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Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy, one of Florida’s leading providers of treatment for allergies, draws patients from all over the state. For Seminole County residents, it’s easy to take advantage of this state-of-the-art center right in our own back yard.
Founded and led by Dr. Cecelia Damask, a board-certified otolaryngologist, Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy provides diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of conditions. It houses three distinct departments: Lake Mary Hearing Center, the Allergy Department and Dr. Damask’s private practice dedicated to the medical treatment of disorders of the ears, nose and throat.
Lake Mary Hearing Center is staffed by a state-licensed audiologist who has a doctorate in audiology. Specializing in hearing and balance disorders, he works directly with Dr. Damask to properly diagnose patients’ ear complaints and help find solutions that work for them.
“If a patient calls our office with an ear complaint, like decreased hearing or ringing in the ears, we are able to fully evaluate them on their first visit with me because we have the hearing center in-house,” says Dr. Damask, “We are able to do an audiogram (ear function test) with the audiologist that same day so that we can better diagnose the patient.”
Once Dr. Damask rules out medical causes for hearing loss or ringing in the ears, patients can discuss treatment solutions with Lake Mary Hearing Center’s audiologist. According to Dr. Damask, “It is imperative that patients receive medical clearance from an otolaryngologist before purchasing hearing aids or other hearing instruments. Most hearing-aid stores are only staffed by salespeople who are unable to rule out potential serious medical causes for hearing loss like an acoustic neuroma, which is a tumor on the hearing nerve; a cholesteatoma, which is a tumor in the middle ear; or otosclerois.”
Staffers at Lake Mary Hearing Center care deeply about people with hearing loss. They take pride in their patient-centered approach to caring for and meeting each patient's individual needs. These professionals are passionate about increasing the quality of patients' lives through improved hearing.
Kathy Hayworth, the coordinator for Lake Mary Hearing Center, tears up when she relates the story of how hearing aids helped one of the patients. “Mrs. X was asked to be a deacon in her church. She turned the position down because she was afraid that she would be unable to fulfill her duties because of her hearing loss. After she was evaluated by Dr. Damask and medically cleared for hearing aids, she worked closely with our audiologist to find the perfect hearing aids for her lifestyle. Two weeks after she got her new hearing aids, she had more confidence and she accepted the position to be a deacon in her church. She didn’t let her hearing loss hold her back!”
The technology behind hearing aids has seen major advances in recent years.
“Hearing aids have changed a lot,” says Dr. Damask. “Most people still have preconceived ideas of the bulky, poorly functioning hearing aids from the 1990s. That misconception couldn’t be farther from the truth. Just as cell phones have come a long way since the 1990s, so too have hearing aids.”
Today’s hearing aids are small, smart and sophisticated. They deliver enormous sound quality and comfort. From intimate conversations to music to laughter, today’s hearing aids bring back the sounds people have been missing. New technology also allows hearing aids to work easily with other devices, including cell phones and MP3 players
The Allergy Department is another cutting-edge division of Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy. Dr. Damask was one of the first physicians in Florida to offer allergy drops as a treatment option. “We have patients that come to our office from Sarasota, Miami and Jacksonville because we have more experience than anyone else in Central Florida with allergy drops,” she says. Allergy drops are a safe, convenient alternative to traditional weekly allergy shots in the doctor’s office.
“I am always amazed at how many people are unfamiliar with immunotherapy, whether in the form of allergy shots or allergy drops,” says Dr. Damask. “Most new patients to our office are unaware that they can eliminate their allergies with immunotherapy. Medications such as Claritin and nasal sprays only cover up the symptoms of allergies and only work while a patient is on them. Immunotherapy will build up a patient’s tolerance to the things to which they are allergic so that the patient can then be exposed to those things and no longer have symptoms and no longer need medications.
“The other thing that always baffles me is how many patients and parents are unaware that treating a patient’s allergies with immunotherapy will help with various allergy-related conditions like asthma, eczema, sinus infections and ear infections,” says Dr. Damask. “Most parents with a child with asthma are unaware of the link between allergies and asthma. Studies have shown that treating a child’s allergies can help lessen or in some cases eliminate the need for asthma medications.”
Another reason why people come from far and near is Dr. Damask herself and her private practice dedicated to the medical treatment of disorders of the ears, nose and throat. Before going to medical school, she was a high school teacher and she has brought her penchant for education with her into her medical practice. She sits down at length with each patient and carefully explains diagnoses and treatment options.
“It is inevitable,” says Dr. Damask, who taught chemistry, algebra and world history for several years. “If you have a teaching background, you can’t help but teach. I think it is important that the patient understands their disease and the disease process.”
The other special quality about Dr. Damask’s private practice is that it focuses on the medical treatment of disorders of the ears, nose and throat. Dr. Damask is a trained surgeon who prefers to focus on non-surgical treatment options for her patients. “I have found that, oftentimes, maximizing medical treatment options can help a patient avoid surgery,” says Dr. Damask. “I think that my patients appreciate the fact that I am not knife-happy and will give them an honest opinion as to whether or not there are other treatment options for them besides surgery.” Dr. Damask does admit however, that for some patients, surgery is the only option. In these cases, Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy has a surgeon who does consults with Dr. Damask’s patients on Fridays in the Lake Mary office.
“I love what I do,” says Dr. Damask. “The most gratifying thing for me is when a patient comes back to me after treatment from our office, whether it is allergy shots or drops, new hearing aids from the audiologist, or even surgery from our surgeon and tells me, ‘You have given me my life back!’ ”
Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy is located at 795 Primera Blvd., Suite 1031 in Lake Mary. Visit www.lakemaryallergy.com or call 407-829-8981 to schedule a consultation.
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Do you need a hearing test? The staff at Lake Mary Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy recommends asking yourself the following questions:
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may need to have your hearing checked by an audiologist. Call 407-829-8981 for an appointment.
