Most parents would do just about anything to make sure their children don’t suffer, but unfortunately, illnesses tend to strike when you least expect them to. Ear nose and throat problems in children and adolescents are particularly common, and they often require specialized treatment to restore their health as soon as possible.
Ear nose and throat (ENT) problems encompass a wide range of conditions, from sinus infections to repair of facial and neck injuries/abnormalities. Since children are developing every single day, common ENT problems can quickly become significantly worse. Therefore, you need to keep an experienced ENT doctor on speed dial to ensure that your child can be treated at a moment’s notice.
If your child just does not seem to be getting better, it’s time to look outside of your general pediatrician for specialized care. Here’s how a trusted ENT doctor can help your child stay healthy and happy:
- Sinus infections. Often times, parents will delay their visit to an ENT doctor because they write their child’s illness off as a “common cold.” After a few days of sneezing and runny nose, some children begin to experience headaches and facial pain, signifying the development of a sinus infection. Treatment for sinus infections is very time-sensitive, so you should always check with an ENT doctor if your child’s cold begins to linger.
- Cleft palate repair. There’s nothing more fulfilling than being a parent, but congenital abnormalities of the ear and lips can be cause for concern. One of these abnormalities, a cleft lip, is typically treated soon after the child is born. Surgery to repair a cleft lip usually occurs in the first few months of life, and it is generally recommended within the first 12 months of life at the most. Your baby may have specific needs that forced you to put off surgery, but you should check in with an ENT doctor for cleft palate repair before they grow older.
- Ear infections. Ear infections are perhaps the most common reason for parents to visit an ENT doctor. In fact, about five out of six children (83%) will develop at least one ear infection by the age of three. Ear infections come with a host of dangerous consequences, including potential hearing loss, so you need to seek treatment from an ENT doctor as soon as they begin to complain of ear pain.
These are just a few of the conditions that can be treated by an ENT doctor, but they also conduct important procedures like vocal cord surgery that can significantly enhance your child’s quality of life. Find a trusted ENT doctor in your area and feel confident in knowing that treatment for your child is just around the corner at all times.