   In this episode, host Stacy Wellborn talks with Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. about managing your sinus issues, ear-popping, and your overall health with some simple and smart travel tips when flying on an airplane. Learn some proactive measures to prepare for the sinus and head pressure many travelers experience with the takeoffs and descents associated with air travel. So, before your next flight listen to this show, pack some gum and make sure you bring your own water. Happy flyings, and we're hoping you have clear skies and open sinuses. Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation?Call Dr. Swain’s staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover this show: iTunes.com/swainsinusshow Get to know Dr. Swain on facebook, youtube, and here. Sponsor: Premier Medical Group | Eye & ENT Specialists - Mobile, Alabama 36606

Swain Sinus Show

Sinuses On A Plane

 When your ears are ringing, that's the cochlea saying it's not happy. - Dr. Swain In this episode, Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. and host Stacy Wellborn talk about hearing aids and when you or your loved ones need to consider them. Hearing is such a crucial tool for communication and having a high quality of life. Dr. Swain explains the "ringing" in your ears, how to start a conversation with a patient to consider using hearing aids, how innovation has changed these medical devices, and the best ways to protect the hearing you have now. Dr. Swain encourages people not to back away from their hearing loss and to consider looking into these innovative medical options to improve their overall quality of life easily.  Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover this show: iTunes.com/swainsinusshow Get to know Dr. Swain on facebook, youtube, and here. Sponsor: Premier Medical Group | Eye & ENT Specialists - Mobile, Alabama    

Let's Talk Hearing Aids

 In this episode, Stacy and Dr. Ron Swain talk about the diagnosis, causes, testing, and treatment of hearing loss. "I see kids that have ear infections from swimmer's ear. I see adults that have been shooting rifles. I see older people who have ringing in their ear, or they tell me they just don't hear as well as they used to. So, having a hearing problem is just part of being a human being. Whether it's from a viral process, genetic problem, ear infection, trauma, or if it involves an inner ear tumor hearing loss is treated by an ENT doctor. And, it's something that we have good treatment options for and l Iove to be able to see and help people who have these problems." - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation?Call Dr. Swain’s staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts.   If you haven't already, please review us on iTunes! It's an important way to help new listeners discover this show: iTunes.com/swainsinusshow Get to know Dr. Swain on facebook, youtube, and here. Sponsor Premier Medical Group | Eye & ENT Specialists - Mobile, Alabama

Hearing Loss: A Must Listen

 In this episode, Stacy Wellborn and Dr. Ron Swain put away the science, sinus jargon, and medical insights to reveal some things about his chosen career and daily life. They talk about what it’s like to be a sinus surgeon, a doctor’s son (and grandson), a family man, a man of service, and when it’s time to be a patient’s advocate. Plus, Dr. Swain shares his views on faith in medicine, managing the rigors of a doctor’s schedule, and some advice for anyone wanting to become a physician. We don’t want to give any spoilers, but Stacy and Dr. Swain both shed a small tear or two in this warm and personal installment of the Swain Sinus Show.   Big Questions: What influenced Dr. Swain to become a doctor? What role does faith play in medicine? What was medical school like? How is residency different than medical school? How do doctors keep up with the latest medical advancements and technology?   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Quotables & Tweetables: I grew up around medicine. It was always kind of in the back of my mind. Then when you get old enough, you start kind of thinking about, "Okay, what am I going to do when I grow up?" And I liked the concept of doing something to help somebody else. - Dr. Ron Swain The hard part about being a physician is that it's a life of service. Like everything else, some days it's easier than others. - Dr. Ron Swain The good thing or bad thing about medicine is that you see people at their most vulnerable. - Dr. Ron Swain It's very humbling to have people come in and look at you and say, "I've got a problem. Help me with this," and that you're going to cut them open or put them to sleep and they're trusting you with their lives or their child's life or their wife's life to try to help them. - Dr. Ron Swain When you got out of medical school, you know a vocabulary, you don't know how to practice medicine. That's what residency's for, where they teach you how to go and be a doctor and actually take care of someone. - Dr. Ron Swain There's a lot of time, effort, and money spent on educating a physician. - Dr. Ron Swain "You'll never quit learning" that was the one of the wisest things I've ever been told, because you've never seen it all. Even when you think you've seen it all, you've never seen it all. - Dr. Ron Swain It's a big field and there's a lot of lot of need. But I think people have this perception that it's an easy life. It's a hard life. - Dr. Ron Swain There are days when we're operating and I'm in surgery, and there are days that we're operating in surgery and then have clinic afterwards, and then there some days with just clinic. Invariably it seems I'm always behind. - Dr. Ron Swain   Our office trys to be respectful of everyone's time, and no one wants to come to the doctor and and have to wait. I'd almost love if we could have like just boutique appointments. You need a two minute visit, you need a 20 minute visit, you need a 40 minute visit. - Dr. Ron Swain I think you have to have a strong faith that there is some greater being involved. For me, I have a strong faith in God.  - Dr. Ron Swain Seeing how someone is put together and the struggles that people have individually, the only way you get through that is a belief in a higher power. The only way I get through that as a belief in a higher power. - Dr. Ron Swain If a student thinks they want to go to medical school my advice is to decide what you want to do and don't give up.  - Dr. Ron Swain Don’t let anyone tell you can’t get into med school and finish. You can do it. You just got to decide if you want to do it bad enough and what it's going to take. - Dr. Ron Swain As a doctor, you're the patient advocate, and sometimes you have to fight the fights that they don't know how to fight. Sometimes you have to get them involved and you have to educate them how to fight. - Dr. Ron Swain What I've learned today is doctors are human too. - Stacy Wellborn   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts.   Swain Sinus Show is in part sponsored by Premier Medical Group located Mobile, Alabama. For more information, premiermedicalgrp.com    

