There are a variety of reasons why someone would seek the services of an ear, nose, and throat specialist. They may, for example, be experiencing chronic ear infections, sinusitis, or sleep apnea. There are other issues which an ear, nose, and throat specialist can evaluate and treat. These include chronic snoring due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Hearing loss can also be evaluated and treated by a physician that practices within this field of medicine.
Ear Infections
While ear infections are common among children, young and older adults can also experience these. After ear infections appear to be cleared, it’s important to note that there may still be fluid in the middle year. If this is the case, the fluid will usually disappear over the course of three to six weeks.
Sinusitis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that roughly 29.4 million people have been diagnosed with sinusitis. When someone is diagnosed with acute sinusitis, it can last for as long as four weeks. Chronic sinusitis sufferers, however, may endure this condition for up to 12 weeks or even several years.
Sleep Apnea
Recent data shows that approximately one out of every five adults within the United States has a mild case of sleep apnea which hasn’t been diagnosed. Individuals with a mild case of this sleep disorder may occasionally experience a brief cessation of breathing, or apnea, during the night. For those individuals that have a more serious case, they will tend to experience apneas on a much more frequent basis.
Snoring
While it is not uncommon for people to snore on occasion, others do so more often. The American Academy of Otolaryngology, for example, stated that 45% of normal adults will just snore occasionally. Others, or 25% of adults, will do so on a regular basis. In some instances, snoring can be due to enlarged or infected tonsils and adenoids. Other potential causes for snoring include congestion due to deviated septums.
Rhinoplasty Procedures
Given the above, as well as other medical issues, it’s not surprising that there were 223,018 rhinoplasty procedures performed during 2016. In many instances, these procedures were performed for cosmetic purposes. Within the same year, rhinoplasty was the third most popular cosmetic surgical procedure conducted within the United States.
Hearing Aids
At some point in an adult’s life, they may experience some level of hearing loss. In some instances, this may necessitate the use of hearing aids. There are a variety of health and environmental issues that can impact a person’s ability to hear. Chronic ear infections, malformations, and being subjected to loud noise on a regular basis can all have a potential effect.
Learn More About Earn, Nose, and Throat Treatments
Rather than hope that an issue will go away on its own, it’s important to seek the services of an ear, nose, and throat specialist for a professional medical evaluation. During this time, the physician will evaluate the situation and likely perform several tests. When someone is experiencing issues with their hearing, for example, an ear, nose, and throat specialist may determine that hearing aids would be the most effective treatment protocol.
Furthermore, if someone is experiencing a chronic condition, such as sleep apnea, it’s important to have this diagnosed so that sleep apnea treatment can begin. Given that there are different sleep apnea treatment options, an ear, nose, and throat specialist will be able to discuss these with you in detail. Since there may be serious underlying issues, such as thyroid disease or throat cancer, the importance of consulting with an ear, nose, and throat specialist cannot be sufficiently stressed.
