ACENT’s Blog

Earwax: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Tammie Taylor

Being ear, nose, and throat specialists, we need to broach the topic of earwax with our Anchorage patients from time to time. It always starts with a simple truth: We all have earwax, some more than others. But did you know that earwax is actually good for your ears, and it keeps your ears clean?  Earwax, or cerumen, traps dust, dirt, and sometimes bugs. It’s held together by oil and wax from glands living in your ear canal. The wax also protects the inner ear and can stop bad bacteria from growing in the ear. (And you thought it was … Continue reading »

How to Prevent & Stop a Nosebleed

Posted on April 25, 2016 by LeighAnn Ivie

Epistaxis, or bleeding from the nose, is a common complaint among our ENT patients here in Anchorage. It is rarely life-threatening but may cause significant concerns, especially among parents of small children. Almost every person has had at least 1 nosebleed in his or her lifetime. Most nosebleeds are benign, self-limiting, and spontaneous, but some can be recurrent. There are 2 main types of nosebleed, and 1 can be more serious than the other. The first type is caused by an anterior nasal blood vessel rupture. This type of nosebleed originates toward the front of the nose and causes blood to … Continue reading »

Winter 2016 Newsletter

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Blog Admin

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year! Did you know this is our busiest time of the year? It’s not surprising when you consider all the New Year’s resolutions people make to be more conscious about their health. Maybe you have a sore throat that doesn’t seem to be getting better, or you’ve noticed the quality of your hearing isn’t what it used to be. These are just a few signs it may be time to see an ENT or audiology specialist. Whether you are stepping up your exercise routine, stopping to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, or … Continue reading »

Hearing Aids Riding the Technology Wave

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Stefan Harris, BC-HIS

Advancements in technology can bring wonders to our daily lives but also leave many of us totally confused. From smartphones to tablets and laptops and even TVs, the choices are endless and the tech jargon is a foreign language to most of us. OK, yes, we know what it means but do we really know how to apply the numbers? Gigs, RAM, pixels — say what? It is no different for hearing aids. In the past several years at our practice in Anchorage, we’ve watched as the explosive advances in computer miniaturization have allowed for increased performance to reach our ears. … Continue reading »

Treating Dark Spots With the Power of Light

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Audra McKellar

Photo facials, BBL™, IPL, Forever Young BBL™, photo rejuvenation … what are these treatments, and what are the differences? The answer is they are all the same treatment, just with a lot of fancy names. We offer BBL photo therapy to treat a variety of skin care concerns at our Anchorage medical spa, FACES. Let’s look at how these treatments work to better understand how they can benefit you. How It Works The basic science behind photo therapy is using pulsed light to destroy a certain target or “chromophore.” We can target melanin (dark spots), oxyhemoglobin (vessels), or hair follicles. … Continue reading »

Meet Our Physicians

Each of our physicians is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery; in addition, Dr. Ellerbe is board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.