Mouth breathing is often overlooked, yet it can significantly impact both ENT (ear, nose, and throat) and oral health. While occasional mouth breathing—such as during a cold—is normal, chronic mouth breathing can indicate underlying issues, such as nasal congestion, allergies, or structural obstructions like a deviated septum. Over time, this habit can lead to a variety of health problems, affecting everything from…
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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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Snoring is extremely common among children. A 2004 study of its prevalence amongst preschool and primary school children in Singapore identified that 28% of children will snore for short episodes, with 6% snoring habitually—meaning for more than three nights a week regularly. Snoring is more common when a child has a cough or cold (upper respiratory tract infection). It is also more…
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If you have consumed cough syrups containing Pholcodine in the past 12 months and are about to go under general anesthesia, make sure you tell your doctors! Pholcodine-containing cough syrups or cough-suppressant lozenges are common in Singapore. These include the Duro-Tuss and Difflam brands which are widely prescribed and consumed. In December 2022, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended that these products…
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Nasal steroid sprays are frequently prescribed but are they truly safe?

Most children snore but a number of them may have disordered breathing at night. Children with sleep disorder breathing should be treated and this enhances their quality of life and general health. Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy are highly effective in treating patients with sleep-disordered breathing. This is a useful patient information page from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) – see…
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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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The tonsils are small almond-sized glands that sit in the throat. They are made up of lymphoid tissue and form part of Waldeyer’s ring. This is a ring of lymphoid tissue that guards the entrance to the throat. The adenoids form part of this ring too. They have a role in the development of a child’s immune system but become redundant as…
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We’ve all had one of those days when our noses feel congested and blocked up with watery secretions and nasal discharge! But what if your blocked and runny nose keeps on happening everyday and just doesn’t seem to go away? Itchy eyes and itchy nose are also some common symptoms of nasal allergy or allergic rhinitis, in addition to the blocked nose…
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