Otorhinolaryngology, also known as Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), is a surgical sub-specialty that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment for conditions of the ears, nose, throat, base of the skull, head and neck. Ears, nose, and throat are organs that share anatomy and are intricately connected, which means when one of them experiences a disturbance, the others can also be affected. Take the example of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), one of the commonest cancers in Hong Kong. NPC is a type of cancer that starts in the part of the throat connecting the back of the nose to the back of the mouth. Patients with NPC may experience nasal blockage, nosebleed and coughing up of blood, but they should also be concerned when other symptoms, such as ringing in the ears, hearing loss, swollen lymph nodes in the head and neck, headache, or facial paralysis, occur. If any of these symptoms are noticed, one should seek medical attention as soon as possible to obtain early assessment and treatment.

Some other common otorhinolaryngologic disorders include otitis media, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, epistaxis, snoring, and sleep apnoea.

Common Symptoms of Ear Problems
• Earache
• Hearing loss
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
• Dizziness/vertigo
• Ear discharge (otorrhea)
• Swelling
• Facial nerve palsy
Common Ear Problems
• Earwax
• Foreign bodies in the ear
• Ear pinna injuries
• Congenital ear abnormalities: Microtia, preauricular sinus
• Ruptured eardrum
• Infections: Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear), myringitis, acute otitis media, chronic otitis media, otitis media with effusion (secretory otitis media)
• Cholesteatoma
• Eustachian tube dysfunction
• Meniere’s disease
• Otosclerosis
• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
• Tumours: Such as middle ear cancer
• Hearing loss: Conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, mixed hearing loss
Diagnosis and Treatment of Ear Problems
• Earwax removal
• Foreign bodies removal
• Ear microscopic examination
• Otoscopy
• Tympanoplasty (eardrum repair)
• Myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion
• Stapedectomy and ossiculoplasty
• Mastoidectomy
• Canalith repositioning
• Diagnosis and treatment of ear tumours
• Hearing assessment: Infants, children, adults
• Diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus
• Hearing aid fitting
• Cochlear implant
• Bone-anchored hearing aid implant

Common Symptoms of Nose Problems
• Watery eyes
• Nasal congestion or nasal obstruction
• Itchy nose, sneezing
• Excessive nasal discharge, thick yellow or green nasal discharge, nose bleeding
• Pain in the nose
• Reduced sense of smell
• Change in voice
• Earache, tinnitus
Common Nose Problems
• Nose injuries, nasal deformities, nasal bone fracture
• Foreign bodies in nasal cavity
• Nasal polyps
• Nasal septum deviation
• Hypertrophic inferior turbinate
• Nasal-lacrimal duct obstruction
• Infections: Acute rhinitis, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), rhinitis sicca, atrophic rhinitis, vasomotor rhinitis, sinusitis
• Nasal and sinus cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC)
• Epistaxis
Diagnosis and Treatment of Nose Problems
• Diagnosis and tests of allergic rhinitis
• Foreign bodies removal
• Nasal endoscopy
• Nasal biopsy
• Antral washout
• Nasal cautery
• Endoscopic surgery: Endoscopic nasal polypectomy, endoscopic turbinectomy, endoscopic sinus surgery, endoscopic-assisted adenoidectomy
• Laser surgery: Laser nasal polypectomy, laser turbinectomy
• Septoplasty
• Diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and other nasal and sinus cancer

Common Symptoms in Throat and Oral Cavity
• Sore throat, dry throat, feeling of itchiness or tickling in the throat
• Cough
• Excess mucus, blood in sputum
• Globus sensation (lump in throat)
• Loss of taste
• Change in voice: Such as muffled speech, hoarseness, or even loss of voice
• Oral ulcers
Common Throat Problems
• Swallowed foreign bodies
• Oral ulcers
• Pharyngitis
• Tonsillitis
• Globus hystericus
• Dysphagia
• Vocal cord disorders: laryngitis, vocal cord nodules, vocal cord polyps
• Papilloma (pharyngeal, laryngeal)
• Throat cancer, tongue cancer, vocal cord cancer
Diagnosis and Treatment of Nose Problems
• Foreign bodies removal
• Flexible video-laryngoscopy and video stroboscopy
• Microlaryngoscopy
• Biopsy of the larynx and pharynx
• Tonsillectomy
• Vocal cord surgery
• Laser vocal cord cancer surgery
• Speech, language and voice therapy
• Swallowing function assessment and treatment
• Diagnosis and treatment of throat tumours

Common Symptoms of Head and Neck Problems
• Swelling of the neck
• Lumps in the neck
• Pain in the neck
• Orofacial pain
• Sore throat
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Blood in sputum
• Hoarseness or loss of voice
• Persistent earache or ear pain when swallowing
Common Head and Neck Problems
• Parotitis
• Salivary gland disorders: Salivary gland infection, salivary gland stone, salivary gland tumour
• Thyroid gland disorders: Thyroid nodules, thyroid tumour
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Diagnosis and Treatment of Head and Neck Problems
• Percutaneous FNA or biopsy of thyroid nodule, neck mass, or neck lymph node
• Neck Dissection
• Thyroidectomy
• Diagnosis and treatment of other head and neck tumours

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnoea
• Loud frequent snoring
• Episodic cessation of breathing or snoring
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Loss of concentration
• Forgetfulness
• Mood change and irritability
• Sexual dysfunction
Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnoea
• Sleep endoscopy
• Sleep study
• Diet control/weight management
• Medication treatment
• Non-invasive ventilation (continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP)
• Non-invasive ventilation (continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP)
• Surgical treatment

• Endoscopic ear surgery
• Endoscopic sinus surgery (+/- navigation)
• Endoscopic laryngeal surgery
• Endoscopic skull base surgery
• Robotic sleep surgery
• Microlaryngoscopic surgery(+/- laser)
• Endoscopic vocal cord injections
• Transoral robotic surgery (TORS)
• Transoral thyroidectomy
• Robot-assisted neck dissection

Virtus Otorhinolaryngology specialists

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