Ep.21 - Dr. Swain Opens Up

 In this episode, ENT physician Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. and Stacy Wellborn finish their in-depth discussion of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance. Dr. Swain talks about the difficulty of diagnosing allergies or sinus infections during cold and sinus season, and all the pollen in the air just makes matters worse. Finally, someone explains why you shouldn’t drink alcohol when taking antibiotics and why you should finish the full prescribed dosage and days. Plus, what the heck are probiotics, prebiotics, and why you should take them with your antibiotics? What you will learn: The difficulty of diagnosing an allergy or a sinus infection. When an antibiotic is diagnosed and when it will not. Why antibiotics and drinking alcohol are not a good mix. The difference between antibiotics, prebiotics, and probiotics. Why it’s smart to take a probiotic supplement when taking antibiotics. The reason why you should ALWAYS finish your full antibiotic prescription. The most common antibiotic side effects. Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   What you should communicate with your ENT physician: Describe the specific symptoms you are experiencing. Provide a complete history of the symptoms. Discuss other medical conditions that you are currently managing. Mention any allergies that you may have to medication, esp. with antibiotics. List any other medicines you are presently taking by name and dosage.   Quotables and Tweetables There are some medicines that you can't take with alcohol because they have severe side effects. Like everything else, it depends on what the antibiotic is, what the chemical is that you're taking, and obviously, how much partying one is going to do. - Dr. Ron Swain A lot of the complaints people have with garden variety antibiotics is GI upset, is stomach upset, and if you're having a lot of alcohol that certainly can aggravate that as well. - Dr. Ron Swain When somebody comes in and they're sick, sometimes is it allergies? We're trying to figure out. Is it do they have a cold? Or do they have an actual bacterial infection? And sometimes it's really hard to tell. - Dr. Ron Swain If you're looking at the pharmacology and the microbiology of a bacteriostatic antibiotic, you want to have that antibiotic for a certain period of time to make sure that you have eliminated all of the bacteria. - Dr. Ron Swain How we induce antibiotic resistance is number one, not being good stewards of our antibiotic. - Dr. Ron Swain When you don't take all of the medication when it's been prescribed and the bacteria get enough of the insult to be able to recover from it, and they come back stronger. - Dr. Ron Swain Prebiotics are foods that try to help bolster the immune system. - Dr. Ron Swain Probiotics are bacterial supplements that will replace any of the bacteria that you have in your colon that are being killed when you take an antibiotic. - Dr. Ron Swain The antibiotic does kill the strep in the in your throat, it does. But that antibiotic will also affect the other bacteria in your colon, and so that helps with our digestion. And so when you wipe that out, you can leave yourself open to other harmful bacteria that can get into your colon. - Dr. Ron Swain The idea of a probiotic is to avoid potential problems with side effects from the antibiotics that you're taking. - Dr. Ron Swain With antibiotics, the goal is to kill the bad bacteria that are making you sick, but ultimately it's killing all the bacteria. - Dr. Ron Swain Probiotics would be something I would recommend anyone taking antibiotics to help balance the good and bad bacteria in their digestive system. - Dr. Ron Swain If you're on an antibiotic, I think most physicians will agree that we'd want you on something to try to help minimize the GI side effects. - Dr. Ron Swain A patient visit is kind of like a conversation, and not all conversations can happen in two minutes. - Dr. Ron Swain What I think I've learned today is that I need to be honest with my doctor, and all of our listeners need to be honest with their doctor, when it comes to giving good history and background and be good patients and take our medicine. And not drink. - Dr. Ron Swain Some medicines react with certain antibiotics, So, if you're on a lot of medicine sometimes we have to stop some of the medicine that you're taking so you can take the antibiotics. We may have to avoid certain antibiotics because you're on other medication that can't be changed. - Dr. Ron Swain   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts.    

