What Will Ent Do For A Sinus Infection
Sinusitis has varying degrees of severity. For a mild sinus infection, an ENT may advise using conservative care including a decongestant and/or nasal spray. More serious infections may require the use of antibiotics, nasal irrigations, steroids and even surgery. Chronic sinusitis symptoms can be alleviated by avoiding triggers which may include allergens or fungi.
When Do You Need To See A Doctor For Your Sinus Problems
With the changing of winds and weather, you sometimes face infections and problems like a sore throat and blocked nose but those are normal when the seasons change. People all around the world have been facing similar problems at a yet alarming rate due to which many hospitals and research centers are spreading awareness about certain specialists. There are a number of symptoms that you need to look out for in order to keep yourself healthy.
Some of these symptoms like seasonal infections, sore throat, and a blocked nose can be treated by a primary doctor or any regular doctor but if there are more intensive awareness about certain specialists that are causing you to get sick and your health is deteriorating then you need to go see a sinus doctor.
Doctors who are specialized to treat patients having sinus problems are called ENT specialists or otolaryngologists. They are highly professional people who are specialized in the field of ear, nose, and throat. All around the world those people having sinus problems go to these doctors.
ENT doctors: They provide care and examine the patient carefully and then suggest a suitable treatment that will put an end to their problems. There are certain symptoms that you need to look out for and get checked with an ENT specialist if they exist.
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Throat Irritation And Cough
As discharge from your sinuses drains down the back of your throat, it can cause irritation, especially over a long period of time. This can lead to a persistent and annoying cough, which can be worse when lying down to sleep or first thing in the morning after getting up from bed.
It can also make sleeping difficult. Sleeping upright or with your head elevated can help reduce the frequency and intensity of your coughing.
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How Are Ent Doctors Trained
Otolaryngologists go to 4 years of medical school. They then have at least 5 years of special training. Finally, they need to pass an exam to be certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.
Some also get 1 or 2 years of training in a subspecialty:
- Allergy: These doctors treat environmental allergies with medicine or a series of shots called immunology. They also can help you find out if you have a food allergy.
- Facial and reconstructive surgery:These doctors do cosmetic surgery like face lifts and nose jobs. They also help people whose looks have been changed by an accident or who were born with issues that need to be fixed.
- Head and neck:If you have a tumor in your nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, voice box, or upper esophagus, this kind of specialist can help you.
- Laryngology:These doctors treat diseases and injuries that affect your voice box and vocal cords. They also can help diagnose and treat swallowing problems.
- Otology and neurotology:If you have any kind of issue with your ears, these specialists can help. They treat conditions like infections, hearing loss, dizziness, and ringing or buzzing in your ears .
- Pediatric ENT: Your child might not be able to tell theirà doctor whats bothering them. Pediatric ENTs are specially trained to treat youngsters, and they have tools and exam rooms designed to put kids at ease.
Chronic Sinusitis Can My Ent Help Me
Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, which can lead to pain and pressure in the head and face. Although sinusitis usually gets better on its own within 2-3 weeks, in some cases, it can be an ongoing problem, known as chronic sinusitis. An ENT specialist can help to provide a number of effective treatments for chronic sinusitis by getting to the root cause of the problem.
Sinusitis is when the sinuses, located in the bones behind the forehead, cheekbones, nose, and eyes, become inflamed. The sinuses are small, empty spaces that connect to the inside of the nose. The nose and sinuses are lined with structures called turbinates, which help to regulate airflow and moisten and filter air as you breathe.
Sinusitis causes the lining of the sinuses to swell up, this can stop mucus from draining into the nose and throat properly. Blocked sinuses can make it difficult to breathe through your nose and make the area around your nose, cheeks, eyes, and forehead painful and tender to the touch. Sinusitis can often develop following a cold, upper respiratory infection, or allergic reaction, but environmental irritants, certain medical conditions, and structural abnormalities can also contribute to sinusitis and lead to chronic sinusitis a complication of sinusitis.
- Nasal congestion
- Pain in the ears or teeth
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Evaluate Your Sinus Symptoms
If youve had a runny, stuffy nose, congestion, coughing, fatigue, and sinus pressure behind your eyes and cheeks, and these symptoms last for more than twelve weeks or continue to recur, you may be experiencing chronic sinusitis, a problem for 30 million Americans.
Find out if youre a candidate for a procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty which greatly reduces the suffering experienced by chronic sinusitis patients.
Mild Vs Severe Case Of Sinus Infection
You can tell the difference between a mild case and a bad case of sinus infection. Mild cases respond well to home remedies, while severe cases do not improve with various self-care methods such as resting, drinking water, eating soup, giving yourself a steam treatment, and performing nasal irrigation with a saline solution.
