1. What is Swimmer’s Ear?

Swimmer’s ear is an outer-ear infection. That’s an important distinction since inner-ear infections are more common. We typically see swimmer’s ear in patients who regularly swim—usually a few days after swimming in a pool.

But you don’t have to swim to get swimmer’s ear. Water trapped in the ear canal is the cause of the infection. When water gets trapped in the ear canal, bacteria can multiply within the ear and that causes infection and irritation. If the infection progresses it may involve the outer ear and cause pain. That means any water in the ear can cause infection and it’s possible to get swimmer’s ear without ever swimming in a pool. You may contract the infection after bathing or showering, too.

2. What are Swimmer’s Ear Symptoms?

Like most infections, pain or discomfort is the most obvious symptom. In the case of swimmer’s ear, that pain can be mild to moderate or even intense and radiate to your neck, face or side of your head. If you tug on your ear (pull it downward) and pain intensifies, you may have swimmer’s ear.

Other symptoms of swimmer’s ear include an itchy ear, a feeling or sensation that your ear is clogged, fever, decrease in hearing and swollen lymph nodes.

Here is a quick way you can tell if you have swimmer’s ear or an inner-ear infection: wiggle the outside of your ear. If it’s painful, you may have swimmer’s ear. If it doesn’t hurt, you more likely have an inner-ear infection.

If you notice any of these symptoms, we recommend you contact a Draper ENT doctor or our ENT doctors in Salt Lake City to set up an appointment to diagnose and treat your infection.

3. Is Swimmer’s Ear Infectious?

The short answer is: no. Swimmer’s ear is an infection but not infectious.

You can’t “catch” swimmer’s ear from another person. If you or one of your children is diagnosed with swimmer’s ear, you don’t need to quarantine that person. Just make sure they keep their ears dry and follow your doctor’s recommendation to treat swimmer’s ear.

The bacteria that leads to swimmer’s ear is often found in public pools. Polluted waters are another common source of swimmer’s ear and, as you might expect, we don’t recommend people swim in polluted waters—ever.

4. How Do You Treat Swimmer’s Ear?

Once our ENT doctors diagnose swimmer’s ear, we quickly move into treating swimmer’s ear. Antibiotic eardrops are the most common way to cure swimmer’s ear. If swimmer’s ear is in the early stages, we may recommend careful cleaning of the ear canal and use of eardrops. If the swimmer’s ear infection is severe—and the patient doesn’t have a perforated eardrum—your ENT doctor may prescribe antibiotics. If the ear canal is swollen shut, your otolaryngologist (that’s the official name for an ENT doctor) may place a sponge or wick in the ear canal to help ensure the eardrops are effective in eliminating the infection. We may also prescribe pain medications.

Although you can purchase over-the-counter swimmer’s ear eardrops, we urge you to contact an ENT doctor and allow them to prescribe the best treatment plan. In some cases, the eardrops may inflame the condition rather than help it.

5. How Can I Prevent Swimmer’s Ear?

Swimmer’s ear prevention is fairly easy but not always an attractive option for children. The best advice is to keep ears as dry as possible. That means a swim cap or fitted ear plugs will help avoid swimmer’s ear infections.

But let’s be honest here; unless your child is a member of the swim team, he or she has no desire to wear a swim cap or ear plugs all summer. That’s why we recommend our patients thoroughly dry their ears after swimming or showering. The less moisture in your ear, the better. And be sure to leave some earwax since it helps prevent swimmer’s ear.

Contact Us for Swimmer’s Ear Treatment

Our Utah Ear, Nose and Throat doctors are ready to diagnose and treat swimmer’s ear. Contact us at 801-328-2522 today to set an appointment with our ENT doctors in Draper, Utah and Salt Lake City.

But once you’ve had nose surgery, you want to recover quickly and without complications.

“The nose will be tender to touch for six weeks following surgery. So you need to take it easy, slow down and follow these tips for the first few weeks following nose surgery,” says Dr. John Bennett, a Utah ear, nose and throat doctor who specializes in rhinoplasty. “A little caution following surgery will pay off in a faster rhinoplasty recovery.”