Ep.20 - Alcohol, Antibiotics, Prebiotics and Probiotics

 We all know the names, penicillin, Z-pack, Amoxicillin, and Bactrim and we have been taking them for as long as we have been breathing, but do we really know what antibiotics are, how they work, and what they do to our bodies? Antibiotics, in a nutshell, kill bacteria, the bad ones and the good ones and if you have a viral infection no amount of antibiotic treatment will be any help and ultimately can be detrimental to your overall health. In this episode, Dr. Swain teaches Stacy all about antibiotics, how he prescribes the right one for a diagnosis, and why prescribing a patient an antibiotic (or not) is one of the hardest things he has to do every day. Plus, Dr. Swain explains common, and severe antibiotic side effects, allergies, resistance, and why there is not a one size fits all approach to prescribing these life-saving drugs. Big Questions? What is an antibiotic, and how do they work? How many types of antibiotics are available? What is an antibiotic allergy and what are typical reactions? What are the common and severe side effects for antibiotics Why it’s beneficial not to take an antibiotic on an empty stomach? How does a doctor know which specific antibiotic to prescribe What are the three most common type of bacteria? Are doctors prescribing too many antibiotics and why is this dangerous? What is antibiotic resistance?   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Quotables & Tweetables? I would name the show to antibiotic or not to antibiotic because that is the question that doctor's face all day long. - Dr. Swain If I'm going to err, I'm going to err on giving this person an antibiotic because I don't want my patients to get sicker. - Dr. Swain Viral illnesses will not respond to antibiotic treatment. - Dr. Swain An antibiotic is a chemical that we use to kill bacteria. We use some antibiotics, they have different properties, obviously for killing different types of bacteria for different kinds of infections and some antibiotics actually have anti-inflammatory properties. - Dr. Swain Sometimes we use antibiotics because they have a specific biochemical pathway that we use to decrease inflammation. - Dr. Swain The easiest way to think about antibiotics is in terms of different categories. There are penicillin-based antibiotics. Then there are cephalosporin antibiotics, there are lots of those. And then there are fluoroquinolone antibiotics, and there are lots of those. And so we have antibiotics that are classified into what they do, and then in terms of those families. - Dr. Swain The Food and Drug Administration is really vigilant about making sure that there's not an antibiotic that has side effects that need to be monitored or observed and they just need to make sure the drug is safe. - Dr. Swain Sometimes people can get severe reactions where they even have their skin started peeling off or have trouble breathing or have the swelling of their throat or their mouth or their tongue. And so those are obviously the more severe reactions, but it can vary. - Dr. Swain One of the common side effects of just taking antibiotics is to have your stomach upset sometimes, or you get a little bit of nauseated. That's just a side effect of taking the medication. - Dr. Swain We tell people don't take an antibiotic on an empty stomach. You always want to take it with food to kind of buffer the GI side effects with it. - Dr. Swain Basically, this chemical that you're taking goes and attacks the bacteria, and it does so in different ways. It can kill the bacteria. There are bacteriocidal antibiotics, where it kills the bacteria, and there are bacteriostatic antibiotics that kind of prevent the bacteria from growing. Depending on the situation, you would use a different kind of drug. - Dr. Swain The three most common types of bacteria for those is usually strep pneumonia, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenza. - Dr. Swain Sometimes when people are really sick, you're not going to wait four or five days until you get a lab report back before you initiate antibiotic treatment. - Dr. Swain If you have a viral illness like mononucleosis, you can use all the antibiotics and the world, it's not going to affect the mononucleosis. It's a viral illness, The hard part about all this is usually when you have a sinus infection, it doesn't start with bacteria just jumping in your sinus. It starts with a cold, it starts with a viral illness, and then you get swelling and mucosal thickening and stasis of the secretions, and the little sinus cavity in there closes off, and then you start getting the yellow discharge, and the pain in your teeth and you know, the purulent drainage and that's when you know you've got a sinus infection and that's when you need an antibiotic. - Dr. Swain It's hard sometimes to look at somebody and go, okay. I know you feel terrible, but this is a cold. This is a viral illness. Take some Motrin and Tylenol and oh, by the way in a week, your either going to get over this or you're not, and then we're going to start antibiotics then. - Dr. Swain A patient doesn’t want to get worse, and they think they want an antibiotic now. That's reasonable thinking, but sometimes that is not necessarily the best thing to do in terms of trying to use antibiotics appropriately and ultimately keep that person safe. You don't want to be on so many antibiotics that they don't work when you need them. - Dr. Swain Generally, you do not want to start any antibiotics if you don't need them. - Dr. Swain Communicating your medical and illness history is one of the most effective ways of getting the right diagnosis and proper treatments. - Dr. Swain There are some situations where you would start an antibiotic early, but for the majority of people, if you've got a run of the mill upper respiratory tract infection we try to get those people to use the over the counter medicines initially for the first 24, 48, 72 hours and see what's going on with them. - Dr. Swain Every patient situation is different, and there's nothing like examining someone and getting their history. There's is not a one size fits all approach for antibiotic treatment. - Dr. Swain When suffering from a cold and you start to feel the pain in your teeth, and they're starting to feel swollen, that's when they need to give your doctor a call and get an appointment. - Dr. Swain   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts.

