Hearing loss is common and can affect people of any age. About 16% of adults in the UK have some degree of hearing loss. It is thought that half the general population above the age of 75 have some hearing loss. Children are the next most common group to be affected, usually due to fluid or infection in the middle ear but also due to congenital problems or viral illness during early childhood. (more…)
Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
Is snoring a common problem?
Yes, at least 20% of the adult population snore regularly and loud enough to disturb those around them.
Why do some people snore and others do not?
The following 5 things are most likely to make you snore: (more…)
Facial Skin Lesions
What is a facial skin lesion?
A facial skin lesion is a flaw that could be a lump, crack, ulcer or abnormal discolouration of the skin that is not normally present. A lesion is described as benign when it is harmless. It is described as malignant when it is a sign of skin cancer and is potentially dangerous. The majority of skin lesions are benign but some could be malignant. (more…)
Microlaryngoscopy and Oesophagoscopy
MICROLARYNGOSCOPY
What is Microlaryngoscopy?
Microlaryngoscopy is the examination of your larynx (voice box) while you are under a general anaesthetic. Microlaryngoscopy is done to find and treat problems of the voice box, such as hoarseness. Your surgeon will put a short metal tube (laryngoscope) through your mouth into your voice box. A microscope is then used to look into the voice box to find what the problem is. (more…)
Submandibular Gland Surgery
What is the submandibular gland?
The submandibular glands are a pair of salivary glands under the jaw bone. Each gland produces saliva which goes through a long duct to its opening under the tongue at the front of the mouth. The production of saliva increases when we eat. The saliva secreted by the submandibular gland is a bit thicker than that produced by other salivary glands. (more…)
About Otosclerosis and Stapedotomy
How do we hear?
The ear consists of the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound travels through the outer ear and reach the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibration is then transmitted through three tiny bones in the middle ear called the ossicles. These three ossicles are called malleus, incus and stapes, sometimes known as hammer, anvil and stirrup. The vibration then enters the inner ear which is a snail-shaped bony structure filled with fluid. (more…)
About Sinusitis
What are sinuses?
There are four pairs of sinuses in the head that assist the control of temperature and humidity of the air reaching the lungs. Sinuses begin as pea-sized pouches in the newborn extending outward from the inside of the nose to the bones of the face and skull. They expand and grow throughout childhood and into young adulthood. Eventually they become air pockets or cavities that are lined with the same kind of lining that lines the nose. (more…)
About Septal Surgery
What is septal surgery?
The septum is a thin piece of cartilage and bone inside the nose between the right and left sides. It is about 7 cms long in adults. In some people this septum is bent into one or both sides of the nose, blocking it. Sometimes this is because of an injury to the nose, but sometimes it just grows that way. We can operate to straighten the septum. (more…)
About Rhinoplasty
What gives the nose its shape?
The shape of the nose on the outside is due to the shape of bone and cartilage and the overlying skin. The top of the nose is made of bone shaped like a roof, which is hard. The middle and tip of the nose are made of cartilage, which is softer. The skin varies in thickness from person to person, and this also affects the shape. (more…)
About Parotid Surgery
What is the parotid and what causes parotid lumps?
The parotid gland makes saliva; you have two parotid glands, one on each side, in front of your ears. Lumps
occur in the parotid due to abnormal overgrowth of some part of the salivary glands (a parotid gland tumour). The vast majority of these tumours are benign, which means that they are not cancerous and do not spread to other parts of the body. (more…)
About neck dissection
How do cancers spread?
Most cancers which start in the head and neck region have the ability to spread to other parts of the body; these are called metastases (‘mets’) or ‘secondaries’. Cancers can spread in a number of different ways, most often by the lymph system to lymph nodes and sometimes by the blood to other distant organs like the liver. In the head and neck region, localised lymphatic spread is quite common, but spread by blood to distant parts of the body is uncommon. (more…)
About mastoid surgery
How does the ear work?
The ear consists of the outer, middle and inner ear. The outer ear is covered by skin. The middle ear is covered by a mucus producing membrane. Sound travels through the outer ear and reaches the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibration is transmitted through three tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear. The vibration then enters the inner ear where the nerve cells are. (more…)
About a Hole in your Ear Drum
How does the ear work?
The ear consists of the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound travels through the outer ear and reach the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibration is transmitted through three tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear. The vibration then enters the inner ear where the nerve cells are. The nerve cells within the inner ear are stimulated to produce nerve signals. These nerve signals are carried to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound. (more…)
About Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)
What are sinuses?
Sinuses are air-filled spaces in the bones of the face and head. They are connected to the inside of the nose through small openings. The sinuses are important in the way we breathe through the nose and in the flow of mucus in the nose and throat. When the sinuses are working properly we are not aware of them but they often are involved in infections and inflammations which cause symptoms. These infections and inflammations are called sinusitis. (more…)
What are Grommets?
What are grommets?
Grommets are very small plastic tubes, which sit in a hole in the eardrum. They let air get in and out of the ear. This keeps the ear healthy.
Grommets or ventilation tubes are used to treat glue ear if there has been a prolonged hearing loss and or frequent middle ear infections. (more…)
Childrens Tonsil Surgery
What are tonsils?
Tonsils are small glands in the throat, one on each side. They are there to fight germs when you are a young child. After the age of about three years, the tonsils become less important in fighting germs and usually shrink. Your body can still fight germs without them.
Why take them out?
We only take tonsils out if they are doing more harm than good. (more…)
Adult Tonsil Surgery
What are tonsils?
Tonsils are small glands in the throat, one on each side. They are there to fight germs when you are a young child. As you get older, the tonsils become less important in fighting germs and usually shrink. Your body can still fight germs without them.
Why take them out?
We only take them out if they are doing more harm than good. (more…)
About Adenoid Surgery
What are the adenoids?
Adenoids are small glands in the throat, at the back of the nose. They are there to fight germs in younger children. We believe that after the age of about three years, the adenoids are no longer needed. Your body can still fight germs without your adenoids.
Why take them out?
We only take them out if they are doing more harm than good. (more…)
ENT London
ENT London is run by leading ENT and Head & Neck Surgeons from major London Hospitals and regional centres of excellence.
All clinicians at ENT London are accredited specialists registered with the UK General Medical Council, and bring a unique breadth and depth of expertise in the management of ENT disorders. (more…)