Ears, Nose, and Throat Medical Conditions and their Signs

Ears, nose, and throat are anatomically and physiologically connected. There’s a tiny canal called the Eustachian Tube located in the middle ear that links to the back of the nose and goes to the throat. This tube is in-line with mucus, which can be found in the inner part of the nose and throat, making them linked when it comes to diseases and treatments. These three parts of our body need to be studied simultaneously by an ENT doctor. These are the doctors who were trained to study the medical, surgical, and diagnostic management of the ears, nose, and throat. If you want to know the different services and practice of the ENT doctor, click to learn more.

There are many medical conditions related to the ears, nose, and throat, but the disease accompanied with these body parts always seem to start with an infection. The infection has signs and symptoms that need to be attended to by the physician immediately, so you’ll know if there’s another condition or disease that’s causing your infected ears, nose, and throat. Here are some of the diseases and their signs and symptoms:

Ear Infection

There are common ear diseases that start with a simple infection that may lead to complications like mastoiditis, deafness, vertigo, and even meningitis especially to children who are commonly experiencing ear infections.

Signs and symptoms of having an ear infection:

•      Fever
•      Sharp Pain in the ear
•      Decreased hearing or any manifestations of hearing problems
•      Presence of discharge or drainage of fluid from the ear
•      Itching and tugging or pulling at ears
•      Headache
•      Disturbed sleeping patterns
•      Loss of appetite and crying more than the usual in children

Otitis Media

A common ear illness which the middle ear is inflamed due to the impairment of the eustachian tube that can be acute or with effusion.

Signs and Symptoms of Having an Otitis Media:

•      Irritability
•      Headache
•      Sharp Ear Pain
•      Presence of discharges from the ear
•      Pulling at ears
•      Neck pain
•      Loss of appetite and crying more than the usual in children
•      Sleeplessness

Sinusitis

The swelling or inflammation of the lining of the sinuses caused by infection. Sinusitis is one of the most common complications of nose infection to both children and adults.

Symptoms of Sinusitis:

•      Congested nose with nasal discharges (green or yellow)
•      Pain (usually in the forehead or cheeks)
•      Halitosis or bad breath
•      Fever
•      Headache

Rhinitis

This is a condition were the mucus membrane of the nose is inflamed and irritated and is caused by virus, bacteria, and allergens. It’s also known as coryza.

Symptoms of Rhinitis:

•      Fatigue and muscle pain
•      Fever
•      Headache
•      Sore throat and hoarseness of voice
•      Some signs of ear infection (usually to children)
•      Obstructed nasal canal with clear or yellow discharge
•      Sneezing

Throat Infection

Signs and symptoms of throat infection include some respiratory distress because it’s considered as one of the upper respiratory tract parts of the body.

Signs and Symptoms of Throat Infection:

•      Cough
•      Hoarseness of voice
•      High-grade fever
•      Cold and clogging of the nose canal
•      Odynophagia or pain in swallowing
•      Inflamed and swollen tonsils that may also have yellow to green discharge
•      Pain in the throat
•      Swollen and tender neck glands
•      White patches to both tonsils and throat

Laryngitis

This is the inflammation of the larynx or what we called the voice box. It’s commonly caused by irritation, infection, and over usage like drinking too much alcohol. The condition can be acute lasting less than three (3) weeks or chronic that may last for more than three (3) weeks.

Signs and Symptoms of Laryngitis:

•      Dry cough
•      Hoarseness of voice
•      Dry throat
•      Throat irritation
•      Loss of voice

Ears, nose, and throat infections are mostly known either as bacterial, viral, streptococcal, irritants, or sometimes caused by trauma or accident. All signs and symptoms may be mixed or be evident to a patient, that’s why sometimes it’s hard to determine whether bacteria or virus causes it. Immediate physician consultation is a must when experiencing a specific or mixed manifestation of infection to the ear, nose, and throat. Proper medication or other medical test requests can only be obtained through a doctor, so you’d determine if there’s any other diseases or complications secondary to the infection.

Antibiotics are commonly being prescribed to the patients who have ear, nose, and throat infections. Physicians may also recommend a specific medicine to a particular symptom like antipyretics for fever, and anti-inflammatory or analgesics for pain in the form of a tablet, capsules, suspension, nasal spray, liquid drops, topical ointments, and a lot more types of medicine. For further detection or diagnosis, doctors may prescribe specific tests like pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, complete blood count, CT scan, and many more tests to determine the status of your ears, nose, and throat, that may also lead to chronic and acute diseases or disabilities.