An ear nose and throat specialist (ENT) can help you to better understand symptoms and if they are related to inflamed sinuses or if there could be more serious underlying causes.

Common reasons for ENT visits include:

Sore throat – if you have a lingering sore throat that does not get better with normal home care or a round of antibiotics from your general practitioner a visit to the ENT may be warranted. Throat symptoms can sometimes be related to digestive issues or sinus problems.

Sinus Issues – Ear, face, tooth pain – congestion, nasal discharge, and allergies all can be disconcerting.

Hearing Loss – Hearing loss may be due to ear wax build up, fluid, or possibly damage to the nerves.

Headaches – Chronic headache causes are tough to diagnose and pinpoint. An ENT can help determine if the cause stems from a sinus problem, respiratory infection, sinusitis, or even anatomic abnormalities.

If you have any of the listed symptoms and they do not start to show improvement after a week to ten days or they are reoccurring, you should have them checked by an ENT. To find a board certified ENT please visit www.ipalc.org/find