Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) is the medical specialty that focuses on treating ear, nose and throat diseases.
While many of us think of hearing loss, sinus problems or ear infections when we think of ENT, it encompasses much more.
ENT and its allied services provides cares for different types of disorders including hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech and language.
ENT doctors also treat head and neck cancer, and perform reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery.
Hearing disorders
Hearing occurs when sound waves are converted into electric energy, which stimulates internal ear nerves. Finally, the sound travels through nerve pathways up to the brain.
A slight decrease in hearing is normal after the 20 years of age. Audition problems are generally developed gradually and rarely end in complete deafness.
Balance disorders
Vertigo is not a disease itself, but, a symptom that may be due to a large number of diseases, both, the ear and other parts of the body, such as the nervous, digestive, endocrine or muscular systems.
The human body has a system of sensors that keeps the brain informed of the position in which the body is at all times, allowing the maintenance of posture and stability.
In reality, vertigo is a symptom that has to be studied to diagnose to which disease it is due (if possible), because that disease is the one that has to be treated.
Since vertigo is not a disease, it should not be treated as such, but in the context of the disease to which it belongs to.
Throat disorders
Tonsils and adenoids
They are part of the lymphatic system. Tonsils are located in the back of the throat and adenoids are a little above, behind the nose. They help protect the lymphatic system against infections by catching the germs that pass through mouth and nose. Sometimes tonsils and adenoids get infected. Tonsillitis (swollen tonsils) causes pain and tonsil inflammation. Swollen adenoids may be painful, cause difficulty breathing and cause ear problems.
The first treatment for tonsil and adenoid infections are antibiotics. If the infections are frequent or if you have difficulty breathing, you might need surgery. Surgery to remove tonsils is called tonsillectomy. Surgery to remove adenoids is an adenoidectomy.
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer includes cancers in the mouth, nose, Para nasal sinuses, salivary glands, throat and lymph nodes in the neck. It mostly starts in the wet tissues that surround the mouth, nose and throat. The symptoms include:
- A lump or a pain that does not heal
- Sore throat that does not disappear
- Difficulty swallowing
- Voice changes or hoarseness
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. It may be acquired from an infected person that coughs or sneezes. It often affects the nose and throat and causes a very sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, fever and chills. But, if not diagnosed and treated properly, it produces a toxin in the body that can cause serious complications, such as heart failure or paralysis. The vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) can prevent diphtheria, but its protection does not last forever. Adults have to apply a new dose of the vaccine every 10 years. Thanks to the vaccine, diphtheria is a very rare disease in the United States.
Nose disorders
Nose cancer
Para nasal sinuses are small holes located around your nose. Are covered with cells that produces mucus, which in at the same time prevents the nose from becoming dry. The nasal cavity is a tunnel that is located just behind the nose through which air passes on its way to throat when you breathe. Nasal cavity and Para nasal sinuses cancer is rare. Men are more likely than women to have it and most patients are over 45 years of age. Symptoms may not be shown at the beginning of the disease and then they show to be similar to the infectious ones. This means that cancer might not be found until it’s advanced, hampering its treatment. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Nasal diseases
The nose filters the air you breath, eliminating the dust, germs and irritants. It warms and moists the air to prevent that the lungs and the tubes leading to them dry out. The nose also contains nerve cells that provide the sense of smell. When there is a problem in the nose, the whole body can suffer.
Besides getting a cold, many other problems may affect the nose.
Among them:
- Deviated nasal septum: Is a deviation in the wall that divides the nasal cavity in two halves.
- Nasal Polyps: Soft masses that gets developed in nasal or Para nasal sinuses mucose membranes.
- Nosebleeds
- Rhinitis: inflammation of the nose and Para nasal sinuses, often caused by allergies. The principal symptom is a runny nose.
- Sinusitis: Is an infection of Para nasal sinuses. Sinusitis means the presence of an infection or inflammation of Para nasal sinuses. The Para nasal sinuses are hollow spaces where the air passes through the interior of the bones surrounding the nose. They produce a mucus secretion that drains into the nose. If the nose is swollen, Para nasal sinuses might get blocked and cause pain and infection. Sinusitis may be acute and last less than four weeks or chronic, and last much longer. Acute sinusitis often starts with a cold that gets transformed into a bacterial infection. Allergies, pollutants, nasal problems and some diseases might also cause sinusitis. Sinusitis symptoms may include fever, weakness, fatigue, cough and congestion. There may also be mucus drainage in the back of the throat, called retro nasal dripping. The treatment includes antibiotics, decongestants and analgesics. The use of hot towels over the swollen areas, nasal sprays and vaporizers can also help.
Ear disorders
Whistling in the ears
If you frequently hear an annoying sound in the ear, you might have tinnitus. Millions of people in the United States have tinnitus. People with severe tinnitus might have difficulties listening, working or even to sleeping. The causes for tinnitus include the loss of audition, exposure to loud noises or medicines that you may have taken because of another problem. Tinnitus can also be a symptom of other health problems such as allergies, high or low blood pressure, tumors, heart problems, blood vessel problems or jaw and neck problems.
The treatment will depend on the cause. The treatment may include the use of hearing aids, masking noise devices, medicine and learning different ways to deal with the noise.
Otitis media
It is an ear infection. It is an inflammation and/or infection of the middle ear. Acute otitis media (acute middle ear infection) occurs there is a viral or bacterial infection of the middle ear that causes fluid or pus production. Chronic otitis media occurs when the Eustachian tube blocks repeatedly due to allergies, multiple infections, ear trauma or adenoid inflammation.
External otitis
Commonly known as swimming ear. It is an ear infection. It is an external ear canal infection. Since the canal is dark, it keeps warm, so it can be easily infected with bacteria and fungi. External otitis is different from other types of infections that you get in the middle ear.
