Ears, Nose and Throat Fact or Fiction Quiz

Fiction! Remember, never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear! When you insert cotton-tipped applicators or tissues in your ear, the wax is just pushed deeper into the ear canal. When wax begins to block your ears (and hearing), seek medical advice. Your doctor may remove the wax, or suggest special wax-softening ear drops.

Fact! Motion sickness relates to your sense of balance and equilibrium. Your sense of balance is maintained by a complex interaction of your inner ears, eyes, skin pressure receptors, muscle and joint sensory receptors, and the brain and spinal cord. Motion sickness can appear when the central nervous system receives conflicting messages from these four key bodily systems. When you read a book in a moving car, your inner ears and skin receptors detect the motion of travel, but your eyes see only the pages of your book.

Fact! "Hay fever" is a commonly used term for seasonal allergic rhinitis, which can produce such symptoms as runny nose, itchy eyes and throat, uncontrollable sneezing, and sometimes itching of the skin. Some people have an over-active immune system which identifies normally harmless particles, such as pollens or animal dander, as dangerous. This causes an excessive reaction that actually causes inflammation -- an allergy. The substances causing it are allergens.

Fiction! Any filter that could strain out microscopic material would not allow the passage of any food particles and would make eating impossible. Tonsils and adenoids are strategically located near the entrance to the breathing passages where they catch incoming infections. They "sample" bacteria and viruses and can become infected themselves. It is thought that they then help form antibodies to those "germs" as a part of the body's immune system to resist and fight future infections.

Fiction! Unfortunately, you have no conscious control over snoring. More than 300 devices are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as cures for snoring, including head straps, neck collars and mouth pieces. If these devices work, it is probably because they keep the snorer awake. Snoring is often a sign of obstructed breathing, and this obstruction can be serious. However, the majority of snorers can be helped through lifestyle changes and medical treatment. Contact an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon for a complete evaluation.

Fiction! If you think you have grown used to a loud noise, it has already damaged your ears. When noise is too loud, it begins to kill the sensitive nerve endings in your inner ear. Remember, there is no way to restore life to dead nerve endings; the damage is permanent. Consult an otolaryngologist for appropriate hearing protectors if you work in an excessively noisy environment, or use power tools, noisy yard equipment, or firearms.

Fact! When your voice is injured or hoarse, you should "rest" your vocal folds, just as you would avoid walking on a sprained ankle. And remember, whispering (instead of speaking) does not rest your vocal folds. If you are hoarse longer than 2-3 weeks, or have a complete loss or severe change in voice lasting longer than a few days, consult an otolaryngologist. Prolonged hoarseness may be a sign of a serious health problem requiring medical treatment.

Fact! Whenever water gets into the ear-from swimming, showering, or hair washing-it can bring in bacterial or fungal particles. Usually, the water runs back out of your ear. But sometimes water is trapped in your ear canal, allowing bacteria and fungi to grow and infect the outer ear. You may have "swimmer's ear" (otitis externa) if you experience the following symptoms: your ear feels blocked and itches; your ear canal is swollen; your ear drains a runny, milky liquid; or your ear is very painful and tender to touch. If you experience these symptoms, or if your glands become swollen, see your doctor.