3 Symptoms Your ENT Doctor Doesn’t Want You To Ignore

Your ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor is there to help treat all manner of conditions that can affect your ear, nose and throat. These three parts of the head have a lot more connecting them than you might think, so specialists are careful to keep an eye out for any of the signs that something might be affecting one or multiple of them.

As your ENT in disorders of the head and neck, they are used to treating a wide variety of disorders and issues. However, many of the problems that most concern them can start off as problems that seem minor, perhaps even beneath your concern.

However, if there are three symptoms that your ENT doctor wishes you would be more aware of, they are the three below. If you experience any of these, make an appointment with your ENT as soon as you can.

Changes in Your Hearing and Balance

Your hearing health is vital to the overall health of your head in many ways. Any hearing loss that has developed recently, any ringing in your ears or any balance issues should be treated by your ENT doctor as soon as possible. There are several disorders that this could be a sign of:

• Hearing loss that, when untreated, can lead to severe decreases in quality of life, such as experiencing anxiety or isolation.
• Ear infections, which can result in permanent hearing loss and may even be life threatening under certain circumstances.
• Tinnitus, a ringing in the ears that can cause stress and disrupt sleep when it’s not treated effectively.
• Earwax blockage, which can lead to hearing loss as well as an increased chance of ear infection.
• Vertigo, which is issues with your balance that can cause dizziness and other unpleasant symptoms.

Your ENT doctor can treat all of the conditions named above, making it vital that you get in touch with them for help.

Pressure or Pain in or Around Your Sinuses

Many of the disorders that affect your nose and throat can begin in your sinuses, which are located between and below the eyes, with direct connections to your nasal passage. If you are beginning to feel any pressure or pain in or around the sinuses, then it could be the first noticeable symptom of a problem that is affecting your nose or sinuses. This can include the following:

• Sinus infection or sinusitis can affect your quality of life by decreasing your ability to smell, breathe and communicate effectively. Infections cause the membranes inside the sinuses to inflame, which can be painful and even dangerous under the right circumstances.
• Chronic difficulty breathing due to stuffiness in the nose or other issues. This inability to breathe through the nose can be a major hassle and even be dangerous.
• Other nasal and sinus issues such as sleep apnea, nasal polyps and sinus polyps.

If you experience any pressure or pain in or around the sinuses, that’s a sure sign that you should get in touch with your ENT doctor as soon as possible.

Pain or Obstruction of the Throat

Your throat is vital for breathing so it should be no surprise that your ENT doctor does not want you to tolerate or ignore any symptoms that cause it pain or make it feel like it is obstructed in any way. Chronic sore throats or feelings of difficulty breathing or swallowing require medical attention and could be indicators of disorders that could be treated.

This includes problems that could be solved with throat surgery that can remove obstructions and help improve your quality of life greatly. Even a simple infection that is being treated by antibiotics should require further attention if it does not go down after you’re done with the course.

Make an Appointment with Your ENT Doctor Today

If you experience any of the symptoms above, then you should get in touch with your ENT doctor. When you arrange an appointment, we’re going to ask a series of questions, including questions about your symptoms, when they started, whether they came on suddenly or over time, as well as questions about factors that might have caused or exacerbated the issues.

To learn more about ENT Specialists or to make an appointment, call us today at (402) 983-9948. Our team is here to help you find the help that you need, whatever it might be.