There are countless ear, nose and throat problems that both adults and children experience throughout their lives. Some, however, are more common than others. The most common ENT problems in adults and children are ear infections, strep throat, sinusitis, and rhinitis.
Ear infections affect both children and adults for the same reason. They occur when the Eustachian tube gets blocked. This occurs when the lining of the upper respiratory tract swells due to a cold, respiratory infection or allergies. Children tend to suffer from ear infections much more often than adults, and the reason being that adults’ Eustachian tubes are simply bigger and therefore more angled than children’s tubes.
Strep throat is another very common infection that is caused by a bacterium called Streptococcus. Strep throat most commonly occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Symptoms of strep throat include a sore throat, swollen tonsils and white patches in the back of the throat. Symptoms also include fever, body aches and stomach pain which many people do not always associate with strep throat and so they don’t think to get tested for those symptoms. Doctors will test for strep if you have those symptoms and if the test comes back positive, you will most likely be prescribed an antibiotic. If your strep test comes back negative, however, your sore throat could be due to a virus and therefore will not respond to antibiotics.
Sinusitis, or infected sinuses, is an infection which can be very painful. Sinusitis occurs when pus is trapped in the sinus cavities, which are located above and below the eyes and around the nose. They can cause headaches, nasal congestion, sore throat, and fever. Sinusitis could be caused by a virus, bacteria or allergies. The initial way to treat sinusitis is to open them up using a saltwater solution. Our ENT doctors can instruct you in the appropriate techniques to irrigate the nose and if further treatment is required to alleviate your sinus pain.
Allergic Rhinitis, also known as hay fever, occurs when the nose, eyes, sinuses, throat and sometimes ears come into contact with allergy-causing substances called allergens. The most common allergens are pollen, mold, dust and animal dander. Common symptoms include itchy or a runny nose or eyes, sneezing nasal and head congestion, fatigue, itchy throat and postnasal drainage. Both adults and children can suffer from allergies. Our team will perform the necessary allergy tests and provide custom treatment options for your allergies, set up an appointment today.
Here are ENT Specialists, our physicians provide the highest quality of care in treating all disorders of the ear, nose, and throat; from non-surgical care to advanced surgical techniques. Our goal is always to provide our patients with restored health and a return to all of their favorite activities.