General Otolaryngology

The general otolaryngology service is often the gateway for many patients to initiate the evaluation and treatment of a variety of disorders of the ears, nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, and neck. The problems we see include infectious and inflammatory disorders, breathing abnormalities, hearing and balance complaints, allergic problems, voice and swallowing disorders, and tumors and other masses of the neck and upper airway.

Common throat complaints we treat often present with pain, hoarseness, throat mucus, coughing, or difficulty swallowing. Diagnoses can usually be established with a routine visit to the office where fiberoptic technology allows for simple, comfortable, and thorough examination of the upper airway. The NYU Medical Center provides access to additional diagnostic modalities including the full range of audiologic, laboratory, and radiologic services.

Among the hearing and ear problems we deal with are hearing loss, ringing or other noises in the ears ("tinnitus"), ear pain and infection, vertigo and other dizziness, and ear canal problems like wax accumulation or foreign bodies.

Nasal and sinus disorders are among the most common reasons for seeing a general otolaryngologist. Nasal obstruction, excess nasal mucus ("post nasal drip"), nosebleeds, sinus pain, nasal polyps, smell disorders, and sinus infections lead the list of complaints routinely evaluated and treated in this area.

One of the most common problems seen by the general otolaryngologist is the breathing abnormality during sleep known as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. This illness is most often characterized by loud snoring and daytime fatigue. Other symptoms can include choking or gasping during sleep, frequent sudden awakening in the middle of the night, and morning headaches. Although loud snoring is often the motivation for the patient to pursue evaluation, other consequences of sleep apnea can include the development of high blood pressure and increased risks of heart attack or stroke. Sleep apnea can occur in both male and female patients of any age or body type. It is most often seen in overweight men and it is more common as we get older. The diagnosis is proven by means of a sleep study ("polysomnogram") done at a specialized sleep laboratory and treatment options include weight loss, devices to prevent airway collapse, and surgery to remove obstructive tissue in the upper airway.

Another common problem for the general otolaryngologist is chronic throat inflammation resulting from the occasional regurgitation of stomach acid ("laryngopharyngeal reflux"). This is the most common origin to chronic symptoms of hoarseness, throat mucus, throat clearing, coughing, and tightness or a lump in the throat. Medical treatment with dietary changes and antacids is usually effective.

There are a variety of otolaryngologic problems which result from illnesses in other parts of the body. Skin diseases can produce abnormalities in the mouth, heart surgery can cause paralysis of the vocal cord, diabetes can predispose to ear, nose, or throat infections, AIDS can cause tumors of the mouth and throat, and nosebleeds can result from the use of anticoagulant medications used to prevent heart attack and stroke. Indeed otolaryngologic manifestations of illnesses elsewhere are among the most common reasons for hospital consultations by members of our specialty.

As the unofficial "primary care" physicians in our specialty, we also take advantage of the more narrowly focused sub?specialists in our department by means of referrals. Malignant disease, congenital and acquired deafness, and problems requiring reconstructive or plastic surgery are often initially recognized and diagnosed by a general otolaryngologist. Sub?specialists in the department can then be consulted for further surgical management.