ENT Services

Acute and Chronic Infections

Ear infections, also known as otitis media, are one of the most common conditions, affecting up to 75 percent of children in the US by the time they reach the age of three. This condition develops as a result of a buildup of fluid in the Eustachian tubes, which connect the eardrum to the nose. Patients with an ear infection may experience earache, fever, ear discharge, headache and dizziness. Ear infections rarely affect adults.

Most ear infections go away on their own within two or three days. Treatment for these cases aims to relieve pain and other symptoms, although your doctor may not recommend any treatment at all. Some patients may experience chronic ear infections, which involves long-term damage to the middle ear from frequent infection and inflammation. Chronic ear infection treatment may include antibiotics, steroids, placement of ventilation tubes or surgery, depending on the severity of the condition.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are a common non-invasive treatment option for hearing loss. A hearing aid is a small electronic device that is worn in or behind your ear and amplifies sounds so they can be heard better and listening and communicating with others is made simpler. The device consists of a microphone, amplifier and speaker. The sounds are received through the microphone and then increased in power by the amplifier, which then sends the signals to the ear through a speaker.

Hearing aids magnify sounds based on the severity of a patient's hearing loss. Hair cells within the ear detect these magnified sounds and convert them into signals to pass to the brain. There is a limit on how much amplification can be given to sounds, so hearing aids are not for everyone.

You can talk with your doctor to decide which type of hearing aid is best for you. Most manufacturers allow for a 30-60 day trial period to make sure that your hearing can benefit from a hearing aid. They can be a costly investment, but many people are willing to pay the price to relieve hearing loss and be able to communicate with others.

Hearing and Balance Problems

Hearing and balance problems are often inter-related conditions, as part of the inner ear (known as the labyrinth) interacts with other body systems like the eyes, bones and joints to maintain balance. Problems within the vestibular (ear) system can cause balance problems, which affect over 2 million people each year.

A balance disorder is a complex condition that causes feelings of unsteadiness, wooziness and sensations of spinning, moving or floating. Some of the most common balance disorders include:

Labyrinthitis
Meniere’s disease
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Vestibular neronitis

Treatment for hearing and balance disorders involves treating the underlying cause of the condition, which may be done through hearing aids, ear tubes, surgery or other treatments. Your doctor will decide which treatment is best for you after a thorough evaluation of your condition.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring Surgery

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that involves breathing problems during sleep, as the throat muscles relax and block the airway. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea often experience loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, insomnia and waking up with a sore throat. This condition can affect anyone, but is most common in older adults.
Your doctor may be able to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea after an evaluation of your symptoms. Additional testing may be needed in some cases, which may include:

Nocturnal polysomnography
Oximetry
Portable cardiorespiratory testing

These tests are performed while the patient is asleep to help detect any abnormal behaviors that may lead to sleep apnea.
Once the condition has been diagnosed, there are several treatment options available to manage symptoms and allow patients to enjoy uninterrupted sleep. While there are some nonsurgical treatments available, many patients with sleep apnea need surgery to remove excess tissue from the nose or throat in order to unblock the airways and promote healthy breathing.
Surgery for obstructive sleep apnea may include:

Surgical removal of tissue - this is performed through uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, a procedure that removes tissue from the throat as well as the tonsils and adenoids.
Jaw correction - the upper and lower parts of the jaw are moved forward during this procedure to create a larger space behind the tongue and soft palate.
Implants - implants are placed during the Pillar procedure, which places three small rods in the soft palate to support the tissue there and prevent the airway from collapsing during sleep.
Surgical opening in the neck - this procedure is for severe cases of sleep apnea and involve inserting a metal or plastic tube through an opening in the neck to assist with breathing during sleep.

Your doctor will decide which type of procedure is best for you after a thorough evaluation of your condition.

Sinus Surgery

Sinus surgery is usually performed to enlarge the openings that drain the sinuses. A patient may choose surgery if other treatments (i.e. medications, nasal sprays, humidifiers, etc.) have failed to alleviate chronic sinus conditions. Surgery can be performed using various techniques including:

endoscopic sinus surgery: the doctor uses a thin fiber optic tube to examine the openings of the sinuses and remove abnormal or obstructive tissue
image-guided surgery: combines CT scans with endoscopic surgery
Caldwell-Luc operation: a more radical method of removing abscesses from the maxillaries sinus beneath the eye and improve drainage by connecting it to the nose

Usually these procedures are performed on an out-patient basis. Recovery symptoms may include some bruising, swelling, and discomfort.

Swallowing and Voice Disorders

Though we often take our ability to eat and speak for granted, many people have difficulty with these tasks and may experience pain, discomfort and lack of control when trying to speak. Voice and swallowing problems can develop as a result of aging, overuse, surgery smoking or throat cancer, and may include laryngitis, spasmodic dysphonia, vocal cord paralysis, cancer of the vocal cord, benign growths and more.

Our doctors provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for a wide range of voice and swallowing disorders and are specially trained to help you restore function to your voice.

While many of these problems accompany a cold or other minor condition, some are chronic and may require special management to control or cure the condition. Patients may benefit from voice therapy, medicine or surgery, depending on their individual condition. It is also important for patients to protect their voice by practicing breathing techniques, avoiding smoking, alcohol and caffeine and by drinking plenty of water.

Taste and Smell Disorders

Taste and smell disorders are closely related, common conditions that affect the chemosensation system and may develop as a result of genetic factors, injury, upper respiratory infections or exposure to certain chemicals. Taste and smell disorders can be temporary or permanent, and may include:

Hypogeusia
Ageusia
Dysgeusia
Anosmia
Dysosmia
Hyperosmia

While taste and smell disorders are not serious, they can often affect your daily life and may lead to unpleasant side effects. Treatment for these conditions usually focuses on treating the underlying cause of the condition, while direct treatments may range from simple life changes to surgery. Some cases may improve on their own.