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Most of us rightly associate the above term with ENT, which is a field of medicine that has a surgical character and examines the organs in the head and neck. An otolaryngologist is therefore an alternate name for an ENT, i.e. a doctor who specializes in diseases of the ears, upper respiratory tract and sense organs (excluding eyesight). Its task is to undertake appropriate diagnostics and prophylaxis based on a referral from the patient’s attending physician.
An ENT specialist, or rather an otorhinolaryngologist, deals with diseases of the ears, larynx, nose and throat. He also specializes in the bones of the temples, paranasal sinuses, mouth, esophagus, bronchi and trachea.
It is worth emphasizing that the ENT specialist does not only treat pharmacologically. He can also perform surgical treatment of the paranasal sinuses, salivary glands, tongue, surgery of the jaw, as well as its reconstruction. The ENT specialist can also perform endoscopy of the lower respiratory tract and esophagus.
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Laryngologist – additional specializations
Although laryngology is apparently a very narrow specialization, it is so broad that it was necessary to separate individual departments. Thanks to this, it is possible for the ENT specialist to focus on specific diseases and problems of the patient. In specialist facilities, you can use the services of doctors who focus on a specific area of ENT, e.g. sinuses or tonsils. Among the specializations in the field of ENT, it should be distinguished:
- phoniatrist – he deals with speech and voice disorders;
- audiologist – he deals mainly with various hearing disorders. Phoniatrists and audiologists are often combined specializations because the problems they deal with may interpenetrate each other, eg speech problems arise from hearing problems;
- rhinologist – deals with the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses;
- neurootologist – this is a fairly new specialization, derived from neurology. It deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of balance and hearing disorders, as well as their relationship with the central and peripheral vestibular and auditory systems;
- oncological laryngologist;
- pediatric otolaryngologist – this specialization requires a special approach not only to the patient himself, but also to his health condition. This is why pediatric laryngology is a separate specialization. Importantly, if there is a need for a procedure, this doctor will refer us to the pediatric ENT ward.
Also read: Cleaning the ears with a stick can be dangerous to health – warns the ENT specialist
Laryngologist – availability of visits
The laryngologist’s services can be used under the National Health Fund (NFZ) insurance. These are free visits, but require a referral from your GP. When we have a referral, we can only go to the ENT clinic and make an appointment to the ENT specialist. Then we have to wait for the appointment.
If we are in a hurry, you can consult our ailments during a private visit. Both letters today private ENT surgeriesas well as opinions about individual specialists are available on various portals on the Internet.
Laryngologist – ENT emergency room
Regardless of whether we have arranged an appointment privately or as part of the National Health Fund, you always have to wait for it at least a day or two (in the case of a private visit). So if we need help immediately, you can take advantage of the so-called emergency ENTwhich hospitals with an ENT department usually have.
It is especially useful in situations where we bleed from the nose and we cannot control the situation or we have cotton wool left in the ear after cleaning.
During the ENT emergency, we will certainly be admitted and examined by an ENT specialist. However, you should remember to go there only in an emergency, which is a health threat, which requires immediate attention.
Check: What is ear candling?
By observing our own body, we can notice disturbing changes that require consultation with a specialist. They can affect the nose, throat, ears, neck and breathing. Sometimes they appear spontaneously and progress slowly, but in the event of an emergency or high stress, symptoms appear immediately.
When making an appointment with an ENT specialist, a referral is necessary. A referral to an ENT specialist is issued by a general practitioner or family doctor. The most common indications for a visit are:
- nose bleeds;
- chronic runny nose;
- sore throat;
- mouth breathing;
- dizziness and recurrent headaches;
- neck and head tumors;
- changes in the sense of smell and taste;
- chronic hoarseness;
- inflammation of the sinuses, throat, bronchi and trachea;
- earaches and unpleasant noises or a feeling of clogging resulting in hearing loss;
- balance disorders;
- swallowing;
- you get strange discharge from your nose or ears;
- often neglected and often snoring.
For ear care, you can use special products such as the medical device Fonix Hygiene Ear Spray or Orelon NaturSpray ear care Herbal Medica.
At the beginning of the visit, the ENT specialist collects an interview from the patient, in which he asks about the symptoms in detail. He can also use an endoscope or speculum to assess the condition of the patient’s nose, ear, throat or mouth.
At the visit, the ENT specialist may also perform an audiological examination of hearing, as well as an ultrasound examination. Ultrasound is mainly used to examine the lymph nodes in the neck and salivary glands, but sometimes the apparatus is also used to examine the paranasal sinuses, the oropharynx, and the larynx.
One of the most frequently performed procedures in an ENT office is microlaryngoscopy. It should be remembered that the treatment implemented by the ENT specialist depends on the diagnosis and the course of a given disease in a particular patient.
Be sure to read: How to unclog an ear?
Laryngologist – preparation for the examination
When visiting an otolaryngologist, remember to take the results of previous laboratory and imaging tests with you and to thoroughly clean the ears of earwax, which could make it difficult to inspect the eardrum.
