The ear, nose, and throat control normal functions like hearing, talking, and feeling good overall. However, sinusitis, ear infection, hearing loss, and sleep apnoea-like complications often interfere with their regular functioning and people’s daily lives. You can have ear pain, but you may not realise that bacterial infection is the reason behind its intensity. Or, your nose can be blocked or runny. However, you may not understand that it’s due to an allergic reaction. Neglecting these possibilities can prove costly as your basic systems continue to suffer and become a more significant health concern. Please avoid these unwanted scenarios and learn when you must visit an ENT clinic.
Timely medical intervention will reduce the impact of an underlying condition on your wellness and cost you relatively less than an emergency. You can visit https://drkhliment.com.sg for all types of treatment options. Before this, here is a quick glimpse of different ENT conditions that demand checking up with a specialist.
- Dizziness
Balance is one of the critical aspects of good health. Various body parts work together to ensure this, including the inner ear. However, disorders like vertigo can affect it. Do you feel dizzy when you rise from your seat abruptly or during migraine or medication? These can be short-term effects. Nevertheless, vertigo occurs when the inner ear’s calcium crystals become displaced, manifesting their impact when you change your head position as you bend, roll over, or look up. You can see an ENT to relieve your discomfort and regain steadiness.
- Enlarged lumps or lymph nodes in the neck
Lymph glands in the neck and head defend your body from infection risks. Sometimes, bacterial or viral attacks make them swollen or tender. While lymph nodes typically improve naturally in a few weeks, one must meet an ENT if the lumps grow more prominent and don’t heal in two weeks. They can feel squishy or firm for no apparent reason. You can suffer from voice changes, sore throat, fever, sudden weight loss, and night sweats.
- Painful tonsils
The egg-shaped tissue pads at the far end of the throat are tonsils, which can become inflamed due to bacteria or viruses. As a result, you can face difficulty swallowing, sore throat, tenderness in the lymph nodes in the neck, etc. The infection can spread without adequate attention and cause other health challenges, such as sleep disturbance, middle ear infection, and abscesses. An ENT can recommend the proper medications to restore your tonsils’ health. If the infection keeps coming back, they can opt for surgery.
- Stuffy nose
Swollen and inflamed sinuses cause sinusitis. Due to swelling in this area, your nose can struggle to drain mucus normally and become congested. The problems increase when you cannot breathe properly, your eye area feels tender, and your nose discharges discoloured matter. Some people develop chronic sinusitis, which rarely responds well to treatments and continues to influence their health for over three months. Causes of sinusitis include allergies, septal deviation, recurring respiratory infection, nasal polyps, etc. When you meet an ENT, the specialist can recommend antibiotics, medications, or surgery based on your symptoms.
Generally, people wait two to four days for any symptom to disappear or recover. If there is no sign of relief or there is a tremendous amount of discomfort, it’s better to consult an ENT immediately.