You make an appointment with your primary care physician because of recurrent dizzy spells you’ve been experiencing and, after a full examination, your doctor refers you to an Otolaryngologist. Seeing the confused look on your face, your doctor clarifies by telling you that Otolaryngologists, or ENTs, treat conditions and diseases of the human body from the neck up, whether it be in the mouth, nose, or the ears, and include essentially everything except for the eyes and brain.
Many consider this area of specialized medicine to be one of the oldest forms of medicine practiced in the U.S. An Ear Nose And Throat Doctor is trained to diagnose, treat, and perform surgery for disorders and diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. Some of the conditions treated by ENT doctors include:
- Ears -; Some form of hearing loss affects one in every people in the United States. ENT’s are the only doctors specifically trained to treat, both medically and surgically, hearing, balance disorders, ear disorders, and infections. Some of the most common disorders treated by the doctors at are swimmers ear (infection of the outer ear canal), ringing or tinnitus in the ear, chronic otitis media (chronic infection of the middle ear), and cranial or facial nerve conditions.
- Nose -; Chronic nasal problems, specifically a condition called sinusitis, affects more than 30-million individuals every year. An ENT doctor also treats nasal obstructions and allergies. Many of these conditions have an impact on the nasal cavity, nose, and sinuses causing problems with the sense of smell, breathing, and even physical appearance.
- Throat -; Otolaryngologists often deal with patients having difficulty swallowing, tonsillitis, enlarged adenoids, and voice problems. An otolaryngologist also performs surgery on the vocal chords to remove lesions or on the thyroid gland, removing part or all of it. They treat heartburn and related conditions such as GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
An Ear Nose And Throat Doctor can be thought of as a cross between a primary care doctor and a surgeon, as they not only diagnose problems but can also offer surgical solutions without having to refer the patient to a surgeon. One of the unique aspects of this profession is that they often treat patients from the time they are born until their death.
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