Why I write this site

Most of what people worry about with their ears comes down to a handful of problems I see over and over in clinic: wax that is not clearing on its own, ear canal skin that has become too dry, moisture that stays trapped after swimming, and irritation from earbuds or hearing aids. Almost none of it requires putting anything inside the ear canal.

The internet does not reflect that. Search for ear cleaning and you will find candling, peroxide kits, metal scoops, and irrigation bulbs — most of which either do nothing or make the problem worse. I started Safe Ear Care because the same handful of questions kept coming up in the exam room, and because the answers I give patients are simple enough to write down.

I am also a father. A meaningful share of my week is spent explaining ears to parents, and a meaningful share of my evenings is spent being a parent myself. That shapes how this site is written: plain language, no alarmism, and a clear line between what you can reasonably handle at home and what needs an actual examination.

Who I care for

My practice is general otolaryngology with a broad range across ages and conditions. Day to day, that includes:

• Pediatric patients — ear infections, ear tubes, earwax, tonsils and adenoids, and airway concerns, along with the parent conversations that go with them.
• Adults across the full range of ear, nose, and throat complaints.
• Hearing aid users — device fit, canal irritation, feedback, and the wax management issues that come with wearing something in the ear every day.
• Patients with eczema and other dermatologic skin conditions of the ear canal, where the canal skin itself is the problem and aggressive cleaning is exactly the wrong instinct.
• Chronic ear problems — recurrent infections, persistent drainage, eardrum perforations, and ears that never quite settle.
• Nasal and sinus surgery patients, including chronic sinusitis and nasal obstruction.
• Obstructive sleep apnea patients, including surgical management of the upper airway.

The eczema and hearing aid patients are the reason this site is so insistent about gentle, single-ingredient oils over peroxide and alcohol. When someone’s canal skin is already inflamed, a drying agent is not a neutral choice.

Training

• Doctor of Medicine — University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
• General Surgery Internship — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Residency, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery — University of California, San Diego

I have cared for ENT patients at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Concord, New Hampshire; Sanford Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota; and West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom.

Research

My peer-reviewed work spans pediatric otolaryngology, airway surgery, and ear disease. The through-line has been the pediatric airway — specifically, how to hold a collapsing or narrowed airway open in a child without leaving hardware behind that the child will outgrow.

That question led to my research on absorbable airway stents. Conventional silicone and metal airway stents carry real morbidity: granulation tissue, migration, mucus plugging, and the fundamental problem that a rigid stent does not grow with a growing child, so it eventually has to come out in another procedure. A bioresorbable stent scaffolds the airway while it remodels and then dissolves, which removes the retrieval operation from the equation entirely. My work in this area has included systematic review of bioresorbable intraluminal stents in pediatric tracheobronchial obstruction, and work on resorbable airway splints alongside 3D reconstruction and printing of the airway in tracheobronchomalacia.

A full and current list of publications is available on my Google Scholar profile.

Inventions and patents

Two of the airway problems I kept running into in the operating room turned into devices.

The Glottic Slide

A device for difficult intubations. When a patient’s anatomy makes the vocal cords hard to visualize, intubation becomes a timed problem with a narrowing margin for error. The Glottic Slide is designed to make that pathway more reliable in exactly the situations where conventional technique struggles. United States Patent US 12,599,738 B1.

The Expandable Tracheostomy Tube

A tracheostomy tube whose diameter can be changed in situ — adjusted while it remains in the patient, without exchanging the tube. Standard practice is to swap tubes when a patient’s needs change, and every exchange carries risk: loss of the airway, false passage, bleeding, and distress for the patient. A tube that resizes in place removes a recurring hazard from tracheostomy care.

How I approach content on this site

The guidance here is deliberately conservative, and it does not change based on what is being sold:

• Gentle, single-ingredient oil drops — mineral, coconut, olive — over peroxide, carbamide peroxide, and alcohol-based products.
• Never cotton swabs, ear candles, or any object in the ear canal.
• After water exposure, drain and towel-dry the outer ear only.
• See a physician for ear pain, drainage, bleeding, sudden hearing changes, severe dizziness, or a blockage that will not clear.

That position is standard otolaryngology, consistent with the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery clinical practice guideline on cerumen impaction. Articles cite their sources, and every one carries the date it was last medically reviewed.

Disclosure

I am the founder of Oto Anthro (Otolaryngological Anthropology), the company that makes Auil Mineral Oil Ear Drops, Coconut Auil Ear Drops, and Olive Auil Ear Drops. Those products are recommended on this site and SafeEarCare.com provides links to Amazon for purchase. That is a material financial relationship, and I disclose it plainly to remain transparent.

The clinical position predates the product.

Contact

Questions about the site or its content? Email info@safeearcare.com or call +1 352-234-4008. Please do not send personal medical details — I cannot provide individual medical advice by email.

For more about the site itself — what it covers, its mission, and its editorial standards — see the About page.

The content on SafeEarCare.com is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.