Read: What to Expect During Nose Surgery

“People are surprised how often they bump their nose after surgery, especially from large dogs, small children, and partners,” Dr. Bennett continues. “If your partner is a restless sleeper, they may need to sleep elsewhere for a while to avoid their arm smacking the recently operated nose when the partner rolls over.” 

Dr. Bennett recommends nose job patients follow these 10 tips for fast rhinoplasty recovery:

10 Tips for Fast Nose Job Recovery

1. DON’T exercise vigorously for at least two weeks. Take it easy and avoid strenuous exercise that forces your body to consistently and aggressively move up, down and around. Ease back into exercise during your third week of recovery. Avoid playing basketball and volleyball for six weeks, or any other activity where you might get smacked in the nose by a ball or an elbow.
2. DON’T go swimming. Your nose will be tender and swimming—especially diving—will move your nose around while it’s still recovering. Plus, chlorine may get inside your nose, which can sting. Stay away from the swimming pool for at least three to four weeks following your nose surgery.
3. DON’T blow your nose for two weeks. Enough said here.
4. DON’T eat foods that require heavy chewing. Save that steak dinner for later and eat simple, mild foods you can enjoy with minimal effort.
5. DON’T laugh too hard or smile too wide. We know this sounds like stern advice. Just remember that your recovery is temporary and the less your nose bounces around or stretches, the better.
6. DON’T brush your teeth aggressively. This may sound a bit silly, but aggressive brushing can cause you to move your upper-lip more than you might expect, and your upper-lip is connected to your sensitive nose. The less you move everything around your nose, the better you’ll feel and the faster you’ll heal.
7. DON’T pull clothing over your head. Temporarily avoid t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters while your heal. Favoring button-down shirts while your nose heals will help you avoid unintended pain or nose movement.
8. DON’T rest glasses on your nose up to four weeks following surgery. The less weight you place on your nose in the short term, the better the results in the long term. If you have contact lenses, now is a good time to use them. If you can live without sunglasses for the short term, we recommend you do so. If you absolutely must wear eyeglasses, it is best to tape the hard nasal splint onto the nose, then set the glasses on the splint. Otherwise, you may risk permanently pushing in the nasal bones. You may also want to hold glasses in your hands and peer through them without placing them on your nose.
9. DON’T expose unprotected skin to the sun for three months following surgery. Using sunscreen whenever you venture out into the sun is always good advice. Following a nose job, however, limiting damaging sun exposure is critically important since too much sun can cause permanent discoloration on your nose.
10. DON’T smoke for three weeks. This advice applies three weeks before and after surgery. If you are a smoker, this is a good time to stop!

Dr. Bennett concludes, “Every Salt Lake City rhinoplasty patient receives specific post-operative instructions that include directions that help care for a repaired nose following surgery, as well as explain what to expect during the recovery process.”

Read: Recovery from Rhinoplasty Surgery

Learn About Utah Nose Jobs

Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center at 801-328-2522 to meet with an ENT doctor who regularly performs rhinoplasty surgery in Utah. We understand noses and work with our patients in Salt Lake City, Park City, Draper and Sandy, Utah to help determine if a nose job makes sense.

Read: 5 Facts about Ear Tube Surgery and Ear Infections

Dr. Matthew Dahl of the Ear, Nose and Throat Center regularly performs ear tube surgery in Utah. Ear tube surgery is a routine procedure and since so many parents have questions about otis media and ear tube surgery, we sat down with Dr. Dahl to ask 5 Questions about Ear Tube Surgery.

Question #1: Is there a minimum age for ear tubes?

Dr. Dahl’s answer: No, there is not a minimum age for pressure equalization tube placement. The decision to place ear tubes is not based on age, but more on other indications that can be diagnosed by an ear, nose and throat doctor.

Question #2: What are common ear tube symptoms or indications?

