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Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), psychosomatic or not? The debate continues

PPPD continues to provoke debate since the diagnostic criteria emerged in 2017. This review covers two commentaries because they are best considered together: the first one, by HK and BS-U, concluded that PPPD is a psychosomatic disorder (in fact, ‘a...

Metformin, the magical solution!

Both noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and vestibular schwannomas (VSs) pose a challenge in terms of management. Metformin was suggested as a potential therapeutic drug for NIHL when the drug-target interaction data was investigated. Additionally, there are studies which demonstrate reduction...

Booklet-based supervised vs. non-supervised vestibular rehabilitation

There are conflicting results in the literature about home-based vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT) as opposed to physiotherapist-led training. A randomised controlled trial was designed to interrogate this further. The primary aim was to assess “the effects of a booklet-based exercise...

Nasal allergies and OSA

The first day of June is the meteorological start of summer. As a moderately wet spring slowly blurs to (a damp UK) summer, we can look forward to holidays in the countryside, enjoying the changing pollen seasons from tree to...

Lost and sound: exploring hyperbaric oxygen therapy for refractory SSNHL

Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offer a breakthrough for patients with refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)? SSNHL is defined as acute hearing loss of ≥30 decibels in three consecutive frequencies within three days. Typically, it’s treated with two weeks...

AI in ENT practice

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in our lives and there has been both enthusiasm and caution for using AI in healthcare. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported on a trial examining...

Outcomes of office-based biopsies for laryngopharyngeal carcinoma – faster diagnoses and equivalent oncological outcomes as compared to biopsies under general anaesthesia

Patients in the UK with head and neck cancers are the most likely to face long waits to treatment in comparison to other cancer sites, with only just over half commencing treatment within 62 days of being referred on a...

Case study suggesting mtDNA mutation as a tinnitus factor: ND1:m.3394T>C

Konadath et al report a genetic case study of a 24-year-old female experiencing reduced hearing sensitivity and tinnitus along with a blocked sensation in her right ear, sudden onset one year prior with no other otological complaints. Standard audiometry along...

Bell’s palsy – antivirals and steroids for all?

The role of antiviral medications in the treatment of Bell’s palsy remains somewhat controversial. Antivirals alone do not appear to be helpful, whereas numerous studies have shown that corticosteroids improve the chance of a full recovery compared to placebo. What...

Virtual vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is as effective as in-person VR

The effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) for patients with several vestibular disorders is well established. Access for in-person clinic-based VR is however patchy and limited. To widen access, offering VR via virtual platforms is increasingly being adopted. The authors conducted...