Why Should You See an ENT Doctor?

When you are dealing with an issue with your ear, nose or throat, your regular practitioner will often refer you to an ENT doctor. An ENT doctor specializes in these three areas specifically, and whether it’s a deviated septum, tonsillitis or an issue with your hearing, they may be able to help. An ENT doctor treats conditions that affect the ears, nose, throat, mouth and sinuses and they can even advise on issues relating to the neck. Your ENT doctor is the best person to turn to if you are dealing with any of the above areas, and below, we’ve listed why an appointment with your ENT doctor may be right for you!

Recurrent sinus infections

The sinuses are located in the bones behind your nose and around your eyes. There should be a thin layer of mucus in the sinus which filters the air that we breathe, draining through your nose. When the mucus is blocked, infections begin and they cannot drain out. This leads to congestion and pressure in the face. With the help of an ENT doctor, you can get those common infections treated and diagnosed correctly. Viruses and bacteria can also cause sinusitis and your ENT doctor can explain how to keep them at bay when they prescribe you the medication you need.

Laryngitis

A hoarse voice that feels sore and strained is a sign of laryngitis. When you are dealing with a cold, a throat infection is likely but if this is something that is lasting for some time, an ENT doctor can look for the source of the problem. Your ENT can look deeper and see whether the cause of the pain is laryngitis or if it’s something else, and it’s not something you should delay doing. Any issues with your voice, including pressure or growths, can be monitored and helped by an ENT doctor. They will examine your voice box to work out what the root cause of the laryngitis is before determining the best way to treat it.

Hearing loss

An ENT doctor can advise you on what to do if you are dealing with hearing loss. Any muffled sounds or trouble hearing people around you, ringing in the ears and intermittent crackling can all be signs of hearing loss. Wax build-up in the ears can also make hearing a difficult task and that doesn’t matter how old you are. If you are handling ear infections and headaches, hearing loss could be a result. Your ENT doctor can diagnose and treat the issue, which can involve cleaning the ears and using surgery to repair an injury to the ear. It could also mean prescribing a hearing aid.

Sleep apnea

A lot of people snore, but if your snoring is causing you disruptive sleep and you are waking a lot in the night, you may be dealing with sleep apnea. An ENT doctor can help you with sleep devices to keep your airways open and talk you through the right lifestyle changes to prevent sleep apnea entirely.