You wake up with a sore throat. Or your kid’s ear hurts again. Do you visit a general doctor/ general practitioner (GP), or do you need to see an ENT specialist? When you have asked yourself this, you are not alone.
A GP is a doctor trained to address a broad range of medical conditions and is generally the initial point of contact for individuals requiring non-emergency medical attention in the community.
The quick answer
- New, mild symptoms? See a GP first.
- Continuous, persistent symptoms which persist beyond 10-14 days or which interfere with daily living? See an ENT specialist.
- Any abrupt or serious issues (like sudden hearing loss, heavy nosebleeds or difficulty swallowing). Go directly to an urgent care or to an ENT doctor.
Why do we get stuck
Many of us go in circles. You get a cold, it gets better, and then the blocked nose comes back. You put in ear drops, things improve, and a few weeks later, your kid’s ear hurts again. Solutions that work in the short term tend to fail in the long run. It is at that point that a specialist can dig deeper.
What an ENT actually does
ENT is an acronym of ear, nose, and throat. These doctors examine the entire system, including the sinuses, ears, tonsils, voice, and dizziness, and even sleep-related breathing. They can perform the simple in-clinic checks (such as peeking into the inside of the nose or ear correctly), perform a hearing examination, and make a logical plan so that you are not merely speculating.
For a convenient summary of their treatments, visit our ENT service. It provides issues and treatment in one place, which is handy when you’re trying to correlate what you are experiencing with what you should be visiting.
Parents: watch these signs
Children do not necessarily complain that their ears are full and pressurised. Instead, you’ll notice:
- Frequent ear infections
- Mouth-breathing or loud snoring.
- Blocked or constant runny nose.
If that sounds familiar, consider consulting a paediatric ENT for help. Paediatric doctors who work with children will use tools and techniques that keep the little ones relaxed and comfortable.
Not Everything Needs Surgery.
Many are afraid that a visit to a specialist = surgery. In most cases, it is not so. Many problems improve with:
- Allergy management
- Proper nasal care and rinses
- Cleaning of earwax (yep, professionally)
- Reflux therapy for throat irritation.
- Hearing support or a simple consultation.
Surgery is not always the first step. It’s usually the last option.
A simple rule you can use
These are the three questions to ask yourself:
- Is this new and mild?
- Start with a GP.
- It is not the third of the year or more than two weeks.
- Book an ENT.
- Is it severe and worrying (unilateral severe pain, sudden loss of hearing, bloody nose, choking)
- See an ENT urgently.
Real-life examples
- You have been having months of sinus headaches, can no longer smell your coffee, and mouth breathe at night. The GP medics will help you somewhat, but they never completely clear. That’s ENT territory.
- Your child is continuously getting ear infections after swimming. They feel all right, and then the pain comes back. An ENT can examine fluid, Eustachian tube problems or adenoids.
- You snore loudly, wake up exhausted, and your partner says that you pause breathing at times. An expert can assess breathing issues related to sleep and suggest practical solutions.
Final tip
Don’t wait till the day of, I can’t take this anymore”. When you find yourself stuck in circles of the same issue. Seeking an ENT opinion can be very time-saving, sleep-saving and relieve your own stress. Begin with your GP, where it is not complicated. Consult a professional ENT specialist when faced with a difficult decision for significant relief. One visit. Clear diagnosis. Real plan. Book your consultation now with The Ent Doctor for a better future.
FAQ
Visit your GP first with the most common infections, such as a minor cold, an ear infection or a sore throat. You will require an ENT when the issue is recurring (it keeps recurring), long-term (lasts long) and has some physical complication, such as severe hearing loss or massive tonsils that obstruct breathing.
Your GP can treat the most common sinus infections and allergies. However, better to go to an ENT when your condition is starting to worsen, does not heal completely or when your GP thinks that there is a structural issue within your nose, for example, a polyp or a crooked nose wall (deviated septum), and you are operating on it.
If you experience loud snoring every night, accompanied by gasping or interrupted breathing, consider making an appointment with an ENT directly. This is a warning of Sleep Apnea, and an ENT is the expert who would diagnose and treat the structural aetiology.
Yes, no doubt. Balance and dizziness problems usually begin in the innermost ear, an area of ENT specialisation. When the GP treatment is not adequate, an ENT (Otologist) will conduct some tests to diagnose such causes of inner ear issues as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or Meniere’s disease.
In most areas, consulting an expert, such as an ENT, can be more costly than seeing a GP. For referrals, note that some insurance schemes or government medical services require a referral from a GP. In such cases, it’s usually quicker to call your insurance or the ENT clinic for clarification.
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