ENT is a medical abbreviation for ears, nose, and throat. These parts of your body are important parts of your body that are used on a daily basis. Your ears are sensory organs that function to provide you with a sense of balance apart from giving you hearing abilities. Your nose is a sensory organ that is responsible for providing you with a sense of smell, along with being partially responsible for your sense of taste. It also plays an important role in humidifying the air we breathe and works to prevent germs from entering the body. Your throat provides a way for air to reach your lungs and a route for food and water to enter your digestive tract.
Dysfunction of the ears, nose, or throat can dramatically affect your quality of life and in some cases may even become life-threatening. The most common ENT problems include chronic ear, nose, or throat problems. For ENT problems and solutions, you should probably see a primary care healthcare provider and include a specialist if required. ENT conditions and diseases are generally treated by ENT specialists called otolaryngologists.
Common ENT problems
From issues with sleeping to swallowing, ENT problems can be detrimental to your health. Here are some common ear, nose and throat problems in adults and children:
Tonsillitis
Your tonsils are two oval-shaped organs located in the back of your throat. Tonsillitis is the largest cause of inflammation that occurs in the throat. Caused by bacterial infection, tonsillitis is a common illness that children suffer from. Some signs that point to tonsillitis include sore throat, swollen tonsils, issues swallowing, white or yellow coating on the tonsils, swollen neck glands, bad breath, fever, etc. Tonsillitis is usually treated through medication. In some cases, people have their tonsils removed if they keep suffering from bacterial infections. The surgery is called a tonsillectomy. It becomes necessary if someone
frequently suffers from sore throats or other tonsillitis symptoms.
Ear Infections
Your ears can be infected too. The pain can be caused due to inflammation due to the cold and flu virus. This can be an ear nose and throat problem in babies that ENT doctors treat. Some common symptoms of ear infections include ear pain, fever, irritation and sleeping issues. It is important that you know the difference between ear pain caused by allergies and those caused by an infection.
Sinus infection
Sinus infection is a common ENT problem people have with their noses. Their symptoms are very similar to cold, but they are caused by a sinus infection. Treatments for a sinus infection usually involve antibiotics to kill the germs. Some common symptoms of a sinus infection include headaches, postnasal drip, discolored nasal discharge, teeth ache, coughing, fever, congestion, stiffness, bad breath etc. Sinus infections are usually treated with antibiotics and immunotherapy. Certain procedures like rhinoplasty are done to combat this.
Allergies
Some of the best ENT hospitals treat a lot of patients with allergies. There are so many different types you can suffer from varying sources. They include medication, pollen, food, mold, dust, pets, and insects. These sources can cause multiple symptoms and they can be dangerous. Some of these allergies can even cause long-term problems to your ears, nose and throat. Some common symptoms of allergies are coughing, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, headache, fever. ENT allergy specialists help diagnose and treat specific allergies with a test
Sleep Apnea
Getting a sufficient quantity of sleep is critical to your health, as is the quality of your sleep. Sleep apnea is a sleep problem that, if left untreated, may be extremely deadly. It happens when only a small amount of air reaches your lungs. This can be fatal since the airway obstruction might lead you to cease breathing while you sleep. Some symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, choking sounds, insomnia headaches in the morning, memory loss, pauses in breathing, excessive weight etc.
Vertigo
Vertigo is a disorder that causes your body to feel as though your environment is moving or spinning. Inner ear disorders such as acute labyrinthitis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Ménière’s disease can all cause vertigo. You may also have ringing in your ears, nausea, or vomiting if you have vertigo.
Some other ENT problems you may suffer from include hearing loss, vertigo, acid reflux, cancer etc.
