With over two decades of experience, Dr. Rebecca Heywood brings global training, deep expertise in hearing and balance disorders, and a personal touch to every patient she sees. We sat down with her to learn more about what drives her passion for ENT and what patients can expect when they step into her consult room. What drew you to ENT — and…
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Many people believe that earwax is a sign of poor hygiene and should be regularly removed. However, Dr. Chris Hobbs clarifies, “Please don’t try to clean your ears! Earwax is not a sign of uncleanliness or poor self-care.” In fact, earwax, or cerumen, plays a crucial role in maintaining ear health. What Does Earwax Do? Earwax serves several important functions: Common Misconceptions…
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Understanding Ear Infections in Children Ear infections are a common concern for children and are generally categorized into two types: infections within the ear canal and those behind the eardrum (middle ear infections). Ear canal infections often result from activities like self-cleaning of earwax after swimming or showering. Middle ear infections, on the other hand, usually occur as a complication of colds…
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Dr. Chris Hobbs, an experienced ENT specialist, shares insights into his journey in medicine, common conditions he treats, and his approach to patient care. Get to know more about Dr. Hobbs’ career, memorable moments, and tips for maintaining your ear, nose, and throat health. What inspired you to specialize in ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) medicine? I was inspired to specialise in…
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Tinnitus, that persistent ringing in the ears, can be more than just an annoyance. For many, it disrupts daily life, interfering with sleep, concentration, and even emotional well-being. Tinnitus is a symptom often indicating underlying issues with the ear, ranging from hearing loss to ear infections. Understanding the root cause is key to finding effective tinnitus treatment. Common causes The first step…
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What’s the relationship between ear wax and armpits? Intrigued? To understand ear wax, we need to first understand our skin. Why? Because our ear canals are completely lined by skin; ear wax arises from this skin

Fungal ear infections are common in humid and warm tropical countries. It is something we commonly see in an ENT Specialist Clinic. These infections typically cause blockage, itching, and pain. There is usually an accumulation of dead skin and fungal debris in the ear canal. As fungal ear infections are less common than bacterial ear infections, many GPs will prescribe antibiotic ear…
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Tinnitus or ringing in the ears is a subjective perception of noise. It is very common and I suspect most people would have suffered from tinnitus – albeit briefly – at some point in their lives. The most common form of tinnitus is a high-pitched ringing – the sound of crickets at night. Some people sense a humming or hissing. Tinnitus may…
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Seek a second opinion if your ENT surgeon says this! Unfortunately there is a multitude of myths surrounding common ENT conditions that cause unnecessary anxiety amongst our patients and their parents. We often see patients for a second opinion in our clinic when they have had treatments proposed for their ENT condition. The following is a list of common misleading messages that…
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Blocked ears are a common problem that we often see in our clinic. There are a variety of reasons why someone may suffer from blocked ears. Some of these are fairly benign such as ear wax impaction but some of them may be due to a more serious cause such as sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Most often patients come to us when…
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