Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) care
Find high-quality ear, nose, and throat (ENT) care for yourself and your family. Rely on the specialists at Montage Health and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
What does an ENT doctor do?
An ENT doctor is also known as an otolaryngologist. This type of doctor can diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions that affect the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck. When needed, ENT doctors can perform surgery and other procedures to correct, repair, or reconstruct these areas.
Conditions we treat
Get compassionate, personalized care for:
- Allergies
- Balance problems
- Cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the head, neck, salivary gland, and thyroid gland
- Dizziness, vertigo, and Meniere’s disease
- Eardrum rupture (perforated eardrum)
- Ear infections, earwax buildup, and swimmer’s ear
- Hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Salivary gland stones
- Sinus and nasal problems such as congestion, infection, loss of smell, frequent nose bleeds, polyps, and sinusitis
- Sleep apnea and snoring
- Throat conditions, including tonsillitis, sore throat, acid reflux, and trouble swallowing
- Vocal polyps or nodules
When to seek care
Talk to your primary care provider if you have ear, nose, or throat symptoms that are severe or happen frequently. You may receive a referral to an ENT doctor for specialized care.
Testing and diagnosis
Depending on your symptoms, you may need certain tests to help your doctor diagnose your condition. Common tests include:
- Airway assessment
- Allergy testing
- Balance evaluation
- Hearing tests
- Imaging tests, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan of the head or sinuses, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, or X-rays
- Lab tests, such as cultures, biopsies, and blood work
- Nasal and trans-nasal endoscopy to detect swelling, polyps, or deformities in your throat or nasal passages
- Pressure test (tympanometry) to check if you have fluid behind your eardrum
- Snoring and sleep apnea evaluation
ENT services and treatments
Trust our experienced specialists to recommend a care plan that’s tailored to you, so you can get back to feeling your best. Your plan may include medications, lifestyle changes, medical devices like hearing aids, or other treatments, depending on your condition.
Procedures we offer
If conservative (nonsurgical) options do not relieve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend and perform a procedure. Feel confident you’re in good hands during:
- Balloon sinuplasty – Widens your sinus passage to provide relief of chronic sinusitis and pain
- Cochlear implants – Make it easier to understand spoken words if hearing aids don’t help enough with severe hearing loss
- Ear tube insertion – Places a tube into the eardrum to improve ear function
- Endoscopic sinus surgery – Uses an endoscope (flexible tube with a light and camera) to open the sinuses or remove blockages
- Lymph node excision – Removes one or more lymph nodes to stage cancer (check its progression) or treat it
- Oral tumor removal – Takes out an abnormal growth that may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)
- Parathyroid gland surgery, or parathyroidectomy – Removes the parathyroid glands if they’re overactive or have a tumor
- Salivary gland surgery, such as parotidectomy – Removes glands that make saliva (spit), such as the parotid gland
- Salivary gland stone removal – Takes out salivary gland stones with or without removing the gland
- Septoplasty – Straightens and repairs a deviated septum
- Somnoplasty – Reduces the uvula (flesh hanging above the throat) soft tissue to treat snoring
- Thyroidectomy – Removes part or all of the thyroid gland
- Tonsillectomy – Removes the tonsils
- Tympanoplasty – Repairs a perforated (ruptured) eardrum
- Vocal polyp or nodule surgery – Repairs the vocal cords by removing abnormal growths
Your ENT doctor will use the least invasive techniques possible to perform your procedure so you can recover quickly and safely.