Dr. Dahl’s answer: Some of the common indications for ear tubes are:

1. Fluid persisting within the ear for 3 months or more
2. Recurrent ear infections (more than 3 episodes in 6 months or more than 4 episodes in 12 months)
3. Poor response to antibiotics
4. Fluid in the middle ear space or recurrent infections that affect hearing, often resulting in temporary hearing loss and/or delayed speech development
   
5. Complications of ear infections such as mastoiditis or meningitis
6. Chronic retraction of the tympanic membrane, which means the ear drum temporarily shrinks
   
7. Abnormal anatomy such as in children with Down’s syndrome, cleft palate or other craniofacial abnormalities

Read: Ear Tube and Other Ear Surgery

Questions #3: How long do ear tubes remain in the ear?

Dr. Dahl’s answer: There are two basic types of ear tubes: short-term and long-term ear tubes. Short-term tubes are smaller and typically stay in place for six months to a year before falling out on their own. Long-term tubes may fall out on their own, but are most often removed by an otolaryngologist after a year or more.

Question #4: Can my child go swimming after ear tube surgery?

Dr. Dahl’s answer: Some physicians may recommend keeping ears dry by using ear plugs or other water-tight devices during bathing, swimming, and water activities. However, recent research suggests that protecting the ear may not be necessary, except when participating in water activities in unclean water such as oceans, lakes and rivers. Parents should consult with an ENT doctor about ear protection after surgery.

Question #5: What are the ear tube surgery risks?

Dr. Dahl’s answer: The insertion of ear tubes is an extremely common and safe procedure with minimal risks. When complications do occur, they may include:
Perforation — Perforation may occur when a tube comes out or a long-term tube is removed and the hole in the tympanic membrane (ear drum) does not close. The hole can often be patched through a minor surgical procedure called a tympanoplasty or myringoplasty.
Scarring — Any irritation of the ear drum, including repeated insertion of ear tubes, can cause scarring called tympanosclerosis or myringosclerosis. In most cases, this does not cause problems with hearing.
Infection — Ear infections can still occur in the middle ear or around the ear tube. These infections are usually less frequent, result in less hearing loss, and are easier to treat than ear infections without tubes in place.
Ear tubes come out too early or stay in too long — If an ear tube expels from the ear drum too soon (which is unpredictable), fluid may return and repeat surgery may be needed. Ear tubes that remain too long may require removal by the otolaryngologist to help reduce the chance of perforation.”

Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center for Ear Tube Questions

Dr. Dahl and our entire staff of Salt Lake City ENT doctors are ready to help diagnose and treat ear infections and perform ear tube surgery when necessary. Call 801-328-2522 with questions.

Dr. Matthew E. Dahl joined the Ear, Nose & Throat Center in 2009. He is a general pediatric and adult otolaryngologist.

Read: What is Strep Throat?

If you are diagnosed with strep throat, it’s up to you to do your part to help ensure you don’t spread the infection to others. We’ve included five tips to help avoid strep throat.

1. Wash Your Hands Often

Good hand-washing practices will help you avoid strep and plenty of other infectious viruses. Every day your hands touch doorknobs, computer keyboards and mice, phones, car keys, countertops, shopping carts and more. That’s natural and normal. Simply remember that if you’re touching all of these items on a regular basis, it’s possible that someone who has strep throat, a cold virus or many other viruses that can make you sick is also touching those items daily.

We’re not recommending you become a germaphobe who is afraid to go outside or touch common items. Just use your good sense and wash your hands regularly throughout the day.

For instance, it’s a good practice to wash your hands whenever you return home from the grocery store since shopping carts regularly test for high levels for everything from fecal bacteria to E. Coli. Hand sanitizer is also a good idea to use to quickly disinfect your hands.

