Author Archives: Aaron Rogers

Environmental Controls for Allergies

We joke that if your doctor suggests you get rid of your cat to control allergies, then you’re more likely to get rid of your doctor.  This is probably very true, however many of the things we can do to control our environment are fairly painless and may be things you haven’t thought of before.   Pet […]

Hearing Loss – Say What?!

Adult-onset hearing loss affects millions of Americans and accounts for a huge economic burden in our country. There are two major forms of hearing loss – “sensory / neural” and “conductive”. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by injury to the acoustic nerve or the cochlea. These injuries can be from noise damage, viruses, meningitis, and […]

Pediatric Sleep Studies

The question a when a child should consider a tonsillectomy / adenoidectomy for sleep problems is only becoming more complex. Our increased focus on evidenced-based quality medicine have led us to critically evaluate the reasons for performing even “simple” surgery before recommending it. Children with only moderately enlarged tonsils and vague sleeping complaints (reported by […]

Diagnosed with Vertigo?

Vertigo is the sensation of movement or spinning when at rest.  Unfortunately many people get “diagnosed” with vertigo, but in reality vertigo is a symptom and not a disease itself (it would be like being “diagnosed” with a cough).  Vertigo can be caused by a number of conditions, many of which relate to the inner ear […]

Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis

The humidity plus many of the urban environments that Atlanta provides is ripe for producing allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS).  In fact the southeast United States has the highest rate of fungal sinus conditions in the world.   Allergic fungal sinusitis is type of sinusitis caused by an abnormal response to otherwise “normal” fungi in the […]

Rhinitis of Pregnancy

Stuffy nose during pregnancy is very common, especially during the third trimester.  Circulating hormones cause the internal nasal tissues to swell, blocking breathing through the nose and creating a constant “drip”. This does not usually indicate an infection, but sometimes an infection can overlap the symptoms. The big question is “What do we do about […]

OTC’s that can cause post-surgical bleeding

Avoid high doses of these over the counter medications and supplements before surgery and invasive procedures.  Ask your doctor when it is safe to resume. Medications: Aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, many others), naproxen (Aleve), Vitamin E. Many combination headache and cold medications also contain the above medications as well, so check the label! Natural […]

Q&A: Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Question: “Every night my husband snores very loud. I have trouble falling asleep when it is real bad.  Is this serious? My friend said he needs to lose weight, what does weight have to do with this?” – Leslie Answer: Thanks for sharing Leslie.  Simple snoring or “stertor” or “stertorous breathing” is extremely common amongst […]

Q&A: What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Thanks for the question SDinPenn.  Balloon Sinusplasty is a term used to describe opening up the sinus channels by inflating strong balloons instead of more traditional ways of cutting away the bones.  It has several advantages, including safety, less bleeding, and less pain – leading to quicker recovery.  The problems with the balloon include difficulty […]