Posted by: admin on Aug 22,2010 No Comments
Inadequate closure the velopharyngeal sphincter, a MUSCLE at the back of the soft palate, that directs air flow to the NOSE or to the MOUTH. Velopharyngeal insufficiency often accompanies CLEFT PALATE/CLEFT PALATE AND LIP anomalies and inte [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Aug 16,2010 No Comments
Surgical reconstruction of the TYMPANIC MEMBRANE (eardrum). Damage to the tympanic membrane can occur as a result of scarring due to repeated OTITIS media (middle EAR INFECTION), traumatic injury, and acquired defects such as might remain f [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Aug 16,2010 No Comments
A thin piece of tissue that stretches across the base of the auditory canal (EAR canal). The tympanic membrane, commonly called the eardrum, vibrates in response to sound waves that reach it by traveling from the outer ear through the audit [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 27,2010 No Comments
A REFLEX that forcefully expels air through the NOSE. A sneeze originates with an irritation to the mucous membranes in the nose, sometimes perceptible as a tickling sensation and other times not noticeable, that activates NERVE impulses. T [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 17,2010 No Comments
Cavities within the facial bones around the NOSE, also called the paranasal sinuses, that warm and moisten inhaled air. Mucous membrane lines the sinuses, providing a continuous supply of moisture. Mucus production increases in response to [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 16,2010 No Comments
A nonverbal language that serves as a system of communication for people who are hearing impaired. Sign language uses hand signals to represent letters of the alphabet and gestures to represent words, phrases, and concepts. As in spoken lan [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 12,2010 No Comments
Excessive saliva production that may result in drooling or choking if there are impairments to swallowing. Sialorrhea often accompanies neurologic disorders and BRAIN injuries that affect the parasympathetic NERVOUS SYSTEM, which regulates [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 11,2010 No Comments
The formation of a crystallized mineral deposit, called a salivary calculus (“stone”), in a salivary gland. Sialolithiasis most commonly involves the submandibular and parotid SALIVARY GLANDS. Its primary symptoms are PAIN and swelling [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 10,2010 No Comments
INFLAMMATION and swelling of a salivary gland, usually a submandibular or parotid gland. Common causes include SIALOLITHIASIS, in which a small “stone” or mineral calculus blocks the flow of saliva and irritates the tissues of the in [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 9,2010 No Comments
An abnormal opening in the nasal septum (wall of tissue within the NOSE that divides the nostrils), that occurs as the result of chronic irritation, trauma, or cancer. Septal perforation may develop with long-term use of nasal oxygen, long- [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 8,2010 No Comments
A shift from midline in the nasal septum (wall of tissue that separates the air pathways of the NOSE). Septal deviation can cause various health conditions such as chronic SINUSITIS (INFECTION), EPISTAXIS (nosebleed), and obstructed BREATHI [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 3,2010 No Comments
Structures within the MOUTH that produce saliva, a watery fluid that mixes with food during chewing and maintains the mouth as a moist environment. The major salivary glands are primarily along the floor of the mouth (the sublingual and sub [Read More]
Posted by: admin on Jun 2,2010 No Comments
A tear in the TYMPANIC MEMBRANE, or eardrum, that results from trauma of some kind. The primary symptoms are sudden and sharp PAIN from the EAR drainage (when the cause is INFECTION) TINNITUS (a ringing or roaring sound) HEARING LOSS [Read More]