EP.19 - To Antibiotic or not Antibiotic

 In this episode, Stacy Wellborn and ENT physician Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. talk about hoarseness of the voice and laryngitis. Dr. Swain shares some common and not so common hoarseness causes, remedies, treatment, and explains how the vocal cords work. Laryingitis and thinning voices from overuse are very common and most of the time easily diagnosed and treated, however, if there are other health factors like smoking, a history of cancer, or nerve issues then seeing an ENT physician is crucial and should not be delayed. What You Will Learn > Hoarseness describes a change in one's voice and is more of a symptom than a disease. > The most common and uncommon causes of hoarseness, laryngitis, and a thinning voice. > How the vocal cords work and how the larynx is examined. > Simple and home remedies for hoarseness relief. > Symptoms and chronic conditions to be aware of that may be signs of a more severe and complex ENT condition? > Our voice can become weaker and thinner with age. > The importance and role of a good speech therapist and how Dr. Swain and other ENT doctors take a team approach working with them.   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Quotables and Tweetables Vocal abuse and overuse is certainly a big cause of hoarseness. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you get a bad sore throat and you get bad laryngitis, it sounds like you're a frog, you're almost aphonic. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. You get inflammation in the vocal cords. As the inflammation regresses, your voice gets normal, and you go on. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. People that are in the military, drill instructors, teachers when they're trying to least the last child in the back of the room to try to get their attention will tend to yell. Sometimes we'll get them to see the speech therapist to help them work with how they voice and how they speak. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Straining your voice, you've got to learn how to do that properly. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. People can come in with a complaint of hoarseness and really what they tell you kind of depends on how aggressive you need to be with the exam or what you need to do. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you're not breathing well at night and you've got some sleep apnea, and you have a tendency to have reflux, that can all kind of run together, and you can get some inflammation of your vocal cords. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Our voices tend to get worse as we get older. The vocal cords, the vocalis muscle can tend to thin with age. So you can have something called presbylarynx, which is kind of an age-related change to the larynx. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Hoarseness is the symptom. What's actually causing it is what people want to know and how can you fix it. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Most of the time hoarseness and laryngitis will get better if it's not a serious problem. But if it's not getting better, if we don't think it's a simple problem, and it's not getting better, we need to take a closer look. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Allergies and postnasal drip can give you a lot of hoarseness. So most of the time it's not something serious. But sometimes when it is, we do work to get that taken care of. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you are having a recurring issue with hoarseness, you need not to wait to see a doctor. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Give it a few days if hoarseness is an acute problem. If it's a chronic problem, we're going to want to see you to take a look at it. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. if you're someone who relies on their voice, whether you're a singer or whether you're some type of professional where you need your voice to communicate, whether it's in the classroom or whether it's dealing in a business meeting, people are not going to really tolerate not sounding normal. They usually want to come in for an evaluation. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. The voice box is a very complicated anatomical structure. It is innervated by a lot of different nerves. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Sometimes hoarseness is not an anatomical problem in terms of a mass. It may be a problem with how well the actual nerves are functioning. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. But in an area like this that is so complicated anatomically, one of the things that we always think about is neurological issues that can play a role in someone that's chronically hoarse. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Speech therapists are vital in terms of trying to help people recover from either certain illnesses or from cancer treatment or from inflammatory problems of the larynx and having swallowing problems. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. We work very closely with speech therapists. A lot of times speech therapists are the ones that actually help people try to recover and regain function of their swallowing and speech mechanisms. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Speech therapists are very important in terms of managing voice problems and speech problems, swallowing problems. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr.      

