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Advances in speech testing for improved diagnosis and rehabilitation

Measuring an individual’s ability to hear speech in quiet or in the presence of background noise has long been a key component of a comprehensive audiological assessment. Moving beyond the pure-tone audiogram allows us to gain insights that extend far...

Hidden genetic disorders in children that may present to the otolaryngologist

Background Among the many hundreds of children presenting to the otolaryngology clinic are a few whose symptoms are due to an underlying genetic condition. In most cases the underlying syndrome is obvious and has already been diagnosed, such as the...

Questionnaires to measure tinnitus severity

The handicap associated with tinnitus can arise from any combination of stress, anxiety, depression, emotional distress, insomnia, difficulties concentrating, or impairments in quality of life or everyday functioning. Measuring such handicap and determining clinical need is therefore far from trivial....

Hearing in middle-age: hearing impairment, tinnitus and hearing aid use in UK adults

Hearing loss has a well-documented adverse impact on emotional, social and physical well-being. In this article, Dr Piers Dawes from the University of Manchester gives an insight into his team’s recent work analysing the very large UK Biobank data set,...

Developing outcome measures for research

There are challenges in developing outcomes measures; Professor Hall presents five top pointers for making rapid progress in developing outcome measures for research purposes. Anyone who has worked clinically with hearing loss will appreciate that every patient’s experience is personal....

The future of facial plastics and rhinoplasty

Interest in facial plastic surgery and in particular rhinoplasty has never been greater. From his wealth of experience in the field, Professor Palma outlines the potential problems of this increasing popularity and how they may be addressed, areas on which...

When things go wrong

The new-age, Paediatric Surgeon, Ray Clarke, (fear uasal, íseal), eloquently demands throwing off the shackles of the past and welcomes the dawning of an era of openness, transparency and candour, preferably suffused with compassion for both the patient and the...

Imaging tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common sensation with a reported prevalence of 7-32%. The British National Study of Hearing recorded that 10% of adults suffered from prolong spontaneous tinnitus, and approximately a quarter of these are subsequently referred to hospital for investigation...

Olfaction in CRS

Conventional teaching tells us that hyposmia in chronic rhinosinusitis is due to mechanical obstruction of the olfactory cleft. But it might be that the story is slightly more complicated than that. Olfactory dysfunction is a common feature of chronic rhinosinusitis...

Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy / parathyroidectomy – a new approach

Historically, scarless surgery has been popular in certain cultures. But is it gaining traction around the world? A UK team tell us more. Background Alternative, remote access approaches to thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy are increasing in popularity, the newest of these...

Beyond blocked noses: paediatric olfactory dysfunction for the ENT surgeon

Smell loss in children often goes unnoticed. Recognising the signs, understanding the causes and improving access to assessment could transform care. The hidden epidemic: why smell matters in children When a child presents with nasal obstruction, we instinctively look for...