You searched for "wellbeing"
Coblation tongue channelling
After uvulopalatoplasty, the tendency is to focus on the tongue base as the next anatomical area to address in the management of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. In this article, Glen Burgess describes the technique of tongue channelling, to reduce the...Sialendoscopy
Recent advances in endoscopic technology allow the ENT surgeon to access the salivary gland ductal system for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. In this article the authors share their experiences with using this technology, both as a standalone procedure and...The barber-surgeon of Avebury
On a stroll through Neolithic Britain, Seville oranges on a quay in Dundee, marmalade and 14th century coins, Chris Potter unravels the story of a man (a surgeon?) seemingly crushed by a falling 13-tonne stone. But things are not quite...Kuduwave™ testing aboard the ISS
What does it take to make an audiometer and tympanometry ready for the space age? In a recent interview, Jillian Scotland and Dirk Koekemoer shared their first-hand experience of getting the Kuduwave ready for a voyage to the ISS. It...What I look for at a conference (and why you should go to BACO 2023)
Professor Claire Hopkins has attended more than her fair share of international meetings, and she shares her top tips. COVID has changed the face of medical education forever – who would have thought only a few years ago that we...
Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing
This American book is written for students “in the field of communication sciences and disorders”, however, this is a very useful text for anyone wanting to understand the underpinning science behind speech, swallowing and hearing and balance. The book is...
Do certain chronic medications increase dysphagia in older people?
Oropharyngeal dysphagia is known to affect a high number of older people in the community, in care homes and in acute geriatric admissions to hospital. The authors of this study have recognised that many older people take drugs for chronic...
Can laryngeal sensitivity testing predict aspiration and pneumonia in dysphagic patients?
The laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) is characterised by brief vocal cord closure in response to laryngeal stimulation. It is important in swallowing physiology as it represents a mechanism for airway protection. The authors of this study examined whether the absence...
Take a breath between mouthfuls
Pulse oximetry provides a measure of the percentage of oxygen in the blood. The usual range of readings on pulse oximetry is 97-99%. Older people may have lower pulse oximetry readings than younger people, and young women have higher readings...
How well do different assessments of swallowing correlate with one another?
Swallowing (dys)function may be assessed by three key measures: 1. instrumental swallowing techniques such as the modified barium swallow (MBS) or videofluoroscopy; 2. functional measures of diet texture that patients can eat comfortably (usually rated by the clinician); and 3....
The use of 3D videos to improve patient engagement with compensatory swallowing strategies
Patients with dysphagia are often asked to use compensatory techniques or manoeuvres to facilitate safe swallowing. For example, they may be taught to do a supraglottic swallow to minimise aspiration or a specific postural adjustment to support bolus flow. These...
