack of taste, called ageusia. The smell receptors in...

Constant Nasal Congestion – But it’s Not the Common Cold?

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. David Tojo, M.D. A stuffy nose usually is the start of the common cold. But what if there are no other cold symptoms? Or the nasal congestion doesn’t go away? Nasal congestion is a very common complaint and can have many different causes- allergies, deviated septum,...

TMJ Disorder

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. Sanjeev Balamohan, M.D. Could my ear pain be caused by my jaw? The temporomandibular joint connects the jawbone to the skull. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder) can be caused by genetics, injury to the jaw, or arthritis. Patients often report the following: Jaw pain or tenderness...

Do Goiters Go Away on their Own?

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. Alexander Goldin, M.D. When the thyroid gland becomes enlarged, it is referred to as a goiter. This will feel or appear as a lump in the neck. If it continues to grow, it can put pressure on the windpipe (trachea) and food pipe (esophagus) resulting in...

Vestibular Migraine

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. David Tojo, M.D. Migraine associated dizziness, vestibular Meniere’s, and vertiginous migraine are just a few names you might have heard. These names are all synonymous with vestibular migraine. Similar to a headache or migraine, however, a vestibular migraine is when an individual experiences migraine symptoms along...

Head Injuries – How they Impact Hearing and Balance

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. Alexander Goldin, M.D. Long term effects of concussions has recently gained global attention. From sports injuries, vehicle accidents, or elderly falls; a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can have long term effects. The CDC defines a TBI as “a bump, blow, or jolt to the head...

Does swallowing change with age?

By: Kelly Warf, Au.D. Sanjeev Balamohan, M.D. Difficulty swallowing (also known as Dysphagia) can occur for a number of reasons. It is estimated that 20% of individuals over the age of 50 years, and most individuals by the age of 80 years, experience some degree of swallowing difficulty. Symptoms may...