Tooth and ENT Doctor

Removing nicotine from the body will cause some uncomfortable changes. So, if you plan to quit smoking, expect feelings of withdrawal. It is your body's way of telling you it's learning to be smoke-free. Common feelings of smoking withdrawal include: * Feeling depressed * Not being able to sleep * Getting cranky, frustrated, or mad * Feeling anxious, nervous, or restless * Having trouble thinking clearly * Feeling hungry or gaining weight Not everyone will experience these. Some however may have one or many of these problems. And they may last differently. Rest assured though that these discomforts will go away in time. Getting rid of things that remind you of smoking will also help you get ready to quit. Try these ideas: * Make things clean and fresh at work, in your car, and at home. Clean your drapes and clothes. Shampoo your car. Buy yourself flowers. You will enjoy their scent as your sense of smell returns. * Throw away all your cigarettes and matches. ...

As follow-up to the previous post, I am starting a series on quitting the habit of smoking. As I have said, this might be hard to do to a lot of people, but with the right mindset and faith, it's highly not impossible! It will not only be good for you, but to us, non-smokers, as well. Just the thought of getting rid of something you've been used to doing may make you anxious. So the best way to start is conditioning your mind and body first. Quitting works best when you're prepared. Before you quit, START by taking these five important steps: S = Set a quit date. T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit. A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting. R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work. T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit. Kicking that tobacco habit is easier with the support of others. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to...

A 74 year-old woman was brought to me for consult because of a mass in the left lower posterior gums. A previous doctor already did a biopsy and it turned out to be a well-differentiated squamous cell cancer. She was advised surgery, hence the consult with me. Upon seeing the lesion, I could only think of one probable risk factor, which was later confirmed by the woman, smoking! She was, and still is, a cigarette smoker. Indeed, tobacco never fails to put one life in jeopardy. Its sins are recurrent and unstoppable. Aside from the other body cancers that it brings, it is one of t he most important oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer risk factors. Approximately 90% of people with mouth cancer are tobacco users. Smokers are 6 times more likely than nonsmokers to develop mouth cancer. Users of smokeless tobacco have a 50 times more likely chance of developing mouth cancer. Statistics show only 6% of head and neck cancer recurrence in patients who stop smoking in contr...

Everybody knows about tonsils. But not everyone knows how many tonsils we have, what tonsils do or why they may need to be removed. Knowing the facts can help alleviate the fears of one facing a tonsillectomy. There are four sets of tonsils. The adenoids or the nasopharyngeal tonsils, located at the back of the nose; the palatine or faucial tonsils, located at the sides of the pharynx which makes them the most visible ones; the lingual tonsils, at the base of the tongue; and the tubal tonsils, also located at the back of the nose surrounding the tube that connects the ear and the nose. Tonsils are masses of tissue that are similar to the lymph nodes or "glands" found in the neck, groin, and armpits. They are located near the entrance to the breathing passages where they can catch incoming germs, which cause infections. They "sample" bacteria and viruses and can become infected themselves. Scientists believe they work as part of the body's immune system...

There are times when it is very hard for me to go to sleep at night. There’s so much going on in my mind that I can't seem to get it to stop. I sometimes take Diphenhydramine, which, not only takes care of my allergic rhinitis, but also helps me doze off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. Not being able to fall asleep is a problem that we all face from time to time. I went through some suggestions and the following article seems to be the most complete. Here are their simple home solutions to help us fall asleep at night. Pray or meditate. Whatever is on your mind is probably there for a reason. When you pray, talk to God about what is racing through your mind, and give the situation over to Him. If meditating, visualize yourself addressing your thoughts and resolving them. Or, meditate on a calming word or phrase. As you do so, it helps you to lower your heart rate and relax your muscles, making it easier for you to lie down and...

I have an iPod but I seldom use it. It is because most of the time, I am in front of my laptop and playing music through the media player. Recently, we've been reading accounts of audiologists issuing a warning we’ve been told years ago - if we listen too loud for too long, we'll lose our hearing. When the Sony Walkman made its debut in 1979, audio researchers said the same thing. When the portable CD player hit the market five years later in 1984, the warnings were issued again. The difference? This time experts are pointing the finger to longer battery life and seemingly endless string of hits that can be played in our ears through the mp3’s, mp4’s and iPods without a break. There are many portable digital audio and video players on the market but clearly the Apple iPod is the market leader with 42 million units sold, 14 million just in the last quarter of 2005. Some iPods can play up to 20 hours straight before the battery needs recharging. Most units can ho...

A colleague and former classmate of mine recently referred to me his 18 year old nephew because of difficulty in speech. On interview, the young lad said he sometimes find it difficult to enunciate words especially when he talks fast. On examination, his tongue assumes an apple shape when made in contact with the palate. This is a classic case of ankyloglossia. Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly characterized by an unusually short lingum frenulum on the underside of the tongue. It is also called tongue tie. The condition can cause difficulties with breastfeeding, and speech and other problems in children and adults, including inability to lick the lips, play a wind instrument, or even with kissing. There is a wide range of opinions regarding its significance, from having no significance to being the cause of significant problems. It is not rare though, affecting one to four babies in every 100. There is a congenital component, but we know little about other possible assoc...