The Best Time To Take Your Child to an ENT is Any Time

When you become a parent, you begin to plan for everything. Daycares, safe toys, and a workable sleep routine are just some of the many things you consider down to the last detail. However, have you thought about their ear, nose, and throat care during their precious formative years?

Scheduling an ENT appointment for your child can be crucial at any time, especially when your child has:

Allergies

That stuffy nose feeling doesn’t just come during cold and flu season. Dr. Jad Jabbour, a CEENTA otolaryngologist from our SouthPark office, explains some of the early signs of allergies. "Children from families with a history of allergies may benefit from an allergy test when they start exhibiting common symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, and watery eyes." Establishing a treatment plan at an early age can make a difference in the long run as your child ages.

Swollen tonsils or snoring

Children can often have swollen tonsils and/or adenoids. This may be due to recurrent infections or exposure to various germs. Swelling of these tissues can lead to snoring, sore throat, trouble swallowing, or voice changes. If your child has these symptoms, an otolaryngologist can help determine treatment options. Sometimes, removal of the tonsils (tonsillectomy) or adenoids (adenoidectomy) may be beneficial.

Ear infections

Another common condition in kids is an ear infection. If you notice your child constantly tugging at their ears, struggling to hear, or have fluid draining from the ear canal, schedule an appointment with an ENT physician. For recurrent ear infections, your physician may recommend ear tube surgery to alleviate fluid buildup.

A failed hearing screening at school

School systems can be a great way to determine whether or not you should make an ENT appointment for your child. Hearing screenings are performed every few years between pre-K to high school, and the results could indicate muffled or reduced hearing. Taking your child to an ENT specialist and an audiologist could help determine potential causes along with remedies ranging from earwax removal to hearing aids if warranted.

Tongue-tie

Tongue-tie is a congenital condition where the tongue is attached to the floor of the mouth. This may sometimes lead to difficulties with feeding or speech. Although not all tongue ties need to be treated with a procedure, your child’s physician may suggest a frenotomy to correct the connective tissue under the tongue (frenulum).

Take care of your child’s ears, nose, and throat by making an appointment with an ENT specialist at CEENTA. Whether it’s a stuffy nose or constant infections, CEENTA’s team of board-certified and fellowship-trained otolaryngologists can help your children during this crucial time in their lives. Schedule with Dr. Jabbour at our SouthPark location today for pediatric ENT services that just make sense.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our ENT doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.