Ep.18 - Hoarseness and Laryngitis

 In this episode, ENT physician Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. talks with host Stacy Wellborn about one of the most common things he sees every day at his practice, sore throats. Dr. Swain explains common causes of sore throats, home remedies, treatment, strep throat, testing for strep throat, and the importance of communicating with the doctor to get that all-important proper diagnosis. Most sore throat complaints are simple and benign but it's important to know what to look out for that may be red flags for a more severe and complicated health issue. What You Will Learn > Common and not so common causes of a sore throat. > The function of the lymph nodes and why they get swollen when you're sick? > How Dr. Swain assesses the severity of a sore throat and when does consider Strep tests, MRIs, and CAT Scans. > Common and Dr. approved home remedies for sore throat relief. > When it's time to see an ENT specialist for your severe or chronic sore throat. > Why you may or may not be prescribed antibiotics for your sore throat. > The importance of communicating with your doctor and providing a complete and accurate medical history for a proper diagnosis. > The reasons why 1-on-1 and in-person examinations are still the best way to get a diagnosis. Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   Quotables and Tweetables I think a sore throat is one of the most common reasons why people come to see the doctor, whether it's their ENT doctor or the urgent care doctor or their primary care doctor. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Most sore throats are usually an upper respiratory tract infection, stomach reflux, viral infection. While sometimes it can be cancer most of the time it is something run of the mill and simple. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Sometimes trying to figure out when a sore throat is strep throat and when it's not strep throat can be a little bit hard. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. The post nasal drainage sore throat that gives you the sore throat, we'll see that usually in the big allergy times of the year, in the fall and certainly in the spring. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. When somebody comes in, and they've got a sore throat, the first thing you're going to do is try to examine them and get a history. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you are or were a smoker and you came in, and you've got a sore throat, and you've got a big lymph node or a big mass on one side of your neck, that certainly raises a lot of alarms from an ear, nose, and throat standpoint. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you're not running a fever, if you're not having trouble breathing, if it just seems like it's one of the garden variety you wake up with a sore throat and you think you're getting a cold, I certainly would start with those home remedy kinds of treatments. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If your fever's getting high if you're having trouble swallowing, if you're having trouble drinking, those are warning signs that there may be something going on other than the run of the mill viral sore throat. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. There are a lot of bacterial infections that you can get in the back of your throat, strep is not the only one. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Whether or not you use antibiotics kind of depends on what the diagnosis is. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Everyone is familiar with the rapid strep culture, that test is not super accurate. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Having a bacterial infection is just one potential possibility for a sore throat. There are other things, whether it's inflammatory from reflux or whether it's a malignancy from cancer. Sometimes you have to step back and try to pull everything together. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you do suspect that something else is going on with your health, you certainly need to more detailed with how you feel and your medical history at the exam. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. There are times when you can look on the outside and the skin, and you can look on the inside of the mouth, but to see between the two areas you've got to get imaging and more information. Usually, that's a CAT scan, an MRI, but when we're doing those kinds of things, we're looking for particular complicated things. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. One of the hardest things that I've had to learn over the years is how to practice telephone medicine. When just on the phone with a patient it's very difficult sometimes to get an idea of exactly what is going on. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Some of the newer online things that are offered like tele-medicine are great, but I have a hard time really knowing what's going on without being able to examine someone and look them in the eye and get a sense of okay, how sick are you? - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. One of the things that is so important when you're trying to treat someone and take care of someone is to have that one on one interaction, that face to face interaction. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Being sick is not convenient for anyone. The most important thing is to get someone through their illness in an efficient manner as possible. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. The telemedicine is an exciting new prospect, especially with all the resources that are available online, but it can't replace seeing someone, talking to them, and examining them. If you've got a bad enough problem, you need to get seen by a physician. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr.

