What Does an ENT Specialist Do?

An ENT Specialist or Otolaryngologist is a doctor who deals with ear, nose and throat disorders. An ENT specialist can also be consulted if there is a problem in regions like head and neck. Many people are unaware of what an ENT Specialist really does or when they should consult with an ENT Specialist. Let’s break down about why booking an appointment with an ENT Specialist can prevent your next ear, nose, and throat, head or neck issue.

What do ENT specialists do?

An ENT Specialist has to go through medical graduate school in order to learn the basics of medicine. Later a board certificate test is required for a medical graduate to specify his specialty training. An ENT specialist is certified in both surgical and clinical management. Some of their main sub-specialties treatments include;

1. Conditions of the ear - if there is a loss of hearing, hurtful ear infections, a sudden loss of balance, tinnitus (ringing in your ears), pain in your ear, and swollen jaw after ear pain started, all of such conditions treatments start with visiting an ENT specialist. An ENT Specialist is also able to treat disorders that you are born with.
2. Nose Problems - people who have sinuses, have nasal cavity issues and have problems which hinders their ability to smell, breathe and distorts their overall physical appearance can also consult an ENT specialist. As mentioned earlier an ENT specialist can also perform surgery, therefore an ENT specialist can easily perform nose surgeries.
3. Conditions of the Throat - throat infections are common, however I can severely affect your ability to talk, sing, eat and swallow. In severe throat cases a patient can develop tonsils or inflammation of throat glands.  With an ENT specialist around, you can get the help you want for diagnosis, management and treatment of your throat problems.
4. Head and neck conditions - apart from the main specialties, ENT doctor is also well-trained in treating diseases, tumors, trauma and deformities of the neck, head and face. Usually when a person has an ear infection another common symptom that follows ear pain is swollen jaw and throat pain. Most people would consult a general physician for that cause, when in general an ENT specialist would be the right person to consult your problems. An ENT specialist can also manage problems with the nerves in the head, neck which in return affect your ability of sight, smell, hear and facial movement.
   

What Other Specialties and ENT Specialists include?

An ENT Specialist is trained in the following areas

• Pediatric Otolaryngology (ENT Specialization in childcare health issues)
• Otology/ neurology/audiology (specializing in ears, maintain body balance and tinnitus)
• Allergy
• Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeries
• Head and neck surgery ( specializing in treating the tumors of head and neck)
• Laryngology (specializing in throat, vice and swallowing related issues)
• Rhinology (specializing in sinus and nose cavity)
  

If you have sleep issues, some ENT specialists are also certified in treating patients with sleep medications.

When should you see an ENT Specialist?

1. You took a head, nose or throat injury. It may not seem like a big deal at the start however as the pain starts to develop, the problem may have gone completely out of hands. At times internal injuries become more severe than any external injuries. Therefore it is important for you to rush to a doctor right away.
2. Constantly bugging nerves in your throat, nose or ear- nerves are one of the most sensitive parts of your body, if you feel painful nerves or throbbing nerves every now and then, you must consult an ENT specialist right away.
3. You are constantly losing your balance and your primary care physician does not know what the issue really is. This can be an indication that something may be troubling your nerves.
4. When you feel inflamed throat glands coupled with severe coughing, and throat pain. This is a direction indicating tonsil or adenoid infection of your throat.
5. You feel sharp pain in your ear after your second visit to the swimming pool- this may be an indication of having a swimmer’s ear.
6. Your breathing is becoming more shallow and painful with time- an ENT doctor can help you figure out what is bothering your breathing patterns.
7. A sudden uncalled for asthma attack- asthma attacks are usually triggered when allergies attack your immune system.
8. Hearing and Smell Problems- if you are going through the flu you might experience a little at loss for your hearing and smell problems. However if it persists for no reason then you should definitely reach out to your doctor immediately.
   

You can also look for the following signs and symptoms

• Nasal congestion
•  Nose bleed
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Unexplained Hair Loss
• Unexplained tumor/lump in your ears, nose or throat
• Deviated Septum
• Unexplained drooping of your eyelids
• Constant nerve pressure
• Persistent headaches
• Abrupt Nosebleeds
• Cleft Palate
  

Understanding your symptoms gives you a better insight about which specialist should you approach for your problems. If you are facing any of the problems above without any indirect related disease, you should immediately consult your primary doctor whether an ENT Specialist may be required for your condition.

Q. What is an ENT specialist called?

An ENT specialist called Otolaryngologist  trained specially for head and neck disorders. In order to provide proper care to patient who have ear, nose, neck, head problems.