2. Avoid Touching Your Eyes or Mouth with Your Hands

Tip number two naturally follows tip number one for good reason. If your hands come into contact with infectious viruses, the last thing you want to do is touch your eyes, mouth or nose with dirty hands. That’s because your eyes, nose and mouth are often an ideal gateway for a virus to enter your immune system. Washing your hands often and ensuring you don’t rub your eyes or place fingers in your mouth is a great way to prevent strep throat and other infections from making you sick.

3. Don’t Share Food, Drinks or Towels with a Sick Person

This one is a no-brainer; if someone is sick, don’t take a bite of their food or drink from their cup. While that logic makes perfect sense, you would be surprised how many people share food or utensils with someone who has already been diagnosed with strep throat or exhibits strep throat symptoms.

The same advice applies to clothes, towels and pillowcases. If someone is sick, you want to avoid or minimize exposure to any item where his or her saliva or mucus may be lying in wait. Obviously, treat someone suffering with respect but be smart about how you demonstrate that respect or risk catching strep throat yourself, which isn’t particularly helpful to anyone.

Read: What are Strep Throat Symptoms?

4. Cover Your Nose and Mouth Whenever You Cough or Sneeze

This tip applies to people whether or not they have an infectious virus. It’s simply polite to shield those around you from potentially infectious airborne droplets.

If you have strep throat, don’t forget to wash your hands after every sneeze and cough, too. Preventing the airborne droplets from spreading doesn’t do much good if you immediately follow a sneeze by touching a doorknob or pushing a shopping cart with dirty hands. You’re making it easy for the virus to spread to others if you don’t exercise some diligence and self-control.

5. Get Enough Rest and Eat Healthy Foods

People today rarely get enough sleep. Unfortunately, overwork and stress can weaken your body’s immune system and make it difficult to fight viral infections. When your immune system is weak, strep throat has an easier time taking up residence within your body and making you sick.

If you want to prevent strep throat, do your best to keep regular eating and sleeping habits—particularly in the winter months when strep infections increase. You’ll feel better overall and avoid the pain and hassle of a strep throat infection.

Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center

Strep throat can become a serious condition. Our Ear, Nose and Throat doctors in Salt Lake City, Draper and Park City, Utah can diagnose and treat strep throat. Call 801-328-2522 to set an appointment with our our Utah ear, nose and throat doctors.

You may look at construction workers who use loud equipment without using ear protection and assume, “I’m safe, I work at a desk.”

You may constantly have music playing in your ears on an iPhone, iPod or cell phone and assume your hearing is safe because you tell yourself, “I never listen to music too loudly on my ear buds.”

The truth is, we’re all at risk of hearing loss if we don’t protect our ears and hearing. In fact, one in 10 Americans suffer from hearing loss. That’s because there are so many causes of hearing loss.

Read: 8 Signs You Suffer From Hearing Loss

The good news is that you can avoid hearing loss by following these 5 easy tips.

1. Avoid Prolonged Exposure to Loud Noises

A loud noise is a loud noise, whether it’s the pounding of a jackhammer or drums, the wailing of an electric guitar or listening to music on headphones. The longer you listen without giving your ears a break from the noise, the greater the chance for damage. Take our advice and limit the amount of time you expose yourself to loud noises.

2. Use Earplugs or Earmuffs when Exposed to Loud Noises

There is nothing macho or smart about performing loud work without using earplugs or earmuffs. Mowing the lawn, working in an industrial plant, lighting fireworks, shooting guns or playing in a rock ‘n’ roll band are all activities where it makes good sense to use earplugs and earmuffs. Earplugs are inexpensive and fit within your ear to reduce noise. Earmuffs are often more expensive and surround your entire ear. However, they are often most effective at reducing noise. Try both to see which works best for your needs.

3. Turn the Volume Down

At the risk of sounding like a parent who always implored you to “turn down that music,” there was a great deal of wisdom in that request. Louder simply isn’t better. In fact, music often sounds distorted when it becomes too loud and actually sounds superior at lower levels that don’t harm your ears. Lower the volume on your TV, stereo, iPhone. Your ears will thank you now—and in the future.

