ENT Surgeon
About specialty
Medical management of conditions of the head and neck
What does ENT mean
ENT is an abbreviation of Ears, Nose and Throat. ENT doctor is a surgeon who specialises in head and neck diseases. He diagnoses and treats problems in nose, throat, larynx and ears as well as problems with hearing, balance, sense of smell or taste.
Scope of treatment is very wide and includes many diseases. ENT surgeon performs tests which help to detect early malignancy in the throat, larynx or tongue. He also tests hearing and diagnoses balance problems in adult and children.
ENT surgeon - scope of treatment
- nosebleeds
- throat and larynx inflammation
- sinusitis
- hearing problems
- middle ear problems (hearing loss in children, chronic otitis media)
- enlarged adenoid and tonsils
- tonsillitis
- sleep apnoea
- Meniere’s disease
- otosclerosis
- glue ear
- nose polyps
- nasal septum deviation
- changes in vocal cords and larynx
- salivary glands
- neck lumps and thyroid swelling
- other head and neck problems
- dizziness
Some of the above can be only treated surgically in a hospital environment. We don’t perform any surgical procedures in our clinic.
When to see an ENT specialist
We should make an appointment in an ENT clinic if we're experiencing any of the symptoms:
- tinnitus, earache, hearing loss, deafness, sensation of a blocked ear
- persistent sore throat, hoarse voice, pain or difficulty swallowing, snoring
- chronic rhinitis, blocked nose, nosebleeds, pus discharge from the nose
- vertigo
- neck and/or head lumps
We should also see this specialist when our child suffers from recurrent throat infections, breathing problems, chronic nasal blockage disturbing a good night sleep or causing sleep apnoea.
ENT consultation
On your consultation doctor will ask about your symptoms, your medical history, general condition and medications taken. He will then perform a physical examination of your nose, throat, ears and neck. Depending on your problem you can have an additional examination such as nasendoscopy (examination with a flexible camera of your nose, postnasal space and larynx), hearing test or tympanometry.
ENT treatment
ENT treatment depends on the disease and its presentation in each patient. Usually as a treatment ENT surgeon can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as oral or topical steroids, antihistamines or antibiotics.
Some ENT problems require surgical intervention. Therefore, you shouldn’t postpone consultation with the ENT surgeon if experiencing any troublesome symptoms.
