When to See an ENT: How to Know If You Need an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist

Many of us have experienced the frustration of booking a specialist appointment, which often takes weeks and sometimes longer, only to leave with a referral to someone else. This is especially common in otolaryngology, the medical specialty focused on the ears, nose, and throat (ENT).

“Our wait list can be long, and sometimes when a person finally gets in to see us, we have to say, ‘Oh, you didn’t really need to see me,’” says Douglas Hildrew, MD, medical director of Yale Medicine’s Hearing and Balance Program.

This often happens because patients don’t know when it’s appropriate to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist versus when their problem might be better suited to primary care or to a provider such as an audiologist or speech–language pathologist (SLP).

Before you make an appointment with an ENT specialist, it’s important to understand what they treat, and when another provider might be a better first step.

An otolaryngologist—also known simply as an ENT—treats conditions that affect the ears, nose, and throat. While ENTs often see common issues such as sinus and ear infections, their expertise lies in surgical treatments and complex or chronic conditions.

Some of the common conditions treated by ENTs include:

• Chronic ear or sinus infections
• Sudden, unexplained hearing loss
• Vertigo or balance disorders
• Ear trauma, such as a perforated eardrum
• Birth defects affecting the anatomy and function of the ear or sinuses
• Nasal polyps or other breathing obstructions
• Deviated septum
• Persistent or sudden loss of smell
• Frequent, unexplained nosebleeds
• Ongoing hoarseness or voice changes
• Sleep apnea
• Masses in the neck or throat
• Allergic rhinitis that does not respond to medication
• Head and neck cancers

At Yale Medicine, our ENT team doesn’t work in isolation. Our physicians excel at coordinating care across disciplines, which is often needed with complex issues that span the ears, nose, and throat.

A person with breathing and swallowing problems, for example, might need care from our aerodigestive clinic, which includes an ENT, a gastroenterologist, a pulmonologist, and an SLP. A person who has hearing loss may need the cochlear implant team that includes an audiologist, an ENT, and an SLP.

Even outside of multidisciplinary clinics, we collaborate closely to diagnose and manage difficult cases—so you get the right care, from the right expert, at the right time. “We all diagnose complex problems together and help patients navigate a challenging medical environment,” says Dr. Weinstock. “We work well together as a team.”