Laryngologist – diagnostics
The otolaryngologist uses specialized tools when examining a patient. He will use an otoscope, endoscope or microscope to examine the ears, which will allow for a thorough examination of the middle ear tubules, and a laryngoscope to assess the larynx and trachea. To test the sense of smell, your doctor will perform special functional tests to check how the cilia that line your nose work.
The diagnosis starts treatment, but it is not only pharmacological – sometimes the patient also needs a surgical procedure, e.g. removal of one of the palatine almonds.
Therefore, the ENT specialist performs various physical examinations during the visit, including:
- palpation of the salivary glands and lymph nodes in the head area;
- nose examination using a speculum – the doctor assesses the condition of the nasal septum, turbinate and nasal mucosa;
- examination of the mouth and its vestibule, as well as the tongue of the tonsils, etc .;
- examination of the ears with a speculum – the ENT specialist pays special attention to the auricles, the ear canals and the condition of the eardrum;
- examination of the larynx and nose with a mirror.
The laryngologist may also order additional tests if any abnormalities are found. These are usually:
- Laboratory tests;
- swabs;
- x-ray picture;
- ultrasound examination;
- computed tomography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- biopsy of suspicious lesions.
Check: When should protruding ears be operated?
ENT treatment covers a wide range of diseases, starting with the relatively harmless, chronic ones, which include: otitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, ear wax tendency, tinnitus, snoring and tonsil hypertrophy; going through Meniere’s disease and Sjögren’s syndrome; ending with tumors affecting the head and neck areas.
Medical conditions such as the presence of polyps in the nose will require a surgical consultation, while Meniere’s disease will require antihistamines to improve blood flow to the ears and brain. This condition is particularly unpleasant because it is associated with sudden attacks of headache or vomiting and, if left untreated, can lead to permanent hearing loss.
The ENT specialist therefore deals with the diagnosis and treatment of, among others.:
- pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngitis;
- hearing loss;
- otospongiosis;
- Meniere’s disease;
- angina pectoris;
- Sjögren’s syndrome;
- hypertrophied palatine tonsils;
- otitis (inner, outer and middle);
- nasal and laryngeal polyps;
- nose injuries and fractures;
- catarrhal Eustachian tube inflammation;
- otosclerosis;
- vasomotor rhinitis;
- sleep apnea;
- tumors that appear in the head and neck.
An ENT specialist can sometimes also deal with vision problems, as it happens that they are associated with, for example, disorders in the upper respiratory tract (sinuses) and the labyrinth.
Be sure to read: How to clean your ears?
Laryngologist – tumors
Cancer is the most severe disease to cure due to its lethal aspect. Surgical procedures and, frequently, radiotherapy are essential in the treatment process. Depending on the type of cancer, the otolaryngologist may take appropriate measures.
In the case of laryngeal cancer, he orders its partial or complete removal, depending on the exact location of the lesion – it is a troublesome type of cancer that even after complete recovery, the patient has problems with voice communication.
In the case of sinus cancer, the changes affecting the nose, eyes and teeth are eliminated, and because it spreads easily, surgical treatment should be undertaken extremely quickly. For cancers that affect the ears, the otolaryngologist uses the technique of microsurgery, and in some cases orders a skin transplant of the ear canal.
Other neoplasms of the head and neck area require thorough diagnosis, which allows for the introduction of appropriate treatment: surgical or combined (combining several oncological treatment methods).
Read: Benign neoplasms of the throat – symptoms and treatment
Laryngologist – treatment
ENT treatment is often complex and requires more than just pharmacological treatment. The drugs used are mainly intended to combat inflammation, while in some cases surgical treatment is necessary. This applies, inter alia, to treatment of the salivary glands, i.e. salivary glands, tongue or tonsils.
Procedures performed by an ENT specialist are designed to remove congenital defects, however, they are most often associated with the appearance of various pathological changes as a consequence of chronic inflammation or neoplasms. These are also endoscopic procedures.
The ENT specialist also deals with jaw surgery, endoscope procedures in the esophagus and lower respiratory tract, and reconstructive surgery, in which Polish doctors are very successful.
Laryngologist – waiting time for an appointment
You have to wait quite a long time for an appointment with an ENT under the NFZ insurance. These are not as distant dates as in the case of, for example, an endocrinologist, but often you have to wait for the date from several to several weeks. The situation varies depending on the voivodeship, which is influenced, among others, by:
- location of the clinic – those in the city center are the most crowded;
- qualifications and experience of an ENT specialist – some ENT specialists are more popular and enjoy greater patient confidence;
- the amount of the contract with the National Health Fund – the lower the contract amount, the fewer patients can be admitted by the ENT specialist.
We make an appointment after receiving a referral to an ENT specialist. We can do it in person, by phone, and in some clinics even over the Internet.
If we are in a hurry, we can arrange a private visit. Such a visit is payable. The price of a private ENT visit depends on the city and the qualifications of a given ENT specialist and amounts to approx. PLN 100-150. You usually have to wait a maximum of about a week for such a visit.