[Environmental health in ENT medicine]

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of human diseases. This review article deals with the impact of physical and chemical environmental pollutants on the development of various diseases in otorhinolaryngology.

Data were obtained from textbooks, review articles, original publications, medical databases, internet searches, and publications of various German and international agencies and organizations concerned with environmental health.

Environmental pollutants are important contributing factors in the etiology of head and neck diseases. Health effects include hearing loss due to noisy leisure time activities and cardiovascular diseases due to traffic noise, impairment of hearing and equilibrium induced by various compounds, odor annoyance and olfactory disturbances, irritation and alterations of respiratory mucosa, acute and chronic inflammatory and allergic diseases of the upper airways and the middle ear, disorders of the voice and larynx, and head and neck tumors.

Environmental medicine may play an increasingly important role in the prevention of head and neck diseases. It requires a considerable toxicological and epidemiological qualification. However, the contribution of specialists well familiar with the complex anatomy, physiology and functional diagnosis of organ systems located in the head and neck are essential for the reliable assessment of environmental diseases in otorhinolaryngology.