Welcome to Select Topics in Otolaryngology

What is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction? Imagine your ears have tiny tunnels called Eustachian tubes that help keep the pressure balanced inside your ears.  When these tunnels don’t open and close properly, then it can cause problems.  When the tunnel doesn’t open, then it can make your ears feel plugged up, cause pain, or make it hard to hear.  When the tunnel doesn’t close (patulous Eustachian tube), then it can make your voice sound weird to you, or you might hear your own breathing louder than usual.  So, when the Eustachian tubes don’t open or close properly, both conditions can mess with your ears.     What is a deviated septum and turbinate hypertrophy? Let's use another tunnel analogy.  Inside your nose, there's a wall called the septum that divides the left and right nostrils.  Sometimes, this wall isn't straight and that's called a deviated septum.  Now, imagine the left tunnel and right tunnel each have curtains called turbinates.  Turbinates help to clean and humidify the air you breathe.  Sometimes, these curtains get puffy and swollen, making the tunnel smaller and harder for air to pass through. That's called turbinate hypertrophy.  So, a deviated septum is like having a crooked wall in your nose, and turbinate hypertrophy is when the curtains on the sides get swollen.  These conditions can make it hard for air to flow freely through your nose.     What are vocal nodules? Vocal folds (sometimes called vocal cords) are like two tiny, stretchy bands inside your voice box and they help you talk and sing.  Sometimes if you talk, yell, or cough a lot, these bands can get irritated and it starts to get little bumps on them.  Vocal folds can even get blisters or ulcers on them.  When this happens, your voice may sound hoarse or scratchy, and that makes it harder to talk or sing.  Resting your voice a rest if you have these nodules can go a long way to healing up and your voice.