Suburban Ear, Nose & Throat Assoc.

03/14/2024

Netty pots and other forms of sinus rinses are an excellent way to maintain nasal and sinus hygiene. However, this should only be done with distilled water. Tapwater is not sterile. 

The CDC recommends people use distilled water instead of tap water, which is not sterile and may contain amoebas, for nasal irrigation practices.

01/26/2024

Having a blast at Pinstripes for the annual Suburban Ear, Nose, and Throat holiday party. Thanks to our amazing staff for all that they do.

12/03/2023

Dr. Ditto and Dr. Schwartz enjoying the annual NWCH holiday gala.

06/12/2023

Congratulations to Dr. Pugnale on the birth of her beautiful new baby girl. Mom and baby are doing great. Dr. Pugnale says Louisa Maeve is perfect!

03/08/2023

Dr. Schwartz at the Bruce Springsteen concert with all the essentials. . . his wife and a pair of ear plugs. An inexpensive pair of ear plugs is important to protect your ears from developing hearing loss and tinnitus (ear ringing). Keep this in mind whenever you are in a noisy environment.

02/25/2023

We have previously posted about the dangers of metal grill brush wires breaking off and getting mixed in with your barbecued food. This is a not uncommon hazard and it bears repeating. It actually happened to Dr. Schwartz’s son!

Dr. Meghan Martin, known on TikTok as Beachgem10, is a pediatric emergency medicine doctor. She shared her most memorable case, and the final diagnosis might surprise you.

12/04/2022

Dr. Petchenik, Dr. Schwartz, and Dr. Pugnale celebrating at the Northwest Community Hospital black tie gala. (Also pictured: Dr. Pete Chemello oral surgeon, Dr. Steve Kooperman Ob/Gyn, and Dr. Janelle Artz, anesthesiologist).

11/28/2022

Do you have a deviated septum?

The nasal septum is a partition separating the two nostrils. Ideally, the septum is a straight vertical structure. However, in some circumstances, it can be crooked or “deviated.” If you have this, it may feel like you can’t breathe through one or both sides of your nose.

A deviated septum is usually caused by injury to the nose, but it can also be something you were born with. Medications such as nasal sprays and allergy pills are often helpful for allergy symptoms. In contrast, medicine is usually not helpful for a deviated septum.

A deviated septum can be repaired with an operation called a septoplasty. This is an outpatient surgery which takes about one hour. Septoplasty is not cosmetic surgery, and will not create any black eyes or dramatically change your appearance.

If you feel like you don’t breathe well through your nose, you may have a deviated septum. Feel free to contact your doctor at Suburban ENT to further discuss.

10/17/2022

DO YOU HAVE A STUFFY NOSE?

One of the most common causes of nasal stuffiness is turbinate hypertrophy. The turbinates are structures inside the nose that consist of bone and soft tissue. The soft tissue portion can swell up (become hypertrophied), causing nasal stuffiness.

There are many causes of turbinate swelling. These include: upper respiratory tract infection (common cold), sinus infection, allergies, among other causes.

Usually, inferior turbinate hypertrophy can be managed medically by addressing the underlying problem.

Occasionally, turbinate hypertrophy does not respond to medical therapy. In these cases, the enlarged turbinates can be reduced with a 45 minute office procedure done with just local anesthesia.

If you think you have turbinate hypertrophy, your physician at Suburban ENT can discuss the appropriate treatment.

08/08/2022

08/08/2022

Ragweed season is around the corner and Dr. Anne Ditto and nurse Nicole are already busy testing patients. Dr. Ditto, a board certified allergist/immunologist, is available to treat adults and children with environmental allergies, food allergies, asthma, hives, and more.