Fox News Story on Spasmodic Dysphonia

A Florida Fox News network aired a story on spasmodic dysphonia on April 7, 2010. Click here and it will take you to where you can watch the entire video segment.

Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurologic condition where patients suffer involuntary voice spasms resulting in an intermittent strangled quality voice with voice breaks or cut-offs (listen to examples here). Spasmodic dysphonia is most often treated with Botox injections to the voicebox. Dr. Chang performs such injections every Friday afternoon.

For more info on spasmodic dysphonia, you can check out the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association.

RANDOM: Giant Stuffed Toys of Cells, Microbes, Germs, & Viruses

I recently learned of a company that makes stuffed animals... except they are not OF animals, but rather they are human cells as well as germs like staph, H1N1 virus, Lyme Disease, Strep, etc.

Though the diseases they cause are not fun, these stuffed microbes are cute and friendly.

Here are a few of my favorites. For a complete list of toys like these, click here

Here is Lyme Disease:

Here is a nerve cell:

And finally, here is Epstein Barr Virus (otherwise known as mono or kissing disease):

Office Air Conditioner Broken!!!

Our office air conditioner has been broken the last few days. As such, it is quite uncomfortably hot in the office. We have been working with maintenance to get this fixed ASAP. However, it may be a few days before it gets back in working order. Apparently, parts have been ordered.

Please be patient with us and know that WE are just as uncomfortably hot and miserable as you are!

In the interim, we have fans going throughout the office until the AC works again.

Story on Botox in the Washington Post

On April 6, 2010, the Washington Post reviewed a report by Consumer Reports on the use of Botox for a variety of ailments. In the story titled "Consumer Reports examines Botox as a remedy for headaches, back pain, tremors" is largely accurate, though there are some errors in the story.

In particular, Botox HAS been found to be effective for migraines contrary to what is stated in the story. A variety of research has supported this particular indication:

• Botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX) for treatment of migraine headaches: An open-label study. Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery. 123(6):669-676, 2000. Link
• Treatment of migraine headache with botulinum toxin type A. Facial Plast Surg Clin N Am. 11(4):465-475, 2003. Link
• Procedures for administering botulinum toxin type A for migraine and tension-type headache. Headache. 43(8):884-891. Link
• Exploding vs. imploding headache in migraine prophylaxis with Botulinum Toxin A. Pain. 125(3):286-295. Link

In any case, our office does perform botox for headaches, TMJ, voice spasms, torticollis, and drooling. Of course, we also perform for facial wrinkles.

Read the full WP story here.

WP: Washington DC Has One of the Highest Pollen Counts in the Nation

The Washington Post on April 6, 2010 published a story entitled "Tree pollen kicks off Washington's allergy season." The story goes through explaining that though Washington DC is ranked 43rd out of 100 most challenging places to live with allergies (see ranking here), Washington DC often has one of the highest pollen counts in the nation on any given day during the spring season!

In fact, according to a study in last month's Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology that tracked pollen counts in this area between 1998 and 2007, tree pollen amounted to 91.2 percent of the total annual pollen yield in the nation here.

What I typically suggest patients to do in such challenging allergy conditions is to try combo therapy... usually zyrtec in the morning and benadryl at bedtime. If necessary, add a 12 hour sudafed in the morning if the nose is runny. If these do not help, see your local doctor for consideration of adding a steroid nasal spray.

If worst comes to worst, getting tested for allergies and getting started on allergy shots or allergy drops would be most beneficial and offer the best chance of "cure."

Good luck with allergies!

Read the full WP article here.