Ep.17 - Sore Throat and Strep

 In this episode, Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. and host Stacy Wellborn talk about the very common and inconvenient nosebleed. What are the causes, biggest myths, treatments, and when is the time to take them seriously? While most common causes of nosebleeds are getting hit or having trauma to the lining of the nose, there are other medical and environmental reasons. While most nosebleeds are just an inconvenient nuisance if they become increasingly more frequent and severe, then that might be a sign of a more significant problem and might indicate it's time to be checked by a physician.   Big Nosebleed Questions: When should I go to urgent care, an ER or see an ENT physician? What are the most common causes of nosebleeds? What is the best and quickest way to stop a nosebleed? What treatments are available for people who suffer from frequent and severe nosebleeds? What over the counter and first aid should I have handy to handle a common nosebleed? Is there a surgery or procedure to get relief from frequent and severe nosebleeds? Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Quotables & Tweetables Nosebleeds are super common events, and I see these kinds of problems weekly. Sometimes daily. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. The big thing when you talk about nosebleeds is the severity. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. The lining of the nose and the tissue is delicate, it can be damaged relatively easily, or it can dry out relatively easy depending on where you are or what you're doing. You're set up for some susceptibility to having some nosebleeds. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. One of the first thing we like to do is to try to see if we can get the nose to stop bleeding by getting the blood vessels in there to shrink up and constrict. There are some good medicines over the counter for just that. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. A quick thing to do is to scorch your nose with some Afrin or Neo-Synephrine, and then you can even put some cotton balls with that medicine on it and put the cotton balls on the inside of the nose, and then pinching the nostrils if the nosebleed is coming from up front. Sometimes that can be effective. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. For the simple nosebleeds using some Afrin and some cotton balls and some direct pressure is reasonable. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. If you have a bad enough nosebleed no matter what time of day it is, you're going to get seen by a medical professional and eventually an ENT doctor is probably going to get called. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. Some people are predisposed to have nosebleeds especially those using a CPAP machine. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. We'll look inside the nose to try to see where the blood is coming from. Sometimes I'll even get CAT scans. We'll take pictures of the sinuses to see and make sure there's not an infection, a mass, or a tumor. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. While nosebleeds are a common problem, there certainly are levels of severity of them and those that are the most severe are not as common. - Stacy Wellborn  

Ep.16 - Nosebleeds: When To See The Doctor

 Not everything in medicine can be treated with an antibiotic, and there is a big push for preventative health care. On the front lines of this preventive care are vaccines, the most significant advancement in medicine and possibly one of the most critical things physicians do every day. In this episode, Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. talks with Dr. Jennifer Adair from the Alabama Vaccine Advisory Committee about the role of immunization and vaccinations in preventing disease, and more specifically, the role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Dr. Swain explores how this HPV vaccine is not just for sexually transmitted diseases but could be considered a cancer vaccine. Lastly, Dr. Adair explains the societal benefits of improved immunization rates, common side effects and when some vaccinations should not be administered to Children. Dr. Adair is passionate about this important (and sometimes controversial) subject, and she is an excellent resource for understanding the importance of vaccinations. Key Takeaways > Vaccines are probably the single most significant advancement in medicine. They have reduced deaths and improved people's lifespans. > Vaccines are a virus or bacteria concoction used to expose a patient's body to specific viruses and bacteria, so the patient's immune system can fight an illness off before having any symptoms. > There is a new vaccine that protects against nine strains of HPV instead of four. So, now, instead of protecting against about 70% to 80% of cervical cancer, it's now protecting against 90% of cervical cancer. > "By 2020, the number of human papillomavirus-positive oral pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is expected to surpass those of cervical cancers." - Journal of the American Medical Association, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Volume 144 > Reasons to not vaccinate: very young children with an underdeveloped immune system, or if there is a medical problem or pharmaceutical issue that suppresses their immune system.st operative care. > About 99% of vaccines are covered by the insurance. > Herd Immunity is what we rely on to protect our young children and the immunocompromised.   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   Quotable Quotes > I'm not gonna do anything to jeopardize your child's health, but vaccines are just that important." I mean, it's just changed everything about our life and living a long, healthy life. And, yes, I am passionate about helping parents feel comfortable about that decision for their child too. - Dr. Jennifer Adair > The biggest change in Otolaryngology, from a vaccination standpoint in the past 20 years, has been the number of head and neck cancers that have been diagnosed that are human papillomavirus-positive. - Dr. Jennifer Adair > There are some insurances where you do have a co-pay or some deductible, but usually, I would say, 99% of the time, we have found that all the vaccines are covered by insurance. - Dr. Jennifer Adair Resources Dr. Jennifer Adair Children's Medical Group CDC website American Academy of Pediatrics   Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. Like the Swain Sinus Show? Please share with a friend and go rate and review us on iTunes. The more reviews we receive makes it easier for others to find us and helps us grow our show. Thanks so much for listening, breathe easy, and have a great day. This brought to you in part by the fine doctors and staff at Premier Medical in Mobile, Alabama.

