We strive to create individualized treatment plans for each of our patients as each person has a unique history and unique needs. Some of our services include:
- Allergy Testing And Treatment
- Head and neck cancer
- Pediatric ENT
- Sinus Infection Treatment
- Hearing Loss
- Sleep Apnea
- Thyroid disorders
Allergy Testing and Treatment
Getting an allergy test can help you find out what you’re allergic to, whether it’s through eating, touching, or breathing in. Allergy tests are usually skin or blood tests and can help you avoid risky situations that you may not want to find yourself in. Your ENT doctor will determine whether an allergy test is needed by looking at your medical history and taking an exam to see what allergies you should be tested for.
When Should You Seek Out an Allergy Test?
If you aren’t sure whether you’re allergic to something or not, but you start experiencing symptoms of allergy like it’s hard to breathe, you’re itchy, or you have hives, and you notice that your symptoms are not relieved by over-the-counter medications, it may be time to talk to your ENT doctor. Your doctor will be able to look at your history and take an exam to make sure that this may be an allergic reaction.
Once your ENT doctor determines that you may have allergies, they will start performing tests. The most common form of allergy testing is skin testing, where your skin is pricked with a small irritant to see if there’s a reaction. If a skin test can’t be performed, your doctor may perform a blood test.
How Are Allergies Treated?
The most common way your allergies are treated is by avoiding your allergens. Your ENT doctor will help you identify what can cause an allergy in your body and will help you to avoid these allergens. They may also recommend over-the-counter medications like nasal sprays or eyedrops.
If your allergies are severe, your doctor may recommend immunotherapy. This consists of a series of injections over a period of a few years. Another form of immunotherapy is through a tablet that is dissolved under the tongue and can be used to treat certain pollen allergies.
Sleep Apnea
If people complain about how you snore all night long and you wake up feeling groggy and tired when you should be feeling refreshed and energetic, there’s a chance you might be dealing with sleep apnea. If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can cause severe issues and can make it hard for you to feel comfortable at all in your everyday life. Sleep apnea can affect your ability to be successful at work and can be dangerous to deal with.
Testing for Sleep Apnea
In order to test for sleep apnea, your ENT doctor may recommend at-home tests. These tests measure your heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow, and breathing patterns. This will check to see if you have any pauses in your breath or if your body is working overtime to try and get airflow to the body. If your results come back abnormal, your doctor may be able to start preparing your treatment for sleep apnea.
Treating Sleep Apnea
If your sleep apnea is mild, your ENT doctor may recommend some lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, changing your diet, or stopping your smoking habit. If these changes don’t help your sleep apnea or if you have severe sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend other forms of treatment.
A common form of treatment is using a CPAP machine. This machine helps deliver air to your body through a mask while you sleep. This helps keep your upper airway passages open and helps prevent sleep apnea. There are other forms of treatment similar to CPAP if this form of treatment feels too difficult to manage.
Your ENT doctor may also recommend wearing an oral appliance that is designed to keep your throat open by bringing your jaw slightly forward. This can sometimes help prevent snoring and sleep apnea.
Sinus Infection Treatment
A sinus infection can feel like a stuffy nose that just won’t get better. Sinus infections occur when there’s a build-up of fluid in the sinuses, which causes germs to grow. Most sinus infections are viral but can also be bacterial. Treating a sinus infection is different than treating the normal flu or cold, so it’s important to understand how to relieve the symptoms you may experience with a sinus infection.
Treatment
If your symptoms persist or if you have severe symptoms, you should be sure to see your ENT doctor as soon as possible. Also, if you’ve had multiple sinus infections in the past year, you should visit your doctor to figure out the cause of the consistent sinus infections. Oftentimes, sinus infections can get better on their own, and don’t need antibiotics. Your ENT doctor will do an exam to be sure that you’re suffering from a sinus infection and will figure out treatment after the diagnosis is made. There are cases in which antibiotics are needed, which is why it’s important to talk to your doctor and make sure you’re doing everything you can to get better.
If antibiotics are not needed, your ENT doctor may recommend putting a warm compress over the nose and forehead to help relieve sinus pressure. You can also breathe in steam from a hot shower and use a decongestant or nasal spray to help clear up your stuffy nose. You can also take over-the-counter pain relievers to help with any irritation you may experience.
Hearing Loss
There are many things that can cause hearing loss and it’s important to talk to your ENT doctor to diagnose your hearing loss before it becomes too serious. There are also many ways your doctor may recommend when it comes to treating your hearing loss and it’s good to know your options if it becomes an issue you must deal with.
Diagnosing Hearing Loss
If you’ve started noticing that you have to ask people to repeat themselves often or if others tell you that you have your volume up really high and you didn’t notice, this may be a sign of hearing loss. There are multiple tests that your ENT doctor may perform to fully diagnose hearing loss. Some of these tests include:
- A Physical Exam – Your doctor will be able to look in your ear for temporary causes of hearing loss, like a blocked ear or inflammation from an infection. They’ll also be able to check for any structural causes that may cause hearing loss.
- General Screening Test – Your doctor may ask you to cover one ear at a time to see how well you are able to hear words spoken at different volumes. This test isn’t the most accurate, but might be done to start a diagnosis.
- Tuning Fork Test – Your ENT doctor will use a tuning fork to help detect hearing loss and can also reveal where the damage is in your ear.
- Audiometer tests – This is the most thorough test and is when you have on headphones and hear sounds that are specifically directed to each ear. Each tone is played at faint levels to find out what the quietest sound you can hear is.
Treating Hearing Loss
Treatment for hearing loss depends on what is causing your hearing loss. Sometimes, hearing loss can be reversible and just needs wax to be removed for the ear canal. Certain types of hearing loss can be treated with surgery, especially if there’s an issue with fluid in the ears.
Hearing aids and cochlear implants are also both options to help with hearing loss and won’t bring your hearing back indefinitely, but can assist in your daily life.
Natural Thyroid Management
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck below the cartilage known as Adam’s apple. As part of the endocrine system, the thyroid produces two main hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These two hormones influence every single cell in your body. From how your body metabolizes fats and carbohydrates, to temperature regulation and heart rate, to the production of protein – thyroid hormones are center stage.
Two primary problems can occur with your thyroid – overproduction of thyroid hormones called hyperthyroidism, including Graves’ disease; and, underproduction of thyroid hormones called hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto’s disease. In most cases, thyroid problems can be well-managed when properly diagnosed and treated.