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The doctors at Amherst ENT receive referrals from previous and current patients, and from doctors all over the Western New York area and Southern Ontario.

Patients with recurrent sinus infections, stuffy nose, facial pain and pressure and particularly pain above and around the eye, may have more than just a simple sinus infection.  Their symptoms may be caused by an anatomical obstruction of the sinuses and nasal passages.

If your sinus condition continues to not respond to your doctor’s care or if antibiotics and other treatments only provide temporary relief, you may have a sinus condition that is easily fixable by our doctors through medical interventions and in some cases minor surgical interventions. Our doctors will be able to see into those areas of your nose and sinuses that are causing you difficulty. Once the problem area is identified, treatment plans can be developed.

Many patients have had previous X-rays and CT scans of their sinuses that have been read by the radiologist as normal.  The doctors at Amherst ENT always request that patients bring their X-rays in to the office with them for their appointment. Often, Dr. Zimmer and Dr. Chmiel can find the cause of a patient’s symptoms by reviewing the X-rays personally with the patient.

Learn more about sinusitis symptoms, causes, and treatment or deviated septum treatment in Western New York.

Many patients have recurrent headaches around one or the other eye and above the nose. These headaches are often associated with changes in the weather, and many patients report they can predict a thunderstorm. A small but substantial minority of patients experience chronic daily headaches, which significantly impacts the quality of their lives.

How We Help Our Patients
If you have persistent sinus type headaches and have already had more serious forms of headaches ruled out by your doctor or a neurologist, Dr. Zimmer and Dr. Chmiel can perform a simple test when you have a headache to see if you have a “sinus headache.” Even if you have already had an MRI or other X- Ray of the head and sinuses that has been read as normal, the doctors at Amherst ENT can sometimes find subtle abnormalities that can contribute to your headaches. See below for the science behind nasal headaches.

More Information

Lightening May Affect Headache, Migraines

Having a raspy, hoarse voice is not only annoying, but can also be serious. If your voice is persistently hoarse, our doctors can get a close up look at your vocal cords. In some cases, using our special video stroboscopy equipment, we can show you pictures or video of the delicate membranes of your vocal cords.

Remember, hoarseness can be an early warning sign of a more serious health condition. Only an ear, nose and throat doctor can diagnose the cause of your hoarseness and get you started on the appropriate treatment path.

For our Canadian patients, if you can’t get an appointment with your ENT doctor right away, don’t wait several months if your voice is not quite right, make your appointment for this week- and get peace of mind that nothing more serious is going on. With some serious vocal cord conditions “treatment delayed is treatment denied.”

Our offices offer comprehensive evaluation of your ears and hearing. Our services include ear wax removal, hearing testing, evaluation and medical and surgical evaluation of disorders of the ear.

Sudden Hearing Loss is a medical emergency. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), sometimes called sudden deafness, is an unexplained, rapid loss of hearing — either all at once or over the course of a few days — that most often affects only one ear. Many people first notice it upon waking, when they try to use a phone against the affected ear, or after a loud “pop” right before their hearing drops. It can also come with a feeling of fullness in the ear, dizziness, or ringing (tinnitus).

It is easy to mistake sudden hearing loss for allergies, a sinus infection, or a plugged ear, but according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, sudden hearing loss should always be treated as a medical emergency. Roughly half of patients recover some or all of their hearing on their own, usually within one to two weeks, but delaying diagnosis and treatment lowers the odds of recovery. Treatment — most often corticosteroids, given orally — is most effective when started within days of onset and is far less likely to help if delayed more than two to four weeks.

If you lose your hearing suddenly in one or both ears, do not wait to see if it improves on its own. Call our office right away for an evaluation.

Our doctors are Board Certified in Otology.

Information about sleep apnea and sleep disorders can be found in almost every newspaper and magazine and many television and radio ads.  Many patients have had sleep studies performed on them and have been told that CPAP (a mask worn at night) is the only treatment available for them. Some have been fitted with masks that cover their entire face, and many others report that no one has ever gone over their sleep study with them and explained to them the details of the report.

The doctors at Amherst ENT can explain the sleep study to patients in terms they can understand. We also perform a full head and neck exam on sleep apnea patients and in many cases can help find the site of the obstruction. Treatment can then be tailored to each individual.

Sometimes, the reason a patient cannot tolerate nasal CPAP is because of a nasal obstruction. Many patients prefer to have their nose opened either with medical or in some cases surgical interventions, instead of going to the full face mask.          

What is tongue tie and how can I tell if my baby has it?

Tongue-tie is a condition in which the thin piece of skin under the baby’s tongue (the lingual frenulum) is abnormally short and may restrict movement of the tongue tip. Tongue-tie can interfere with a baby’s ability to suck efficiently at the breast or with a bottle.

Indication of a tongue-tie:

• the baby fails to gain weight
• a clicking sound may be heard while the baby is feeding
• the baby often loses suction while feeding and sucks in air
• tongue cannot protrude beyond the baby’s lips
• tongue cannot be moved sideways
• tongue tip may be notched or heart-shaped
• nipple pain/damage after breast feeding

Assessment

Dr. James Chmiel has worked with local lactation consultants and he will conduct a thorough assessment of infant tongue mobility to determine whether release is required. If the frenulum is thin and the baby is less than 4 months old, the frenulum can be released as an outpatient procedure without any anesthesia.

Tongue-tie release

The release of a tongue-tie involves the doctor placing a finger and thumb under the baby’s tongue to gain clear access to the frenulum. The frenulum is released with a small pair of sterile scissors. Discomfort and bleeding are typically minimal, and after the procedure a baby can immediately try feeding again. The feed will be assessed by both the mother and the clinician.

If your baby is having trouble breast feeding or you notice any signs or symptoms of tongue-tie, please call the office.  We will be happy to provide an appointment for your baby right away.

Amherst ENT offers “in office” or “in surgery” Image-Guided Balloon Sinuplasty procedure. To learn more, please visit out Balloon Sinuplasty page

After your procedure, you will recover in our comfortable, private Recovery Suite. Each suite is designed with your comfort in mind, featuring a plush reclining chair, soft ambient lighting, and continuous monitoring by our clinical staff, so you can rest at your own pace before heading home. A family member or friend is welcome to sit with you while you recover.