What is an ENT?
Otolaryngologists or ENTs are physicians trained in the medical and surgical treatment of adults and children with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (hence the name, ENT), and related structures of the head and neck.
ENT Physician Services
Riverside ENTs are trained in both the medical and surgical treatment of:
- Hearing problems
- Ear infections
- Balance disorders
- Ear noise (tinnitus)
- Nerve pain as well as facial and cranial nerve disorders
- Congenital (birth) disorders of the outer and inner ear
- The nasal cavity and sinuses including chronic sinusitis
- Allergies
- Loss of sense of smell
- Nasal structures
- The appearance of the nose
- Diseases of the larynx (voice box) and
- Diseases and disorders of the upper aero-digestive tract or esophagus
- Voice and swallowing disorders
Otolaryngologists are also trained to treat
- Infectious diseases of the head and neck
- Both benign and malignant (cancerous) tumors in the head and neck
- Facial trauma and deformities of the face
- Cosmetic plastic surgery
- Reconstructive surgery
Related: Details about common diseases and disorders treated by Riverside ENTs.
ENT Training
ENTs are trained in both medicine and surgery. Riverside otolaryngologists have up to 15 years of college and medical training including:
-
Four years of college
- Four years of medical school
- At least five years of specialty training.
Finally, the physician takes the American Board of Otolaryngology examination. Many Riverside otolaryngologists pursue a one or two year fellowship for more extensive training in one of the seven specialty areas.
Specialty areas of ENTs
Your ENT may specialize in one of the following seven areas:
- Otology/Neurotology: diseases of the ear, including trauma (injury), cancer, and nerve pathway disorders, which affect hearing and balance.
- Pediatric Otolaryngology: diseases in children with special ENT problems including birth defects in the head and neck and developmental delays.
- Head and Neck: cancerous and noncancerous tumors in the head and neck, including the thyroid and parathyroid.
- Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: cosmetic, functional, and reconstructive surgical treatment of abnormalities of the face and neck.
- Rhinology: disorders of the nose and sinuses.
- Laryngology: disorders of the throat, including voice and swallowing problems.
- Allergy: treatment by medication, immunotherapy (allergy shots) and/or avoidance of pollen, dust, mold, food, and other sensitivities that affect the ear, nose, and throat.
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