4. Use Noise-Reducing Headphones

You’ve probably seen people on airplanes with Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones. Frequent flyers know why these headphones are so popular: it’s because noise-reducing headphones work really well to reduce ambient noise. For instance, by reducing the constant rumble during a flight, you can listen to music on your headphones at a lower and more comfortable volume. The same applies for mowing the lawn or using power tools. You can listen to music with loud noise all around you without having to push the volume to ear-shattering levels. Noice-cancelling headphones may seem expensive but may turn out to be invaluable in helping protect your ears from hearing loss.

5. Get Regular Hearing Checkups

If you notice your hearing changing, see an audiologist. You may notice it’s more difficult to hear phone calls or that people around you regularly ask you to turn down the music or TV. Take care of your ears with good practices and regular hearing checkups from an audiologist and your ears will take good care of you throughout your life.

Set an Appointment with an Ear, Nose and Throat Center Audiologist

Our professional audiologists treat people daily in Salt Lake City, Draper, Park City and other parts of Utah for hearing loss. We can pinpoint signs of deafness and help prevent hearing loss. Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center at 801-328-2522 to set an appointment today.

If you’re suffering from the flu, a cold, allergies or sinusitis, you’re not so worried about the actual reason for your sickness. You just want to get well.

Our Utah ENT doctors at the Ear, Nose and Throat Center in Salt Lake City and Draper, Utah are ready to help and we can diagnose your flu or cold symptoms and help you recover. But there are a number of good habits people can follow that can help keep sinuses clear during cold and flu season. The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery recommends you follow these five tips to maintain sinus health.

1. Drink Lots of Fluids

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to regularly drink fluids. You’ll stay hydrated and fluids can help ensure that your mucus or nasal discharges stays thin. Drinking fluids regularly also helps prevent congestion. The old guideline of 6-8 glasses of water each day can help your sinus health while it strengthens your immune system.

2. Use a Humidifier

A humidifier can help break down congestion by introducing moisture into your environment. Humidifiers are particularly helpful in arid states like Utah where the air is naturally dry and humidity is extremely low. And since most Utah homes are heated using forced-air furnaces that can also irritate your sinuses, you may soon find that using a humidifier in your bedroom each night can help you get more restful sleep (plus, your skin will become less dry–consider that a bonus).

3. Avoid Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

You already know that smoking can quickly irritate the nose of the smoker as well as the people around the smoker. But you may not know that alcohol can cause nasal and sinus membranes to swell, which, in some cases, exposes them to irritation and infection. If you often find yourself congested, stop smoking and drinking alcohol and monitor your health. You may be surprised by how much better you feel.

Read: Ear, Nose and Throat Center Helps Utah Smokers Stop Smoking

4. Avoid Contact with Allergy Triggers

If you suffer from allergies, you need to avoid contact with those items that trigger allergy symptoms like a stuffy nose and a scratchy throat. If you can’t avoid these triggers, use over-the-counter allergy medicines to help control congestion.

Read: 5 Tips to Avoid Allergies in Utah

5. Use Nasal Sprays

Cold and flu season is one of the busiest travel times of the year. If you plan to fly, use a nasal spray decongestant before take-off. The nasal spray will help mucus drain naturally and you’ll avoid blockage of the sinuses.

The Ear, Nose and Throat Center specializes in diagnosing and treating sinus conditions, congestion, flu and cold symptoms. Contact us to set an appointment today.

That’s what it’s like for people with sleep apnea. Each night they go to sleep and often have no idea that they stop breathing multiple times each hour or, in really bad cases, multiple times each minute.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder and a potentially life-threatening condition. Some physicians even refer to sleep apnea as the “silent killer.” Yet many people with sleep apnea are unaware they actually have sleep apnea. And that can lead to ongoing problems including elevated blood pressure, increased risk for stroke, headaches, chronic feelings of sleepiness, dizziness and irritability.

Fortunately, robotic surgery can help cure sleep apnea. Best of all, robotic sleep apnea surgery eliminates the need for a tracheotomy, which leaves a visible scar on the patient’s neck.

