Presentation In allergic rhinitis , patients typically complain of rhinorrhea (“runny nose”), nasal congestion, sneezing, nasal itching, and “itchy eyes.” There may be a problem with sleep disturbance (from nasal congestion), malaise, fatigue, irritability, and neurocognitive deficits. Typically patients with…
Presentation The patient with bacterial pharyngitis complains of a rapid onset of throat pain worsened by swallowing. There is usually sudden onset of the following: fever; pharyngeal erythema; edematous uvula; palatine petechiae ( Fig. 39.1 ); purulent, patchy yellow, gray,…
Presentation The patient experiences ear pain after barotrauma, such as a blow or slap on the ear, an exploding firecracker, a fall while water skiing or during a deep-water dive, or after direct trauma inflicted with a sharp object, such…
Presentation After an upper respiratory tract infection, an episode of acute otitis media (AOM), an airplane flight, or during a bout of allergies, an adult may complain of a feeling of fullness in the ears, an inability to equalize middle…
Presentation In acute otitis media (AOM), adults and older children will complain of ear pain (and/or fever) that is usually rapid in onset. There may or may not be accompanying symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. In the younger child…
Presentation In acute otitis externa (AOE), the patient complains of ear pain, which is always uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable, often accompanied by drainage and a blocked sensation, decreased hearing, and sometimes fever. When the condition is mild or chronic, there…
Presentation After a direct blow to the nose, a patient may present with concern that their nose is broken. There is usually minimal bleeding. There may be tender ecchymotic swelling over the nasal bones or the anterior maxillary spine, and…
Presentation The patient is usually an adolescent or a young adult between the ages of 15 and 25 complaining of several days of fever, malaise, myalgias, and anorexia, culminating in a severe sore throat. The physical examination is remarkable for…
Presentation A child, most often between the ages of 6 months and 3 years (peak incidence 1–2 years, rarely seen >6 years), arrives with a characteristic barking cough that sounds very much like the bark of a seal. The patient…
Presentation Patients may present with the sensation of a foreign body (FB) stuck in their throat. They typically can still feel a sensation in the throat, especially (and perhaps painfully) when swallowing. They may be able to precisely localize the…