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Hoarseness is a common disorder. A recent study suggested that up to 55% of patients with hoarseness have acid reflux (where stomach acid flows back up into the oesophagus), which affects their throat and voice box. Anti-reflux therapy includes drugs, lifestyle changes and sometimes surgery. These treatments are often used for patients with hoarseness, ...

Both acute and chronic middle ear infections (acute otitis media and chronic otitis media with effusion or 'glue ear') are very common in children. Adenoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the adenoids and is often performed in these children as it is thought to prevent these problems. Our review, which includes 14 studies and 2712 children, ...

Infections of the upper respiratory tract, presenting as recurrent nasal symptoms (nasal discharge with or without nasal obstruction) are very common in children. Removal of the adenoids (adenoidectomy) is a surgical procedure that is frequently performed in these children. It is thought that adenoidectomy prevents recurrence of nasal symptoms. Our ...

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a condition in which wart-like growths occur in the upper airway of children or adults. This can cause difficulty in breathing or a change in voice. This condition is usually treated by repeated surgery to remove these 'warts', but it has been proposed that additionally using antiviral medications may help ...

Seasonal allergic rhinitis ('hay fever') is a global health problem and its prevalence has increased considerably in the last two decades. Treatment includes allergen avoidance, drugs such as antihistamine tablets and nasal sprays, and immunotherapy (vaccination). For those patients whose symptoms remain uncontrolled despite drug treatment, specific ...

Ear surgery, as surgery in general, can be divided into several categories: clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated and dirty surgery. Postoperative complications can include wound infection, discharge from the outer ear canal, labyrinthitis and graft failure. This review aimed to demonstrate whether the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in ear surgery ...

Tonsillectomy is a commonly performed operation in children and adults. Following the operation nearly all patients experience significant pain, need regular painkillers and are unable to resume normal diet and activities for several hours. Rarer but more dangerous complications, such as bleeding from the operated area, also occur. Antibiotics are commonly ...

Tinnitus is the perception of sound or noise in the absence of external acoustic stimulation. It is a common and potentially distressing symptom for which no adequate therapy exists. The pathophysiology of tinnitus has been compared to phantom limb pain therefore anticonvulsant drugs have been proposed as a possible therapy. This review includes seven ...

Tinnitus is described as the perception of sound or noise in the absence of real acoustic stimulation, and is frequently associated with depression or depressive symptoms. Six studies matched the inclusion criteria for this review. Four evaluated three tricyclic antidepressant agents (amitriptyline, nortriptyline and trimipramine) for the treatment ...

Otitis media with effusion (OME), also known as glue ear or serous otitis media, is a condition in which there is fluid persisting in the middle ear. Many treatments have been suggested. This review summarizes the studies using antihistamines, decongestants or a combination of antihistamines and decongestants and finds no benefit for any of the short ...