Ep.15 - Dr. Jennifer Adair: Vaccines, Immunization and HPV

 In this episode, host Stacy Wellborn talks with Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. about seeing, diagnosing, and treating sinus, eyes, ears, nose and throat issues with children. Ear infections, sinus infections, stuffy noses, snoring, and upper respiratory infections are the most common things seen with child patients. Working with children can be difficult but also be very rewarding. Kids get sick, and they (and the whole family) need to trust that their physicians will have them feeling better as soon and as painless as possible. Dr. Swain explains ear tubes and when it’s time to consider this common procedure. Plus, hear about some of the most challenging and interesting things that get stuck up our kid’s noses. Key Takeaways > Dr. Swain sees patients of all ages, and special needs children. > Children typically have 6 to 12 upper respiratory tract infections a year. > Create a team approach. ENT specialists should work closely with the child, the family, and their pediatrician. > Surgical options for children are considered when antibiotic, and other medical treatments are not working, and the frequency of infections seem to be a repetitive process. Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   Quotable Quotes > We try to make seeing kids a fun experience in a situation where a lot of times they're sick, and it's not so fun for them. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr > I think that's probably ear infections are number one. Number two, are sinus infections. Number three would be snoring and mouth breathing, and they can't breathe through their nose. Also, many times, all those things are related. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr > When you're talking about surgery on a child, I would say almost 100% of the time, but I'm sure there are some situations here that I'm not thinking of, but you're trying medical therapy first. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr > After the pediatrician, urgent care centers, family practice doctors have treated the family, and nothing is responding to those treatments, that's when they start looking for an ENT doctor to try to help with some of these sinus issues. - Dr. Ron Swain, Jr Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. Like the Swain Sinus Show? Please share with a friend and go rate and review us on iTunes.The more reviews we receive makes it easier for others to find us and helps us grow our show. Thanks so much for listening, breathe easy, and have a great day.

Ep.14: Sick Kids, Ear Tubes and Nose Spaghetti

 Welcome to the second season of The Swain Sinus Show. In this episode, Dr. Ron Swain, Jr. talks with host, Stacy Wellborn about happy noses and some common disappointments and frustrations that people can have after they have surgery and/or start treatment for chronic sinusitis and sinus disease, and the importance of surgery aftercare. While most chronic sinusitis patients are satisfied with their treatment and surgical results, some cases are more difficult and can take longer than anticipated to find answers and relief. Lastly, Dr. Swain explains the importance of educating a patient about their condition and managing the expectations about their medical treatment and surgical procedures. With some patience, additional diagnosis, and willingness in trying some different treatment options, calm and peaceful sinuses are just around the corner. Key Takeaways > Sinus surgery can be a complicated process. Some cases are a quick fix while others might require a little more care, and a little more insight, and a little more time than anything else to get that right outcome and keep your sinuses happy. > Sinus surgery success looks like all sinuses open and clear, no swelling in there, good nasal passage airway, no inflammation, no drainage down the back of the throat. If there was one adjective to describe a great outcome would be calm. > Returning to work or school after sinus surgery can range from 1 to 2 weeks. Length of time is determined by many factors like the physicality of work, irritants prevalent in the work environment, and meeting recovery milestones post-surgery. > External and environmental factors can impact one's sinuses. So, doctor and patient need to identify these issues, find ways to minimize the effects, and maybe change the surrounding environment. > Immune system problems can affect post operative care. > Communicate with your physician if you are not getting the desired relief or effects after any treatment or medical procedure. Your doctors want you to feel your best and live a healthy life free of pain and discomfort. > The aftercare is just as important as the pre-operative care and the inter-operative care.   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here.   Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. Like the Swain Sinus Show? Please share with a friend and go rate and review us on iTunes. The more reviews we receive makes it easier for others to find us and helps us grow our show. Thanks so much for listening, breathe easy, and have a great day. This brought to you in part by the fine doctors and staff at Premier Medical in Mobile, Alabama.