Ear, Nose and Throat Center Exclusively Offers Robotic Sleep Apnea Surgery

Recognizing the need for sleep apnea solutions, the Ear, Nose and Throat Center embraced robotic surgery and are the first to offer da Vinci robotic sleep apnea surgery for our patients in Utah and surrounding states. The robotic surgery is a proven approach that can actually cure sleep apnea and allow patients to breathe easily for the first time in years.

“The da Vinci Robotic Surgery system allows me to perform sleep apnea surgery with a great level of precision,” says Dr. Pramod Sharma, an ENT doctor with the Ear, Nose and Throat Center of Salt Lake City. “We can precisely repair throat tissue that may cause obstructive sleep apnea and eliminate sleep apnea completely without visible scarring.”

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue in the throat collapses during sleep and constricts the flow of air through the throat. In other words, sleep apnea sufferers are literally choking themselves each night. As a result, breathing starts and stops all night long.

“We’ve seen patients who stop breathing nearly once or twice every minute,” continues Dr. Sharma, “While others may sleep soundly for a few hours, then stop breathing for up to a minute or longer.”

Watch Video about Robotic Sleep Apnea Surgery

Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center for Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Diagnosing sleep apnea is the first step. If you or a sleeping partner suspects you may have sleep apnea symptoms, we encourage you to visit an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to diagnose sleep apnea. Typically, diagnosis begins with an overnight sleep study where your sleeping patterns are closely monitored and observed. In many cases, it only takes a few minutes of sleep to recognize sleep apnea.

Read: How the ENT Center Diagnoses Sleep Apnea

Once your diagnosis is complete, we’ll explore your options, which may initially include a nighttime breathing machine known as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine or CPAP. This requires patients to wear a facemask that is connected to a tube and device that pumps air into your nose and mouth. We may also explore robotic sleep apnea surgery, if necessary.

Read: How the ENT Center Treats Sleep Apnea

Most important, understand that sleep apnea is a serious condition but a condition that can be cured through robotic surgery or other methods.

“The Ear, Nose and Throat Center is proud to accept Aetna insurance,” said Dr. Steven Miller of the Ear, Nose and Throat Center of Salt Lake City. “With more than 100,000 Aetna subscribers in Utah, we wanted to ensure that all of our ENT doctors accept Aetna health insurance. It’s one more way we can make sure our patients have access to the health care and services they need.”

The Ear, Nose and Throat Center has offices on both ends of the Salt Lake valley. Our original office is located in downtown Salt Lake City on 900 East and 22 South. But many patients visit our ENT office in Draper that is located at 12200 South and 756 East. And the practice also operates an office in Park City located at 1820 Sidewinder Drive.

View: ENT Center locations

The Ear, Nose and Throat Center already accepts health insurance from most major providers, including United Health Care, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield and many others.

“Adding Aetna insurance coverage to the wide range of health insurance carriers we already accept is an important development in our practice,” said Dr. Miller. “More coverage and more options is better for everyone.”

View: List of Accepted Health Care Plans

Meet Our ENT Doctors in Utah

The seven board-certified Utah ENT doctors listed below now all accept Aetna insurance and are committed to providing excellent care.

• Richard W. Nielsen, M.D.
• Steven K. Miller, M.D.
• Bryan Tagge, M.D.
• John R. Bennett, M.D.
• Pramod K. Sharma, M.D., F.A.C.S.
• Craig W. Anderson, M.D.
• Matthew E. Dahl, M.D.
• Timothy L. Pefaur, PA-C

About the Ear, Nose and Throat Center

The Ear, Nose & Throat Center has served patients across Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper and Park City since 1968. We’re dedicated to providing outstanding care that promotes and maintains your good health. Our board-certified physicians and staff work closely with patients to diagnose, prevent and treat adult and pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders. We also provide a wide array of services for pediatric and adult patients.

