8 Immediate Signs You Need to Talk to Your ENT Doctor

If you’re wondering when is the best time to visit your ENT doctor, then you’ve come to the right place.

Sometimes, even the slightest discomfort can be a sign for you to be cautious and get in touch with your doctor. With the many different ENT services and specialists at The Hospital at Maayo, there’s no harm in asking questions. After all, they are experts that prevent your diseases from developing into major health concerns such as tuberculosis.

At The Hospital at Maayo, you can rest assured that you’ll be provided with high-quality medical care that you need. See the following health concerns and contact our resident Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT specialist) today at The Hospital at Maayo if you think you’re experiencing any of these:

1. Nose Bleeding
2. Nasal Blockage
3. Problems with your voice and difficulty swallowing
4. Constant sore throats, earaches, and sinus pains
5. Tinnitus
6. Vertigo and problems with keeping balance
7. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
8. Snoring that is causes difficulty breathin

1. Nose Bleeding

Your nose is susceptible to bleeding because it contains several blood vessels that could get easily irritated. While it’s easy to dismiss the danger brought by nose bleeding, it’s important to know when you need to consult your ENT doctor because it might be a sign of a potential major health concern.

Nose bleeding is commonly triggered by trauma exerted inside the nose such as excessive nose-picking and rubbing.

Avoid exerting force and pressure to your nose especially if you have a sinus infection because it might snowball into a more serious problem.

2. Nasal Blockage

Nasal blockage is another symptom that patients like you commonly dismiss as a minor concern. It is normally caused by a runny nose from a common flu or from an allergy, that is why most patients simply wait until it passess.

Due to the blockage in your nose, you might have trouble smelling which corollary leads to a loss of taste and loss of appetite. This is because your olfactory and gustatory senses are connected.

However, it is important to note that nasal blockages are usually triggered by another health problem that only an ENT specialist can diagnose.

Nasal blockages should be immediately treated if your baby has it. A blocked nose will keep your baby from breathing properly, as well as inhibit their appetite. Learn also how to identify asthma attacks caused by nose blockages to help save a life.

3. Problems with your voice and difficulty swallowing

It’s not easy to determine which causes these problems and a specialist is the only one who can diagnose your sickness. Avoid Googling your symptoms because this could only lead to paranoia and self-diagnosis that could worsen your condition.

Here are some possible reason why you have problems with your voice and your ability to swallow:

• Laryngitis – An inflammation in the larynx that causes it to swell. Certain habits such as straining your voice when speaking, excessively smoking, and inhaling irritants such as dust and airborne particles can trigger laryngitis. It’s best to rest your voice and avoid speaking when you’re experiencing this.However, keep in mind that laryngitis could also be caused by bacterial and viral infection. It’s important that you take the necessary medication when this happens to avoid further discomfort.
• Chronic coughs – These are coughs that go beyond six weeks. But also do note the severity and duration of the coughs.
• Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) — A neurological affliction that causes unpredictable and uncontrollable contractions of the laryngeal muscles. This tightening of the muscles causes difficulty in speaking. Women are more susceptible to it than men according to one stud. It is still unsure if this is affected by hereditary or environmental factors, but it is revealed that exposure to stress may be the reason behind this.

Remember to take this information with caution— asound mind is a sound body after all.

4. Constant sore throats, earaches, and sinus pains

When it comes to sore throats, earaches, and sinus pains, there is no set number of days that you have to wait before you finally decide to contact your ENT doctor. Similar to the other diseases in this list, these symptoms may just be the tip of an iceberg.

Sore throats are commonly caused by colds and flus, allergies, and even dry air. While there are home remedies that you can do at home such as gargling with salt mixed in lukewarm water, remember to monitor yourself if the symptoms don’t go away for more than five days.

For children who are experiencing sore throats that won’t go away, check if they have symptoms such as chest soreness, headaches, and perennial coughing to prevent and avoid complications of bronchitis.

Ear aches are a corollary symptom of sore throats due to sinus infection and strep throat. It may also be due to earwax buildup.

Finally, signs that you need to check that could determine if you have sinus pains include headaches, sinus drips, fever, and brightly colored mucus that includes yellow or green phlegm. The latter is a sure sign that it is caused by either a bacterial or viral infection.

While these common pains might look innocuous, take note the world is still currently facing a pandemic and a seemingly minor health concern could lead to life-threatening disease if you contract COVID on top of these ailments.

5. Tinnitus

Are you hearing a ringing or buzzing in your ears even when you’re alone or just lying down on bed? Healthy Hearing listed a few sounds people with Tinnitus report hearing which include:

• The buzzing of insects such as crickets or cicadas
• A running vehicle
• Metal grinding against metal
• Wind of a fan
• The hissing of a kettle
• Fluorescent lights

This could be a symptom of tinnitus. This is caused by blockage in your ears in which your ear canals may be experiencing buildup from fluids due to an infection. Another sign that you’re experiencing tinnitus is hearing loss.

The emotional toll brought by tinnitus could lead to psychological distress. The constant jarring sound you hear could keep you from getting proper rest.

6. Vertigo and problems with keeping balance

Your ears enable you to sustain balance, hence an ENT doctor should be contacted if you’re feeling dizzy and finding it difficult to maintain proper footing.

One example of a disease that causes you an impaired sense of balance is vertigo.

Vertigo refers to a sensation of feeling dizzy even if you’re standing still. This dizziness causes you to feel as if the world is spinning uncontrollably, which in turn causes you to lose your balance.

Vertigos are caused by infections within the ear. The most common of these is the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPSV) that can be triggered in a change of your head position from sudden movement.

While vertigo is normally considered not a serious health concern, check if the symptoms persist because it might be originating from another health problem your body is facing.

7. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) happens when acid from your stomach that is supposed to digest food flows back into the tube connecting your stomach to your mouth. Frequent exposure to this acid reflux damages your esophagus.

Some signs that you are experiencing GERD include heartburns, chest pains, and difficulty in swallowing.

While a gastroenterologist could provide you information about acid reflux, an ENT expert would be able to assess the damage of the acid backwash on the lining of your esophagus which is directly connected to your throat. Besdies this, ENT specialists can also help you with the other symptoms of GERD such as possible formation of lumps in your throat, difficulty swallowing, and halitosis or bad breathe.

People who are overweight, constantly smoke, or are currently pregnant are prone to experiencing GERD because of weakened lower esophageal sphincter.

8. Snoring that is causes difficulty breathing

Most people tend to ignore snoring because they believe it isn’t related to a health concern. However, there is a science behind why people snore. While it is true that it is hereditary, some other reasons why you or someone you know snore is because they might be overweight, they are experiencing nasal congestion and blockages, and they have weak lungs due to smoking.

Snoring does not only affect physical health, but emotional and social health as well. Your partner may not tell you, but they might already be bothered by your snoring that keeps them from having a good night’s sleep.

Believe it or not, ENT specialists are trained to address possible underlying health concerns that cause you to snore, as well as recommend you science-based steps to at least minimize your snoring.

Taking care of your health means also protecting and caring for others around you after all.

If there’s one thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to problems in your ears, nose, and throat, it’s that most people dismiss these concerns not knowing there’s an ENT specialist who’s ready to help and alleviate their concerns. Keeping all parts of your body in top shape is key to achieving a holistically healthy physical condition.

Don’t wait for these seemingly minor problems to evolve into life-threatening ones. Set an appointment today with The Hospital at Maayo.