Ep.13 - Sinus Surgery: Frustrations and Expectations

 How should the Urgent Care Center and your ENT and Sinus specialist work together? Dr. Ron Swain (ENT Specialist) and Dr. Darren Waters from Greater Mobile Urgent Care discuss how they and their staffs work in unison to improve your sinus and allergy health and care. Click Here For FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT This episode is part 2 of a two-part series with Dr. Darren Waters on the Swain Sinus Show. Thanks so much for your time, knowledge and humor, Dr. Waters! Topics Covered: > Seeing another doctor when you can’t get a quick appointment to see your primary care physician? > More than sniffles and band-aids. What are the most common things seen and treated at urgent care centers? > How Dr. Swain (medical specialist) and Dr. Waters (urgent care physician) work together to provide you and your family with the highest quality healthcare? > Urgent Care Centers compared to traditional Hospital ERs.   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. Like the Swain Sinus Show? Please share with a friend and go rate and review us on iTunes. The more reviews we receive makes it easier for others to find us and helps us grow our show. Thanks so much for listening, breathe easy, and have a great day. This brought to you in part by the fine doctors and staff at Premier Medical in Mobile, Alabama.  

Ep.12 - Dr. Swain and Dr. Waters: The Team Approach

   Download  |  Subscribe (Free)  |  Make An Appointment   One of the newest trends in medicine is improving the consumer-centric view of providing patient care. Urgent Care centers have exploded in the last couple of years to fill the need of creating a professional and convenient health care option that operates between the primary care doctors, the specialists, and the "expensive" hospital emergency room. In this Swain Sinus Show episode, we are lucky to have Greater Mobile Urgent Care's founder and physician, Dr. Darren Waters. ENT Physician and Sinus Specialist Dr. Ron Swain and Dr. Waters share a candid conversation about how the roles of their practices work in unison and can improve your sinus and allergy health and care.    Click here for complete show transcript.   Topics Covered: Dr. Darren Waters' background, working model and working relationship with his business partner and big sister, Dr. Shannon Waters Discover what services and tests are available at Greater Mobile Urgent Care Learn the about the symptoms, signs and time for an urgent care physician to refer a patient to a trusted sinus and allergy specialist, like Dr. Swain The importance of a hands-on physical examinations compared to a phone call consultation or web-based, computer-based diagnosis Providing sound health and patient care on weekends and evenings when your primary care physician may not be available   This episode is part 1 of a two-part series with Dr. Darren Waters on the Swain Sinus Show. Thanks so much for your time, knowledge and humor Dr. Waters! Check out his fantastic urgent care clinics in Mobile and the surrounding areas at greatermobileurgentcare.com.   Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts. Like the Swain Sinus Show? Please share with a friend and go rate and review us on iTunes. The more reviews we receive makes it easier for others to find us and helps us grow our show. Thanks so much for listening, breathe easy, and have a great day. This brought to you in part by the fine doctors and staff at Premier Medical in Mobile, Alabama.

Ep.11 - Doctor Spotlight: Dr. Darren Waters - Greater Mobile Urgent Care

 This has to be our favorite episode of the first season of the Swain Sinus Show. Dr. Ron Swain and Stacy Wellborn answer some incredible listener sinus and allergy questions submitted through drrronswain.com and swainsinusshow.com. Wow, did we have some super-duper questions. We hope you enjoy listening to this show as much as we did making it.   Check out these great questions:  Listener Questions: > Are nasal sprays addictive? > If my snort is green or yellow, does it means I have an infection? > Will eating local honey help with my allergies? > Am I still contagiousIf I’m on antibiotics ? > Do sinus issues cause the bags under my eyes? > What is an allergic shiner? Need an Appointment or Sinus Consultation? Call Dr. Swain’s nursing staff at 251-470-8823 or schedule an appointment here. Subscribe to The Swain Sinus Show Never miss a new episode of our show. Please subscribe to our show on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, and any other place you find your favorite podcasts.  

Ep.10 Addictive Nasal Sprays, Allergic Shiners, and Listener Questions

A physician and patient discussion on how to better manage and treat mild to serious sinus issues and conditions with diagnosis, treatment, home remedies, and surgery. Host, Stacy Wellborn, and Dr. Ron Swain, Jr., talk about improving your quality of life, breathing easier, and feeling better. Let's take control over our sinuses and allergies, so they don't control us.

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Swain Sinus Show

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