Are you experiencing ear pain, balance problems or chronic allergies? You may need to receive treatment of ears, nose and throat conditions by seeing an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose & throat (ENT) doctor.
Dr. Gregg Schmedes is an ENT in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is affiliated with the National Sinus Institute, a partnered provider of Lovelace Health System.
Keep reading as Dr. Schmedes speaks on the two main reasons for adult ENT visits, allergies and surgeries.
Hearing and balance disorders
If you have a hearing or balance disorder, it’s advised you first see an audiologist, who would evaluate your hearing. “If necessary, the patient can do a very in-depth 1.5 hour balance test if there is a balance issue,” explained Dr. Schmedes. After visiting with an audiologist, patients meet with an ENT specialist, like Dr. Schmedes. “I’ll look at those tests, interpret them, examine the patient by performing a full head and neck exam and see where we need to go from there. The patient may need surgery, hearing aids, physical therapy or a variety of other medical treatments or prescriptions.”
Nose and sinus issues
“The key to any patient who has sinus or allergy related symptoms is a diagnosis,” explained Dr. Schmedes. “I’ll examine a patient who comes in and perform an endoscopic exam, which utilizes a small camera that looks into the nose and sinuses.” Dr. Schmedes and his team use a decongestant and gentle numbing spray to spray the patient’s nose for the patient’s comfort. “Usually the exam lasts about a minute to a minute and a half,” said Dr. Schmedes. “The key is that the physician, or someone like myself, is looking exactly where the camera is going so we avoid touching sensitive structures like the septum.”
“Thorough examination including endoscopic exam, is very important to diagnose these patients. A chronic bacterial problem in the sinuses is different than a problem relating to allergies. These are two very different diagnoses and require different treatments,” shares Dr. Schmedes.
Allergies
“There’s no reason why people should be living with uncontrolled allergies or uncontrolled sinus problems,” says Dr. Schmedes.
Dr. Schmedes recommends someone get allergy tested when that person has been on allergy medication for more than a few months or when he or she is not happy with the symptoms. Allergy testing is important because it tells us which allergens affect you, according to Dr. Schmedes. “If any of my patients are going to be on a medication chronically, I really want a quantitative diagnosis. I want to know exactly what you’re allergic to and from there. The goal ultimately is to get a patient off medication. We offer allergy testing, allergy shots and other allergy therapies.”
“We have a lot of wonderful, modern treatments. Sometimes it may take us some time to get things under control, but we can get there. The bottom line is if a patient feels like he or she is stuck with those symptoms, I suggest they go see an ENT physician to get their quality of life back.”
Typical surgeries performed by an ENT
Dr. Schmedes and other ENT specialists perform procedures and surgeries such as placing ear tubes, replacing ruptured ear drums, surgery to restore hearing, surgery to clear up chronic ear infections, minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery and more.
Some surgeries require CT or MRI guided technology, according to Dr. Schmedes. “Sometimes we use image guidance, which tells us with great precision what we’re looking at. It’s important because we’re typically working right between the eyes and right underneath the brain. Depending on what our goals are for surgery, we might need that extra level of image guidance to know exactly where we are.”
Dr. Schmedes regularly visits and performs surgeries at Lovelace Westside Hospital.
“Lovelace Westside Hospital is an incredible facility,” says Dr. Schmedes. “You walk in and are greeted by at least three different very kind and gentle people. It’s a very serene, tranquil community hospital and for me, it’s a quintessential community hospital. Lovelace Westside Hospital is a very calm place where people can experience healing. The staff members are just happy to work there and I think it’s just a great environment for the patient.”
Dr. Schmedes will be giving a talk on age-related hearing loss at our next Lovelace Silver Elite event. “Hearing loss in older adults can be a gradual process that sneaks up on families. This condition can accelerate the aging process and lead to depression. There are a lot of treatments to be known that we can give that are good for their health.”