Dr. Theodore Fetter
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery
Vienna, VA
52 years experience male
About
Bio
Otology, Neurotology
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
29 Answers
5 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 27-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Possible migraine: Do you have a history of migraine/ migraine headaches or a strong family history of migraine disease? If you do that should be evaluated as a possible... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
407 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Yes: Oral decongestant pill(pseudo ephedrine) and nasal decongestant spray (oxymetazoline) will help relieve congestion from cold and associated ear conges... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Probably not: Ear canal wax is normal. Some have more, some less, sometimes more in one ear than the other. For normal ear (no hole in eardrum, no ear canal infect... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
EAR/ENT MD ear exam: Ear pain can come from many causes. If you have a distinct episode of ear pain, you may have a middle or outer ear infection. If you are having mul... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Effective for mild: Bonine (meclizine) is effective for mild to moderate vertigo. For severe vertigo, other medicines are better. An advantage of bonine is that is is ot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Positional vertigo: Short spells of vertigo (spinning) lasting seconds are often due to benign positional vertigo. May occur after head trauma or viral infection. May go... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
I don't recommend it: I don't recommend an unknown oil for dryness or any other ear condition. You need a reason (diagnosis) and then a treatment. A possible cause may be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Audio gram, see ENT : You need a clinical audio gram (hearing test), and see an ENT md. Md can help you get the audio gram.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Yes: Ear drainage, especially if chronic & with a hole in eardrum can indicate chronic mid ear infection, & possible infected mid ear growth (cholesteatoma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Possibly yes: Auricle (outer ear) infection can cause nearby lymph node swelling. Auricle skin or cartilage infection from cartilage piercing is high risk. See an o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Yes: Pregnancy often causes increased engorgement (swelling) of the mucous membranes of the ears/nose causing eustachian tube/ear blockage, mid ear fluid, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
May be skin allergy!: Neosporin is a common OTC skin antibiotic, but it has a moderate incidence of cutaneous (skin) sensitization/ allergy. Cleanse the cut site with cle... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
519 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Rec: ear MD exam & a: Suspect that you may have scar tissue or adhesions from a past history of middle ear infection or injury. Recommend ear md microscope exam of ear and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
It may, but slowly!: It may, but very slowly. More significant is why do you have dried blood in your ear canal. Do you have a history of eardrum perforation, chronic ear ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
520 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Very unlikely!: Very unlikely for ear/headphones to rupture normal eardrums. Eardrum damage would require an overpressure (blast) effect which would not be caused by ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
526 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Protect ear from H2O: First step is to protect your child's ears from water (especially bath water). Use soft silicone moldable ears plugs ( OTC). Water protection is a so... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Referred pain to ear: Throat pain when swallowing sounds like the main problem: possible infection, acid reflux, irritation or trauma from swallowing something hard or shar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Perilymph fistula?: Did you have a vaginal delivery? Was your labor particularly long or difficult? Recommend ENT/ Otologist MD evaluation for possible perilymphatic
(In... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
400 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Unilateral (one ear) tinnitus requires a full clinical audiogram, and ear MD (otology/ENT) evaluation and possible imaging of nerves to inner ears to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered May 28, 2021
A 17-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Blood work may not be helpful, except for acute mid ear infection. If your MD exam of eardrums is normal, then consider suspicion of jaw joint dysfunc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered May 28, 2021
A 36-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Yes: Manufacturer is warranting 100% effectiveness until expiration date. There may be a very small/gradual decrease in effectiveness after expiration dat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
A 45-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Usually, no; but may: A boil in the ear (skin of the ear canal) , a furuncle, can be painful, but would usually not cause vertigo (spinning). While vertigo can be interpret... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Information is vague: Your information is too nonspecific to provide much information. Recommend that you see a physician, preferably an ear/ ear-nose-throat physician so ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Canal skin & eardrum: Exam of the ear views the skin of the ear canal and the eardrum. Canal skin can be swollen and/or inflamed due to various types of infections which ca... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Many possible reason: Many reasons for ear pain: ear trauma, several distinct types of outer and middle ear infections, and referred pain to the ear from throat or jaw prob... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Possibly, yes: Strong possibility if you have been out in the sun, especially if for a long duration. Many hats, e.g. ballcaps do not protect the ears. And tops of ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Referred ear pain: A source of primary throat pain or discomfort can commonly also cause referred ear pain because of some overlap between the nerves to the throat that ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 63-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Tinnitus, need exam: If the other ear problems are resolved, you may have tinnitus. You need ENT MD re-exam of ears to make sure prior problems are solved. If they are, th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:

Dr. Theodore Fetteranswered
52 years experience
Allergies and head pressure may indicate you may have middle ear fluid/congestion from allergy. Try OTC allergy pill (e.g. Zyrtec, Allegra, or generic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered May 28, 2021
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
26
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Fetter is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Fetter is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
This was very helpful. Thanks!
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply!
HealthTap member
This was helpful..
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, PA
Graduated 1971MD
Awards
Top Otolaryngologist, Second Place, Virginia - Spring
2017
Top Otolaryngologist, Second Place, Virginia - Fall
2017
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