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Experience on the front line

21st January 2021 Back to basics Yesterday I went right back to where my medical career began. I grew up in Germany, bilingual. A prerequisite to studying medicine in Germany is that applicants have to spend two months working as...

The effects of leisure noise exposure on young people’s hearing

There is growing concern regarding the effects of leisure noise exposure on young people’s auditory system. Information provided by healthcare professionals should be evidence-based; Hannah Keppler discusses some recent findings about hearing in young people. Excessive noise exposure can lead...

Otological problems in musicians

Musicians are understandably anxious about their hearing, and recent high-profile cases of noise-related hearing loss have resulted in huge changes in the music industry. Chris Aldren (otologist and violinist) explains. In the recent Oscar-winning movie, Sound of Metal, heavy metal...

Detecting cancer margins during robotic head and neck cancer surgery using ambient mass spectrometry

We have known about altered metabolism in cancer cells since Otto Warburg described it 97 years ago. But can we take advantage of this knowledge in curing cancer? Jim Higginson explains the value of smoke generated during cancer surgery. The...

Head and neck robotic surgery – considerations for the surgical trainee

In 2021, training in head and neck cancer surgery would be incomplete without some robotic resections under the belt. Henry Zhang explains how he did it and outlines the options available. With a wide range of applications in both benign...

The impact of vocal care and oral health on laryngeal function and voice

Maintenance of epithelial health relies on a number of measures. We hear about hydration, irritants and biofilms from a team in Helsinki. Oropharyngeal health Vocal hygiene is a commonly used term that refers to the personal daily habits contributing to...

What do animal models tell us about tinnitus and hyperacusis?

Do animals have tinnitus? The obvious question to ask is: do animals have tinnitus? It is known that tinnitus is a conscious percept and as such affected by attention and not audible during sleep. For it to be demonstrated that...

Neural plasticity and aural rehabilitation

Neural plasticity refers to an ability of the brain and central nervous system to change their structure and function or their reorganisation in response to environmental cues, experience, learning, behaviour, injury and / or diseases and treatments. Neural plasticity is...

Unexplained dizziness in elderly patients

How do we explain unexplained dizziness in elderly patients? How far should we go with investigations? And most importantly, how should we manage this challenging and expanding group of patients whose balance affects their safety? Richard Ibitoye and Diego Kaski...

Hearing loss prevention in musicians - violating one rule of physics

Whilst enjoying music, we also need to be mindful of the potential effect of producing music for the musician. Dr Chasin discusses the development of earplugs for the industry with the added bonus of physics for party goers! Hearing protection,...

Musical hallucinations and audiology

Many of us will have been stuck with an ‘earworm’ for a day but consider how it would be to have that earworm stuck on repeat, possibly forever. Drs Lauw, Blom and Coebergh review the current literature on musical hallucinations...