Patient Services
Our otolaryngologists(ENT doctors) treat a variety of disorders.  We are interested in providing up-to-date care which might be as simple as prescribing the appropriate allergy regimen or as complex as treating cancer of the head and neck. The following is a partial list of our interests:



Allergy Testing & Treatment
The three primary methods for treating allergies are:

• Avoidance of Allergens (Substances that cause allergies)
  
• Medications
  
• Immunotherapy (Allergy Injections)
  

Ear Infections & Treatment
Blockage of the Eustachian tube during a cold, allergy, or respiratory infection and the presence of bacteria or viruses lead to the accumulation of fluid behind the eardrum. This is an infection called Otitis Media.  The primary treatment for Otitis Media is antibiotic therapy.  Treatment for repeated antibiotic failures includes the placement of "tubes" in the eardrum (myringotomy and tube placement) and, possibly adenoidectomy (the removal of an infected pad of tissue behind the nose in the upper throat.)

Symptoms of ear infection can be:

• Earache
  
• Feeling of fullness or pressure
  
• Hearing problems
  
• Dizziness, loss of balance
  
• Ear drainage
  
• Fever

For infants or toddlers look for:

• Hearing problems
  
• Crying, Irritability
  
• Fever
  
• Vomiting
  
• Ear drainage
• Speech delay
• Balance / "Stumbling" problems

Head & Neck Cancer
More than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck (most of which is preventable) this year; nearly 13,000 of them will die from it. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption are risk factors in these cancers. The phyicians of ICENT offer over 50 combined years of experience in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Treatment is up-to-date and patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team of consultants who work closely with our ENT physicians.  The best possible treatment plan is sought for each patient.

Signs and symptoms of possible cancer:

• Lump in the Neck
  
• Persistent Hoarseness longer than one month
  
• A Growth in the Mouth
  
• Bringing up Blood
  
• Painful or Difficult Swallowing
  
• Changes in the Skin
  
• Persistent Earache or Middle Ear Fluid in Adults

    Click Here to find more information on head and neck cancer, tobacco abuse and other related information.

Snoring / Sleep-Related Disorders

Forty-five percent of normal adults snore at least occasionally, and 25 percent are habitual snorers. The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. When loud snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing, it is known as obstructive sleep apnea. (OSA)

OSA can have serious consequences and contribute to heart and lung disease. Otolaryngologists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of snoring and sleep disorders.

Children can also develop "sleep apnea," although the signs are different than those of adults.

Hearing Aids
The hearing-aid selection process begins with a comprehensive hearing test. If you are a candidate for hearing aids your physician will discuss this with you at the conclusion of your examination.

    Click Here to learn more about hearing aids and related issues.

Links to just a few hearing aid manufacturers:

Dizziness & Balance Disorders
Dizziness, vertigo, and motion sickness all relate to the sense of balance and equilibrium. Researchers in space and aeronautical medicine call this sense spatial orientation, because it tells the brain where the body is "in space:" what direction it is pointing, what direction it is moving, and if it is turning or standing still.

Your sense of balance is maintained by a complex interaction of the following parts of the nervous system:

• The inner ears (also called the labyrinth), which monitor the directions of motion, such as turning, or forward-backward, side-to-side, and up-and-down motions.
  
• The eyes, which monitor where the body is in space (i.e. upside down, rightside up, etc.) and also directions of motion.
  
• The skin pressure receptors such as in the joints and spine, which tell what part of the body is down and touching the ground.
  
• The muscle and joint sensory receptors, which tell what parts of the body are moving.
  
• The central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which processes all the bits of information from the four other systems to make some coordinated sense out of it all.

    Click Here to find more information about dizziness, balance and related issues.

Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders
The thyroid gland is located in the middle of the lower neck, below the larynx (voice box) and just above your clavicles (collarbones). It is shaped like a "bow tie," having two halves (lobes): a right lobe and a left lobe joined by an "isthmus.". The parathyroid glands are very small bean shaped glands located very near the thyroid gland. The parathryoid glands regulate calcium levels in the body.

Diseases of the thyroid gland are very common, affecting millions of Americans. ENT Surgeons are usually involved in the workup and surgicial treatment of lumps in the thyroid which might represent cancer. Parathyroid surgery is usually for a benign growth of glands which are overactive and causing symptoms.  

   Click Here to find more information about the thyroid and related issues.

Sinus and Nasal Surgery
Medical therapy treats the vast majority of sinus disorders but surgery is needed in some cases. Septoplasty is the preferred surgical treatment to correct a deviated septum(a bent cartilaginous middle wall in the nose.) Septal deviations commonly occur due to nasal trauma. Endoscopic Sinus Surgery treats blocked areas of the sinus openings and irreversible sinus conditions such as obstructive polyps or fungus diseases.   

    Click Here to find more information about deviated septums, treatment and related issues.

Tonsil Disorders (Treated by Tonsillectomy)
The most common problems affecting the tonsils are recurrent infections (throat or ear) and significant enlargement or obstruction that causes breathing and swallowing problems. Bacterial infections of the tonsils, especially those caused by streptococcus, are first treated with antibiotics.

Sometimes, removal of the tonsils and/or adenoids may be recommended. The two primary reasons for tonsil and/or adenoid removal are:

• Recurrent infection despite antibiotic therapy
• Difficulty breathing due to enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids.

    Click Here to find more information about tonsillitis, treatment and related issues.

Hearing Testing 
Hearing loss is a medical disorder. In some disease processes, surgery might be the only good option; in other cases, medicines or hearing aids are important treatments.  This practice has an audiologist on staff with doctoral level training who is skilled in specialized hearing and balance testing.

Comprehensive hearing screening services:

• Otoacoustic Emission Testing (OAE)
  
• Behavioral Hearing Assessment of Infants/Children
  
• Electrocochleography
• Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (ABR)
  

Comprehensive audiological evaluation which includes:

• Pure-tone testing
  
• Speech audiometry
  
• Immittance measures
  
• Acoustic reflex testing