Dr Eng Cern Gan

Thank you for your question. For a start, you should not be clearing your ear canal with a cotton bud or ear pick as this may result in the earwax being pushed deeper into the canal or may result in an injury to the ear canal or eardrum. The nerve supply of the ear is connected to the nerve supply of the throat region. Hence, stimulation of the nerve supplying the ear canal can result in stimulation of the nerve supplying the throat region, resulting in discomfort, itchiness, or pain.

Thank you for your question. Snoring occurs due to vibrations along the walls of a partially obstructed upper airway during sleep. While it is not uncommon for a child to snore during a cold/flu or after a long tiring day, there are some accompanying symptoms and signs that may suggest the presence of a potentially serious health condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). OSA occurs when there are repeated episodes of complete or reduced airflow into your child's lungs during sleep. You should be concerned about snoring in children when:It occurs regularly (e. g.

A tongue polyp is medically known as a fibroepithelial polyp. It is a benign condition that usually appears after some trauma to the tongue (e. g. after accidental tongue biting). Most tongue polyps do not cause symptoms. Other tongue lesions that can look like a tongue polyp include a papilloma and fibroma. Fortunately, they are also benign lesions. I would suggest a visit to an ENT Specialist for an assessment. A tongue polyp can be removed by a simple surgical excision under local anaesthesia.

A tongue polyp is medically known as a fibroepithelial polyp. It is benign condition that usually appears after some trauma to the tongue (e. g. after accidental tongue biting). Most tongue polyps do not cause symptoms. Other tongue lesions that can look like a tongue polyp include papilloma and fibroma. These are all benign conditions. I would suggest that you visit an ENT Specialist for an assessment. The lump can be removed by a simple surgical excision under local anaesthesia. Hope this helps and all the best!

The most common children's ENT conditions seen in my practice, and I believe in most ENT practices in Singapore, include: Impacted earwax Ear infections Nose allergies Nosebleeds Sinus and adenoid infections Frequent tonsil infections Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea Enlarged lymph nodes The above-mentioned conditions are considered "general ENT conditions" in children and can be managed by all ENT Specialists in Singapore. Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) or Otorhinolaryngology is a surgical specialty.

The common causes of nasal obstruction in children seen in my practice include: Rhinitis- This refers to inflammation of the nasal cavity and can be allergic (e. g due to common house dust mites, cat/dog fur, pollens and mold) or non-allergic (e. g. due to a change in weather, exposure to cigarette smoke or perfumes and hormonal changes). Common symptoms include blocked nose, runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose/eyes and postnasal drip. A suggestive clinical history and an allergy test can be performed to distinguish between allergic and non-allergic rhinitis.

You may be experiencing tinnitus, which is often described as a "ringing sound in the ear". Tinnitus can be broadly classified as subjective (when there is no external sound stimulus) and objective (when it is due to the presence of a sound stimulus). Some of the causes include: 1. Subjective tinnitus Hearing loss Earwax Ear infections Stress Lack of sleep Medications 2. Objective tinnitus Sound from nearby blood vessels Clicking sound from nearby muscles (e. g.

We are meant to breathe through the nose. The nose and sinuses allows us to: Warm and humidify the air that we breathe in Filter the air from dirt and bacteria Smell and appreciate flavours from food and drinks Shape the quality of our voice If you breathe through your mouth, you bypass the above-mentioned function. Hence, you may be more likely to develop problems such as: Bad breath Dental and gum infections Malalignment of your teeth Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) Abnormal facial morphology Poor posture There are many potential reasons for a blocked nose.

Hearing loss can be divided into: 1. Conductive causes (due to conditions that prevent sound from reaching the hearing organ in the inner ear). Majority of conductive hearing loss is reversible. Common causes include: Earwax Ear infections Fluid in the middle ear Foreign bodies in the ear Stiffening of the hearing bones (otosclerosis) 2. Sensorineural hearing loss (due to some injury/damage to the hearing organ or hearing nerve). Majority of sensorineural hearing loss is unfortunately irreversible.

Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure to remove tonsils that are cause problems such as: Frequent tonsil infections Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea Abnormal growth or size which is suspicious of cancer From the photo provided, there is a benign-looking cystic growth that is close to the area where the left tonsil used to lie in your throat. This growth is likely a retention cyst or pyogenic granuloma (which may or may not be related to your previous tonsillectomy). Retention cysts are collection of trapped mucous/saliva that can occur anywhere in the mouth/throat region.

The most common lump in the lip area seen in my practice is a retention cyst. This refers to a collection of mucous or saliva that usually occurs after some trauma to the lip region (e. g. accidental biting of the lip). You should see an ENT Specialist for an assessment. The treatment usually involves a simple surgical excision under local anaesthesia.

Fishbone stuck in the throat is an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) Emergency and you should see a doctor (GP, A&E doctor or an ENT Specialist) as soon as possible. There are some red flags that would warrant an urgent or immediate review by a doctor: Severe sore throat on swallowing Coughing or vomiting blood Chest pain on swallowing Fever Choking on large or multiple fish bones For accidental ingestion of small bones, you can sometimes try to cough it out gently. However, never attempt to dig out a fishbone stuck in your throat with your fingers.

Blood in the spit can originate from different sources including: Nose and sinuses Mouth and oral cavity (including the teeth, gums and throat region) Lungs For each area/part of the above-mentioned anatomy, there are many possible causes ranging from infection, inflammation, trauma, tumour etc. It is not possible to discuss all possible causes of blood in your spit in this Q&A session. However, if this is your only symptom and you do not have any chest symptoms (e. g.

Sinuses are air-filled hollow cavities around the nasal cavity. The lining of the sinuses produces mucus which drains into the nasal cavity. When the sinuses are blocked and not draining, the trapped mucus becomes infected, resulting in sinusitis. The medical term sinusitis refers to inflammation or infection of sinusitis.