How Can an ENT Doctor Evaluate Throat Health?

The throat is a vital part of our body. If anything happens to it, it could prevent us from communicating or eating as well as we should be able to. You might have some symptoms that don’t affect these common actions, though, but they might still leave you in considerable pain and discomfort. If you are worried about your throat health, you should endeavor to see your regular doctor as soon as possible. If they believe that there is something that needs to be investigated further, they will likely refer you to your local ENT doctor.

What do ENT doctors do?

ENT doctors specialize in health matters to do with the ears, nose, and throat. That means that they usually treat people who are suffering from hearing, sinus, or balancing disorders, as well as many patients who have issues with their taste and hearing. As ENT doctors are also consultants in throat health, they also deal with people who have issues with throat tumors, and issues with their skull base. So, as you can no doubt tell, these are the best medical professionals to see if you do have an issue with your throat health.

What will an ENT doctor do during your appointment?

During your first appointment with them, the doctor will ask you a lot of questions. These will be related to any symptoms that you have been experiencing, as well as your health overall. You might also be asked about your family’s medical history as well. This is so the doctor can get a good overview of your health and see if there might be an underlying condition that you are already aware of that might be causing throat issues. As well as discussing your health with you, the ENT doctor will probably carry out an examination of your throat. During this examination, they will try to see if there are any physical symptoms or visible reasons as to why your throat health might not be quite good. For instance, they might be able to spot a tumor or soreness. In order to see the back of your throat better, they might be required to insert an esophagoscope into your mouth. This is so they can see as much of the throat as possible.

What throat treatment might they advise?

The treatment that your ENT doctor will suggest will largely depend on the issue that they diagnose with your throat. These are some of the most common:

• Tonsillectomy. This is a procedure in which the tonsils are removed from the throat. It is often prescribed if an individual continually suffers from tonsilitis. It is also sometimes used as a treatment for sleep apnea.
• Removal of tumors and glands. This is usually done to treat cancer of the throat or glandular cancers.
• Microlaryngoscopy. During this procedure, a tube is inserted into the voice box so that biopsies and examinations of the area can be carried out.
• Adenoid removal. These lumps sometimes develop at the back of the throat and can be removed if they cause sleep apnea and breathing difficulties.