Can You Be too Old to Get Type 1 Diabetes? How Old Is too Old?
If you haven’t gotten type 1 diabetes by a certain age, does this mean you’ll never get this autoimmune disease, that you’re just too old to develop it? (more…)
Things Wrong with the Sinuses that Cause Headaches
All sorts of things can go on in the sinus cavities that can cause headaches, and you guess it:
Cancer is one of them. But do not confuse a severe headache with the “pressure” headache that infected sinuses so often cause. (more…)
Can Laryngeal Cancer Cause Ear Pain & What’s It Feel Like?
Ear pain has many causes and unfortunately one of them is laryngeal cancer.
Ear pain is a very common symptom and can present itself in different ways.
How might laryngeal cancer cause ear pain?
“The larynx, both for motor and sensory function, is innervated by the 10th cranial nerve, a.k.a. the vagus nerve,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
“There is a branch of the nerve called Arnold’s nerve which innervates (goes to) the ear,” continues Dr. Silvers.
“Diseases like laryngeal cancer, acid reflux and other inflammatory processes of the larynx, as a result, can cause ear pain. With cancer the pain is usually one-sided, as the tumor starts on one side.”
What does the ear pain of laryngeal cancer feel like?
“Eat pain from laryngeal cancer is fortunately not common,” says Dr. Silvers.
“Patients describe it as a constant ache which can fluctuate in severity, which usually will not come and go, as tumors are progressive.”
Benign Conditions that Cause an Ear Pain Similar to Laryngeal Cancer’s
Dr. Silvers says, “TMJ, ear infections and Eustachian tube congestion can cause similar and often constant pain while their cause persists.
“But since TMJ and ear congestion fluctuates, the ear pain can too.”
TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint of the jaw.
The odds of your ear pain being caused by laryngeal cancer are exceedingly low.
Remember, ear pain is far more commonly caused by benign conditions such as ear infections, jaw tension, sinus issues, throat inflammation and even a tight earplug.
Laryngeal cancer is rare, and when it does occur, ear pain alone is seldom the first or only symptom.
Here are the statistics on how many people a year, in various age brackets, are diagnosed with larynx cancer in the United States.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/aleks333
Can Sinusitis Cause Epiphora (Watering) in Only One Eye?
If you’ve read that epiphora in one eye can be caused by a sinus tumor, you’re certainly hoping that it’s just benign sinusitis causing all the watering in that one eye.
Epiphora in just one eye is, obviously, more alarming than excess watering that simultaneously affects both eyes. (more…)
Can Cancer Cause Asymmetrical or Uneven Adam’s Apple?
Two kinds of cancer can cause the Adam’s apple to appear asymmetrical or uneven.
If you’ve noticed this lately, you’ll want to be on the lookout for other symptoms that may develop that are possibly connected to this observation.
How does cancer cause an uneven or asymmetrical Adam’s apple?
Shutterstock/Mykola Samoilenko
“The thyroid rests over the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple),” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
Dr. Silvers explains, “Tumors in the thyroid gland, benign or malignant, are one-sided and can give an obvious asymmetry.
“Tumors within the larynx [voice box] themselves, if large enough, can affect the cartilage externally.”
So the Adam’s apple itself isn’t what’s asymmetrical or uneven.
Rather, a benign or malignant growth distorts the shape of the normally symmetrical cartilage.
Should you panic over the discovery of this appearance?
Well, the big question is this:
Do you have other concerning symptoms, or is this your only “symptom”?
Dr. Silvers says, “But due to airway compromise and severe voice loss, diagnosis would usually be made prior to obvious external changes in the thyroid cartilage.”
If you’ve noticed that your Adam’s apple is not symmetrical, but
1) You have no other throat related symptoms, and
2) You don’t notice a progression with the appearance, then rest easy—it’s probably something that’s always been there—something you’ve never really noticed before.
Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer
• A new lump that you can feel on your neck
• Voice changes like hoarseness that won’t go away
• Trouble swallowing
• Throat or neck pain
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Symptoms of Laryngeal Cancer
• Cough that won’t go away
• Voice changes including hoarseness that persist
• Trouble swallowing
• Lump in throat that won’t go away
• Ear pain
• Sore throat
• Unexplained weight loss
However, anxiety can cause the following:
• Perceived difficulty with swallowing
• Sensation of a lump in the throat
• Cough (from stress-induced acid reflux that makes its way to the vocal cords, even if there’s no feeling of heartburn)
Do not obsess over studying in a mirror an apparent asymmetry with your Adam’s apple.
Have an ear, nose and throat doctor check things out if you develop additional symptoms.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/litts
Sources:
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thyroid-cancer/basics/symptoms/con-20043551
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oral-and-throat-cancer/basics/symptoms/con-20042850
Why Are Medical Miracles Limited to Only Certain Conditions?
If medical miracles exist, why don’t they happen with all diseases and types of injury, rather than just a select few such as cancer and coming out of a coma?
Why don’t we see amputees growing limbs back, Alzheimer’s disease disappearing, ALS reversing and severely burned skin turning normal? (more…)
Spanking vs. Hitting vs. Whipping Your Child: the Difference?
Why do advocates of corporal punishment call it “spanking” when they probably BEAT their children?
Because they know that the term “spanking” softens the perception of hitting children. (more…)
Why Do So Few Women Do the Rack Pull Exercise?
Why’s it so uncommon to see women doing rack pulls?
Are women “intimidated” by the rack pull?
If anything, women should be flocking to do rack pulls because this exercise, when done intensely with heavy weight, is a great fat-burner. (more…)
Why Women Should Do Rack Pulls: Burn Fat, Tone Back, Arms, Legs
Rack pulls are an empowering exercise for women who want a simple way to burn fat, tone & strengthen their back and core, and tone their arms & legs. (more…)
Why You Should Drink Lemonade in the Winter
If you avoid lemonade only in wintertime, ask yourself what the logic for this is.
Advertising? You drink other cold juices in winter, right? Why not lemonade? (more…)