Symptoms of a sinus infection include ear pain, headaches, facial pain and tenderness, nasal discharge, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, fever, and fatigue. If these symptoms persist or become intolerable despite treatment, or if they improve only to return, its time to seek medical assistance. Doctors usually recommend observing the symptoms for 10 days to see how they are progressing. If they persist for more than 10 days, the underlying cause of the sinus infection will need to be treated for symptom relief.
It is very likely that the infection-causing bacteria will need to be treated with antibiotics. However, a sinus infection could be a result of a viral infection such as a cold or respiratory illness, in which case antibiotics will not work. In addition, it could also be caused by allergies or anatomical defects. There are several possible causes of a sinus infection and a series of tests will need to be done to make a definitive diagnosis. Although very rare, an untreated sinus infection can spread to the brain and surrounding area, and cause abscesses or blood clots.
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See The Ent For Sinusitis
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Many annoying respiratory conditions will go away without medical intervention. The old adage, treat a cold and it will last seven to 10 days dont treat a cold and it will last a week to a week and a half is true. But there are respiratory conditions where it makes to sense to seek treatment sooner than later. If you see the ENT, or ear, nose and throat doctor, when you first suspect you have sinusitis, the chances of treating the condition improve. Also, the ENT can treat sinusitis and help you prevent subsequent sinusitis episodes.
Ear Nose & Throat: Diagnosis Of Sinus Issues
In most cases, patients have acute sinus problems the symptoms start suddenly and then clear up on their own within a week or two. If you notice that these acute flare ups happen frequently, or you have chronic sinus symptoms that last for months, then you need to talk to a doctor for an official diagnosis.
One of the first things your ENT will do is perform an exam and order testing as needed to diagnose your condition. Knowing the underlying cause of your sinus issues gives the ENT a foundation to build an effective treatment plan.
For example, if the sinus issues are caused by a viral infection , then there is no need to prescribe antibiotics. This medication will not be effective in clearing up the congestion. The only time antibiotics should be used is if the sinus symptoms are caused by bacteria.
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What Is A Sinus Specialist
In addition to being trained as standard ear, nose, and throat doctors — who treat more general ENT issues — sinus specialists have completed advanced subspecialty fellowship training, which is the highest level of instruction available. This means they are equipped to treat serious sinus and nasal problems with medication and surgery, and they may be able to offer treatments that your ENT or primary care doctor haven’t considered.
Giving people a practical solution for problems that theyve had for a long time, that others could not help them with, thats what I find most rewarding.
When Do You Need To See An Otolaryngologist For Sinus Care
Otolaryngologists are uniquely trained to examine and manage all kinds of sinus disease. When patients have chronic sinus symptoms for longer than 3 months, sinus symptoms that persist despite antibiotics, or recurrent sinus infections, they should be evaluated by an Otolaryngologist. Otolaryngologists use state-of-the-art equipment including cameras to uniquely examine the nasal cavity and drainage pathways of the sinuses. In doing so, Otolaryngologists can identify all types of sinus disease, and make recommendations which may include a CAT scan of sinuses, endoscopic sinus surgery, antibiotics, sinus irrigations, or a unique combination of prescription nasal sprays depending on the diagnosis.
If these symptoms sound like something youve experienced or if youre plagued by constant sinus issues, its time to make an appointment with an Otolaryngologist. An examination by an ear, nose, and throat specialist near you can help get you back to health. Visit our website to learn more and book an appointment today!
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Why Is Dr Cohen The Best Sinus Specialist In Los Angeles
Dr. Cohen has a combination of stellar education and extensive subspecialty expertise that makes him stand out among sinus specialists in Los Angeles and nationwide. His expertise has led him to be a renowned sinus expert, earning multiple awards and recognized as a Los Angeles Magazine Super Doctor since 2013 and a Castle-Connolly Nationally Recognized Nose and Sinus Surgeon since 2017. He trains the next generation of sinus experts as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at University of California, Los Angeles .
His head and neck surgical residency was completed at UCLA Medical centerone of the top five programs nationally, where he completed two years of general surgical training and four years of specialized ENT/Head and Neck surgical training, and served his final year as chief resident of this top program.
Balloon Sinuplasty Promotes Sinus Drainage: A Minimally Invasive Technique
Dr. Davis is excited to offer patients a revolutionary office treatment for mild to moderate chronic and recurrent sinusitis called balloon sinuplasty. During the procedure, Dr. Davis threads a small catheter through the sinus opening and inflates a balloon with water. The balloon dilates the sinus opening and widens the outflow tract, which encourages it to drain.