Call us at 801-328-2522 to set an appointment today with an ENT doctor in Salt Lake City and Draper, Utah.

And yes, if you’re an acid reflux sufferer, a long afternoon of heartburn.

Acid reflux is more common than you might expect. Estimates peg the number of acid reflux sufferers at approximately 60 million in the United States alone. In Utah, we see plenty of acid reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease sufferers. The Ear, Nose and Throat Center diagnoses and treats acid reflux patients daily.

If you count yourself among the sufferers, chances are you view Thanksgiving and other large holiday meals with a mix of excitement and angst. You love the food; the food simply doesn’t love you back. A big meal often results in indigestion, heartburn, feelings of bloating and general discomfort.

Read: The Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
Fortunately, the hero of Thanksgiving day, your old friend turkey, is actually quite easy on most people’s stomachs and is a good substitute for beef in many dishes. That’s largely due to the lower fat content of turkey compared to beef.

But turkey tastes great, too, which is why we recommend acid reflux sufferers experiment with turkey recipes in order to find a few favorites. If you’re ready to adjust your diet, try a few of these turkey recipes including mushroom and cheese turkey burgers, turkey meatballs and spaghetti and turkey tetrazinni.

Many restaurants are starting to offer turkey as a substitute for beef. For instance, Carl’s Jr. is famous for their beef burgers. But look closely at their menu and you’ll find tasty concoctions like a Turkey Guacamole Burger or a Turkey Terriyaki Burger. We’ve sampled both and they’re tasty and lighter than the traditional burger. Add a low-fat cheese and you have a tasty concoction literally in your hands. But stay away from the fries since greasy french fries are a common trigger for heartburn and acid reflux symptoms.

Read: 11 Foods that Trigger Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Enjoy the annual rite of turkey day and enjoy yourself. But think wisely about what you should and shouldn’t eat if you want to enjoy the afternoon’s football game in peace instead of heartburn pain. And stay away from the pizza. Your body will thank you later.

Of course, in Utah, our ear, nose and throat doctors in Salt Lake City and Draper, Utah can help you learn more about treatment options for acid reflux disease. Call us at 801-328-2522.

Leave it to Japanese inventors to invent a robot that helps people stop snoring.

Even better, the robot is actually a pillow that is disguised as a bear. A polar bear to be precise (click the image to see the bear pillow in its full glory).

Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up.

This high-tech robot / polar-bear / anti-snoring device debuted at the International Robot Exhibition in Toyko, Japan. The inventor, Dr. Kabe from Wasaeda University in Japan, invented the device to help sleep apnea suffers. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that deserves serious attention since apnea sufferers stop breathing while sleeping.

Read: How the ENT Center Treats Sleep Apnea

But back to the robot. Its name is Jukusui-kun in Japanese or “Deep Sleep” in English and the robot uses built-in microphones to monitor snoring volume. The sleeper/snorer also wears a sleeve that monitors blood and oxygen levels by assessing the user’s pulse rate. Now here’s the best part: if the snoring gets too loud or oxygen levels decrease too low, the robot bear leans over and tickles the snorer’s face, which should, ideally, cause the snorer to turn to the side and, you guessed it, stop snoring.

Watch video of the Snoring Robot in Action

Get Real Snoring Treatment from the Ear, Nose and Throat Center

The robot bear is cute. It’s cuddly. And it allegedly helps you stop snoring but it’s not yet available in stores.

Frankly, we’re not buying it (the bear or the tickling therapy).

That’s because we know that when you’re ready to stop snoring, it makes the most sense to explore a more traditional route that starts by contacting an ENT doctor like our team at the Ear, Nose and Throat Center in Salt Lake City. We regularly help our patients overcome snoring through traditional treatments and the pillar procedure surgery. We can also help diagnose and treat sleep apnea.

Our methods may not be as cute as a robot. But they work. Contact the Ear, Nose and Throat Center at 801-328-2522 to learn more.

Read: The Facts about Snoring

Read: How the ENT Center Treats Snoring