is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with conditions of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck. Doctors who specialize in this area are called otorhinolaryngologists. Their special skills include diagnosing and managing diseases of the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), as well as structures of the neck and face.

Otolaryngologists diagnose, treat, and manage specialty-specific disorders as well as many primary care problems in both children and adults.

What do ENT Specialists do?

ENT specialists are experts in both medical and surgical management of the following:

• Ear: Deafness is a condition where the ability to detect certain sound frequencies is partially or completely impaired. A person may need to see an ENT specialist if they are suffering from partial or full deafness. Furthermore, an ear disorder, such as an ear infection, hearing impairment, diseases that affect balance, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or pain in the ear are also treated by an ENT.
• Nose: ENT specialists manage and treat issues that affect the nose, sinuses, and nasal cavity. These issues can affect breathing, cause loss of smell, as well as change the physical appearance.
• Throat: Disorders that affect the throat can disrupt speech, eating, digestion, swallowing, and singing. ENT specialists can identify, manage, and treat such problems.
• Head and Neck: ENT specialists are trained to manage tumours, diseases, trauma, and defects in the head, neck, and face. An ENT specialist can perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in all of these areas. They can also manage issues with the nerves in the head and neck that control smell, sight, hearing, as well as facial movements.

What are the conditions treated by ENT specialists?

ENT specialists are experts in both medical and surgical management of the following:

• Swollen Adenoids: Frequent throat infections can lead to enlarged adenoids. Enlarged adenoids can cause difficulty in breathing and block the eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the nose.
• Sinusitis: Inflammation of the sinuses result in a plugged nose and thick nasal mucus accompanied by pain in the face.
• Tinnitus: A condition wherein an individual hears sound when no external sound is present.
• Allergy: treatment by medication, immunotherapy (allergy shots) and/or avoidance of pollen, dust, mold, food, and other sensitivities that affect the ear, nose, and throat.