Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Care

Ochsner ENT providers know that a holistic approach to care helps ensure the best results for problems affecting the ear, nose, throat, sinuses and mouth. Our team draws on the expertise of our board-certified physicians to treat problems that impact more than just one part of the body. We partner with the allergy and immunology department, the neurology and neurosurgery departments, the McCasland Family Comprehensive Headache Center and the cancer team to offer integrated multispecialty care.

Even minor problems in your ear, nose and throat can have a big impact on your quality of life. At Ochsner, our ENT specialists provide advanced care for common and rare problems, such as:

• Sudden and chronic ear infections

• Allergies that affect the ears, nose and throat

• Cancer of the salivary or thyroid glands

• Cancer in the sinuses or nose

• Cysts in the ear (cholesteatoma)

• Deviated septum — a crooked area between the nasal passages

• Dizziness and balance problems

• Facial trauma or wounds

• Growths or swelling in the mouth and throat

• Hearing loss

• Hoarseness and other voice disorders

• Loss of smell

• Nasal polyps — noncancerous growths in the nose

• Oral cancer

• Persistent nasal drainage

• Recurrent or chronic sore throats

• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

• Sinus pain and chronic sinus infections

• Snoring and sleep apnea

• Swallowing disorders

• Throat cancer

Ochsner believes in using the least invasive approach to care whenever possible. Many problems can be treated with lifestyle changes or medication, and we will always start there before progressing to more involved options, such as:

• Adenoid removal

• Balloon sinuplasty — sinus balloon dilation

• Cochlear implantation

• Deviated septum surgery (septoplasty)

• Eardrum reconstruction

• Facial reconstruction

• Implantable hearing aids

• Minimally invasive sinus surgery

• Minimally invasive surgery for head and neck cancers

• Nasal reconstruction (rhinoplasty)

• Polyp removal

• Speech therapy

• Tear duct surgery

• Throat and airway surgery

• Thyroid surgery

• Tonsil removal

• Treatment for blocked or clogged Eustachian tubes — the tube that connects your ears to your throat

• Treatments for nasal blockage

• Tumor removal

Ochsner ENT providers frequently work with the allergy and immunology department to treat common sinus problems that have an allergic component to them. Clinical trials may be available to patients with cancer and certain other diagnoses, including chronic sinus problems. MyOchsner virtual visits are offered whenever feasible.

Our providers are regularly honored by New Orleans magazine as “Best Doctors.”

Audiology, which is part of the ENT department at Ochsner, provides expert care for hearing loss and related disorders, from newborns to seniors and everyone in between. We are one of the leading and largest audiology centers in the region. Our comprehensive hearing center specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and management of hearing disorders, including screenings, diagnostic exams and hearing aid fitting.

We also have audiologists who are certified to program cochlear implants. Our expertise ensures patients receive thorough attention before, during and after the process.

Statistically, only 1 in 20 people eligible for cochlear implants have been offered the surgery. Ochsner ENT providers are working to expand awareness of who can benefit from this life-changing surgery.

There are many infections that can bother your ears, nose or throat.

• Colds
• Flu
• Measles
• Mono (the kissing disease)
• Mumps
• Strep throat

When you come to us for an ear, nose and throat (ENT) checkup, we look at your face, ears, nose, throat and neck very carefully. It's important for us to check how well you can hear, so we might do some tests that involve a little bit of pressure to see if there's any fluid behind your eardrum.

For your nose, we use special tools like a headlight or mirror and something called a speculum to get a good look inside the nasal cavity. Sometimes, we'll have you use a decongestant nose spray so we can see things even more clearly.

We also check out your voice box and gently examine your neck, paying close attention to your lymph nodes, salivary glands and thyroid gland. We finish by checking your overall health, including your heart and lungs.

Whether an infection is viral or bacterial influences the symptoms you experience and the treatment we use.

Most of the time when we catch colds or the flu, it's because of viral infections.

Bacterial infections are less common, but can be treated with antibiotics. Getting the right diagnosis is important.

Illnesses such as colds, strep throat, mono, sinus infections, toothaches, allergies, TMJ (excessive strain on the jaw joints) and acid reflux can cause discomfort in our throats and ears.

It's important to talk with your with your doctor to figure out exactly what's causing your discomfort so you can get the right treatment.