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West Side ENT Update
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Welcome to West Side ENT's new online newsletter. Please browse the article summaries and click to read what interests you. If you have any friends or family members that may be interested in any of the articles, please send this link along.
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Does Michael Phelps Have Sleep Apnea?
I have a confession to make. I LOVE the Olympics. The spectacular pageantry, the awe inspiring display of physical and mental strength, not to mention the sense of pride I feel watching America's top athletes achieve the impossible. In the case of swimming sensation, Michael Phelps, he did what many thought was impossible—winning 8 gold medals out of all 8 events and breaking 7 world records in the process. Still, having witnessed his incredible triumphs, I couldn't help but to wonder what his next challenge would be. If his jaw anatomy is any indication, I predict that this may come in the form of obstructive sleep apnea.
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Aug 21, 2008
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Sleep Apnea Patients May Have Alzheimer's
A few days ago, I ran across two studies about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and brain structure in my sleep medicine journals that had me wondering: Could there be a link between Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and obstructive sleep apnea?
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Aug 20, 2008
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What To Do When You're Tired All The Time
If you're tired all the time, no matter how long you sleep, and suffer from recurrent colds or unexplained infections that just won't go away and you continue to get sick despite being on multiple medications and antibiotics, you may be suffering from a common yet mostly ignored sleep breathing problem called upper airway resistance syndrome.
Although it's not commonly recognized by most physicians, this is fast becoming a major issue amongst many patients who suffer from chronic fatigue issues. However, there are ways to manage this condition successfully, if you know what it is and what you can do about it.
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Aug 19, 2008
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Where To Go When You Need To Sleep
If you suspect that you may have a sleep breathing disorder, the first step in getting solutions is to get a formal sleep study. However, there are so many sleep study centers these days all touting different benefits, it's unclear which one of them is right for you.
Listed below are 5 sleep study centers I refer patients to most often. They are not ranked in any particular order nor do I get any favors for recommending one over the other. However, all of them were chosen based on four criterias:
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Aug 18, 2008
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Acupuncture For OSA Sufferers: Sham or Science?
As a licensed acupuncturist, it's empowering to see your profession cast in an approving light, especially when it's reviewed by a well respected medical journal. However, since I have witnessed the effectiveness of acupuncture for a myriad of disorders, I am always curious as to why its efficacy is not positively portrayed in more clinical trials. Having reviewed this study for Dr. Park, I now know why.
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Jul 22, 2008
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Planes, Trains and Ear Infections
To me, getting an earache is almost like losing your luggage at the airport. For one thing, both events most likely occur after a bad plane flight. For another, they both happen at the most inopportune moments-- like when you've packed your $5,000 heirloom wedding dress, or when you're vacationing out in a remote island and the nearest doctor is about a 5 hour plane ride away. Either way, you want to prevent and not fall victim to these problems if at all possible.
Although I can't offer much in the way of lost luggage retrieval, having suffered through this twice in my own travels, I can give you prevention methods to many of your worst ear problems. Most of them are simple enough to manage on your own at home or abroad.
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Jul 21, 2008
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Give Me A Break!
In a recently released family fun film, Kung Fu Panda, Po, the unlikely hero in the movie, saves his entire town from destruction by learning how to focus and be present. Lucky for him, cell phones and Blackberries weren't invented back then.
In our 24/7 nonstop frenzied workaholic culture, modern people find it difficult, if not impossible to embrace this simple concept. To exercise, to eat less, and to sleep more has become a thing of the past. Patients often tell me that they can't expend the time or energy to do so. But what I'd like to know is: Why does it take work to find rest?
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Jun 19, 2008
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What To Eat When You're Sick and Tired
Studies abound linking sleep apnea and diabetes. Unfortunately, many if not most patients who get diagnosed with a sleep breathing problem still maintain a Standard American Diet (SAD). It's not that they're unconcerned about their health. Many on the contrary exercise regularly and try to eat as best they can. Yet when their job or lifestyles keep them running around all day (see my article Give Me A Break) it's difficult to take the time to think about what they eat.
Recently, I interviewed Alyse Levine, a registered dietician with expertise in helping busy urban professionals optimize their food
and lifestyle choices in order to meet their personal health goals.
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Jun 19, 2008
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Solutions For Your Top 10 Fitness Problems
Everyone knows that exercise is great for your health. It can help you trim down, gain stamina, decelerate the aging process etc, etc, etc. Then why is it so hard for us to get started? The anwer is: You need a plan.
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May 9, 2008
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An Allergist's Nightmare: The Micro-Poop Theory
One Western tradition that I find truly puzzling is the custom of wearing shoes inside the house. Although some of my non-Asian friends have banned shoes in their homes after they have children, I still find that a majority of Americans and Europeans continue to wear shoes inside their homes. Unlike Eastern cultures that consider this practice unsanitary, many Westerners don't think much of it even though this can be harmful for someone with allergies.
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May 9, 2008
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What Works: A Proven Way to Quit Smoking for Good
According to recent statistics from the American Lung Association, smoking is the number one source for preventable deaths and premature mortality than any other drug or substance. Yet, despite these grim statistics, smoking is still a huge problem for many people. The problem is that the willpower in overcoming this addiction seems powerless. But according to George Wissing, the author of Stop Smoking For the Last Time: You Can Unlock the Power to Quit Struggle-Free, your willpower has nothing to do with it.
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Apr 25, 2008
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When Your Cold is Not a Cold
Many of you probably know that hand washing is one of the best line of defense for a cold. But what do you do if the cold medications and herbal remedies don’t work? What if nothing you do alleviates that incessant cough and sore throat you’ve had for weeks, if not for months? If you’ve ever had these symptoms or if you’re suffering now, know that help is available but it may not be something you’re used to. Instead these are remedies for a “cold” when it’s not a cold.
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Apr 25, 2008
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