Otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon
The otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon (ENT) is the physician who specializes in the ears, nose, throat, mouth, sinuses, neck and thyroid — for diagnosis as well as for treatment, medical or surgical. Patients of all ages are seen.
OTO — the ear RHINO — the nose LARYNGO — the throat
What the specialty covers
The otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon — commonly shortened to ENT — manages disorders of the ear, nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, larynx and neck. It is both a medical and a surgical specialty: the same physician assesses, treats and, when necessary, operates.
The scope is wide. The ear, with hearing, infections, tinnitus and vertigo. The nose and sinuses, with allergy, nasal obstruction and sinusitis. The throat and larynx, with tonsils, voice and swallowing. The neck, with the thyroid, the salivary glands and lymph node masses. Added to these are sleep, with snoring and obstructive apnea, and head and neck oncology.
A long training path
After the doctorate in medicine, the specialty requires five years of residency in otolaryngology — head and neck surgery, followed by certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC). Many then complete a further one or two years of subspecialty training — otology, oncology, paediatric surgery, rhinology.
ENT, audiologist, speech-language pathologist: who does what
The audiologist measures hearing and balance and is involved in fitting hearing aids. The speech-language pathologist assesses and rehabilitates voice, speech, language and swallowing. The ENT surgeon is the specialist physician who makes the medical diagnosis, prescribes treatment and performs surgery. The three professions work in complement, and one patient often sees more than one of them.
When to consult
Reduced hearing, recurrent ear infections, hoarseness lasting more than three weeks, a permanently blocked nose, repeated sinusitis, snoring with pauses in breathing, a neck lump, difficulty swallowing, vertigo — all fall within the specialty. In Quebec, an ENT consultation requires a referral from a physician.