The procedure is a quick, non-invasive way to improve drainage, reduce the potential for bacterial infections, and improve breathing. Numerous studies have shown that 90-95% of balloon sinuplasty patients benefit from the procedure for at least two years.
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What Are The Types Of Face Pain
The exact type of pain you feel will depend on the cause. A dull, throbbing pain on one side of your face or around your mouth is generally due to problems within the mouth, such as a toothache, cavity, or abscess. If you experience this type of pain, contact your dentist.
The pain associated with sinusitis feels like pressure or an aching pain across the front of the cheekbones and underneath the eyes. Abscesses and ulcers will often throb at the site of the sore. Headaches and injuries can feel like a stabbing sensation or can throb and ache.
Because there are many causes of facial pain, talk to your doctor if you experience pain thats unexplainable or unbearable.
Types Of Sinus Infections: Chronic Vs Acute
There are four types of sinus infections. These classifications depend on the length and frequency of the infection:
- Acute sinusitis.This type of sinus infection lasts only for a short time, defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology as less than 4 weeks. This short-term infection is usually part of a cold or other respiratory illness. It may also be caused by a bacterial infection .
- Subacute sinusitis. A subacute sinus infection lasts between 4 and 12 weeks .
- Recurrent acute sinusitis. An acute sinus infection is considered recurrent if the infection returns four or more times within a year, with each infection lasting 7 days or more.
- Chronic sinusitis.Chronic sinus infections last for more than 12 weeks or continue to recur.
Many sinus infection symptoms are common in both acute and chronic forms. Seeing a doctor is the best way to learn if you have an infection, find the cause, and get treatment.
For cases of acute bacterial sinus infections, these symptoms last at least 10 days without improving, or they worsen within 10 days after seeming to improve. In this case, its important to talk with a doctor, such as a general practitioner or an ear, nose, and throat doctor , to get a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Learn more about the symptoms of a sinus infection below.
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Schedule An Appointment For Recurring Sinus Infection Treatment In Federal Way Wa
Only an ENT physician has the fellowship training in nasal and sinus issues to provide an individualized treatment plan just for you. When your quality of life is affected by recurrent sinus infections, it is time to take action. Contact Dr. Ryan Stern at , or request an appointment online, for treatment of recurrent sinus infections.
When To Contact An Allergist Vs Ent
Its common for people with allergy symptoms to go directly to an ear, nose, and throat doctor for treatment. ENT doctors are surgeons who are experts in resolving structural problems involving the head, face, sinuses, nose, throat and voice box. Allergist/immunologists are expert physicians who manage inflammatory conditions of the nose, sinuses, ears, throat and lungs without surgery. Symptoms such as trouble breathing, sinus pressure, episodic ear discomfort, or a raspy voice can be caused by allergies and may not require surgery.
If youre wondering whether your symptoms require visiting an Allergist or ENT doctor, continue reading to help decide the right course of action for you.
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As Of June 1st We Have Reopened Our Office And Are Now Taking In Office Consultations
An ear, nose and throat specialist is a physician trained in the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. They have special expertise in managing diseases of the ears, nose and nasal passage sinuses, larynx , oral cavity and upper pharynx , as well as structures of the neck and face. ENT is the oldest medical specialty in the United States.
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Common Causes Of Sinus Infection
Sinus infections are caused by either viruses or bacteria, but they can be caused by fungi as well. Although sinusitis is a very common condition, some people are at higher risk of developing the infection. They include people who:
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Have abnormalities in the nasal passages, such as nasal polyps or a deformity
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Have a weakened immune system
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How Can An Ent Help With Chronic Sinusitis
If you have ongoing symptoms that do not respond to treatments or recurrent sinusitis, an ENT specialist can diagnose chronic sinusitis by completing an examination, reviewing your medical history, and conducting some tests. Tests may include:
- A nasal endoscopy. A procedure that uses an endoscope to see the inside of the sinuses and to assess the sinus structures.
- Diagnostic imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging scans or computed tomography scans to examine the sinus structures, particularly if there is deep inflammation or physical obstruction that may be difficult to identify using an endoscope.
- Allergy tests if its suspected that allergies are triggering the condition.
- Nasal and sinus cultures to help determine the cause of an infection.
Treatment can vary depending on the cause of chronic sinusitis. Natural remedies such as saline nasal irrigation, drinking plenty of fluids, or using a humidifier in your home may be recommended to help alleviate symptoms, but other treatments may include:
Dr Browne Truly Cares For His Patients
From my first visit to my surgery yesterday, I was confident that he cared and he was focused on successfully fixing my problem. I had a deviated septum and Doctor Browne immediately told me he could help.I scheduled my surgery three weeks later and one day after surgery, I feel minimal discomfort and little pain. I will recommend Dr. Browne everyday!– Heather A.
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