Lok-Yee Joyce Li

Background Chronic rhinitis that does not respond well to drug therapy remains a major challenge in clinical treatment. Inferior turbinate reduction can improve nasal obstruction symptoms, while posterior nasal nerve (PNN) ablation can reduce symptoms caused by neurogenic hypersecretion. Blue laser technology provides precise tissue coagulation and minimizes intraoperative bleeding. Methods This retrospective comparative study, conducted at Shuang Ho Hospital between 2024 and 2025, aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of blue laser inferior turbinate reduction (BITR) combined with blue laser posterior nasal nerve neurolysis (BPN3) versus BITR alone. A total of Ninety-nine adult patients with chronic rhinitis who had not responded adequately to at least three months of drug therapy (≥ 3 months) were included. Among them, forty-eight patients received BITR combined with BPN3, and fifty-one patients received BITR only. The primary endpoints were the 24-hour reflective total nasal symptoms score (rTNSS) and the nasal obstruction symptoms evaluation scale (NOSE) score, which were compared and analyzed at baseline, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. Results At 6 months post-surgery, the mean Responsive Total Nasal Symptom Score (rTNSS) decreased by 77.6% in the BITR combined with BPN3 group (from 7.6 ± 1.9 to 1.7 ± 1.6), while the BITR alone group saw a 48% decrease (from 7.5 ± 1.6 to 3.9 ± 1.7), with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Assessment Scale (NOSE) scores improved by 91.9% and 85.5%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Overall, no serious complications occurred during the study period. Conclusion Blue laser posterior nasal nerve neurolysis combined with inferior turbinate reduction provides superior symptom relief compared with BITR alone, particularly for rhinorrhea, with excellent safety and tolerability. This dual-target approach offers a promising minimally invasive treatment for medication-refractory chronic rhinitis.

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the clinical performance of a smartphone-based sound amplification device (SBSAD) compared to a conventional personal sound amplification product (PSAP) in older adults with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), ad-dressing the need for accessible alternatives given the low adoption of traditional hearing aids. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine participants (mean age 68 years) with mild-to-moderate SNHL underwent audiometric testing and subjective evaluation under three conditions: unaided, aided with a commercial PSAP, and aided with an SBSAD (iPhone with wireless earbuds). Primary outcomes included functional gain in sound field thresholds and user ratings of sound quality and acceptability via a custom questionnaire. Results: Both devices yielded significant threshold improvements compared to the unaided condition (p < 0.001). Mean functional gain was 16.0 dB for the PSAP and 15.3 dB for the SBSAD, with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.5). Subjective ratings for sound quality, comfort, cosmetic acceptability, and future willingness to use were comparable between devices (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: The SBSAD performed equivalently to a traditional PSAP in improving audibility and user satisfaction. Smartphone-based technologies offer a viable, accessible mobile health solution to bridge the gap for older adults who lack conventional hearing aids.

This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 445 nm blue laser inferior turbinate reduction (BITR) and establish optimal energy parameters for patients with chronic rhinitis (CR) refractory to pharmacotherapy. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with medically refractory CR, a Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) score ≥ 6, and a nasal congestion score ≥ 2. Turbinate hypertrophy was graded using the Camacho classification. Patients were stratified into Group A (Grade 3) and Group B (Grade 4). Primary endpoints were changes in NOSE scores and 12-hour Reflective Total Nasal Symptom Score (12-h rTNSS) at 1, 3, and 6 months. At 6 months, laser energy settings were analyzed in the top 50% of responders to determine optimal settings. Eighty-four patients were analyzed. At 6 months, NOSE scores improved by a mean of 91.1% in Group A and 88.0% in Group B ( p < 0.001 for both). At 3 months, the 12-h rTNSS improved by 58.2% and 54.9%, respectively ( p < 0.001 for both). In the top 50% of responders, the optimal mean energy delivered was 219 J (anterior) and 51 J (middle) for Group A, and 332 J (anterior) and 60 J (middle) for Group B. Postoperative complications were minimal. BITR is a safe and effective office-based procedure for medically refractory CR. To optimize outcomes, we recommend energy settings of approximately 219 J (anterior) and 51 J (middle) for moderate hypertrophy, and 332 J (anterior) and 60 J (middle) for severe hypertrophy.

Hearing impairment is a frequent human sensory impairment. It was estimated that over 50% of those aged >75 years experience hearing impairment in the United States. Several hearing impairment–related factors are detectable through screening; thus, further deterioration can be avoided. Early identification of hearing impairment is the key to effective management. However, hearing screening resources are scarce or inaccessible, underlining the importance of developing user-friendly mobile health care systems for universal hearing screening. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) act as platforms for personalized hearing screening to evaluate an individual’s risk of developing hearing impairment. We aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests with that of standard air conduction and bone conduction pure-tone audiometry tests. Moreover, we evaluated the use of smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests in conductive hearing loss diagnosis. We recruited 103 patients (206 ears) from an otology clinic. All patients were aged ≥20 years. Patients who were diagnosed with active otorrhea was excluded. Moderate hearing impairment was defined as hearing loss with mean hearing thresholds >40 dB. All patients underwent four hearing tests performed by a board-certified audiologist: a smartphone-based air conduction audiometry self-test, smartphone-based bone conduction audiometry self-test, standard air-conduction pure-tone audiometry, and standard bone conduction pure-tone audiometry. We compared and analyzed the results of the smartphone-based air conduction and bone conduction audiometry self-tests with those of the standard air conduction and bone conduction pure-tone audiometry tests. The sensitivity of the smartphone-based air conduction audiometry self-test was 0.80 (95% confidence interval CI = 0.71–0.88) and its specificity was 0.84 (95% CI = 0.76–0.90), respectively. The sensitivity of the smartphone-based bone conduction audiometry self-test was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.53–0.75) and its specificity was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.62–0.78). Among all the ears, 24 were diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. The smartphone-based audiometry self-tests correctly diagnosed conductive hearing loss in 17 of those ears. The personalized smartphone-based audiometry self-tests correctly diagnosed hearing loss with high sensitivity and high specificity, and they can be a reliable screening test to rule out moderate hearing impairment among the population. It provided patients with moderate hearing impairment with personalized strategies for symptomatic control and facilitated individual case management for medical practitioners.

As part of the new measures to prevent the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), medical students were advised to wear a mask in class and avoid touching their faces. Few studies have analyzed the influence of health education on the frequency of face- and smartphone-touching behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research compared the frequency of in-class face- and smartphone-touching behaviors of medical students before and after the delivery of personal hygiene education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A behavioral observational study was conducted involving medical students at Taipei Medical University. Eighty medical students were recruited during a lecture on otorhinolaryngology. All medical students were required to wear a mask. Their face- and smartphone-touching behavior was observed by viewing the 4 k resolution video tape recorded in class. The recording lasted for 2 h, comprising 1 h prior to the health educational reminder and 1 h afterwards. The frequencies of hand-to-face contact and hand-to-smartphone contact were analyzed before and after the delivery of health education emphasizing personal hygiene. Comprehensive health education and reminders effectively reduce the rate of face- and smartphone-touching behaviors.