Pittwater Life November 2023 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
The heads-up on ear,
nose & throat problems
Health & Wellbeing
If ever there was a certain
time of year when most locals
experienced issues with their
ears, nose and throats it would
be around now: the height of
the hay fever season.
Yet ear, nose and throat
problems occur year-round,
regardless of the weather, with
a range of symptoms and conditions
that can affect children
and adults at varying degrees.
Mild ear and sinus infections,
hay fever and excessive sneezing
and coughing, sore scratchy
throats and runny or stuffy
noses can often be managed
with home remedies and simple
solutions with advice from a GP
or pharmacist.
However, signs of a chronic,
acute, or severe condition relating
to these parts of the body,
should prompt a referral to an
otolaryngologist, widely known
as an ENT surgeon – a specialist
in the diagnosis and treatment
of disorders and diseases affecting
the ear, nose, throat and
structures of the head and neck.
Mona Vale-based ENT
surgeon Dr Frank Elsworth
said common symptoms that
required investigation by a
specialist included:
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Frequent nose bleeds.
• Chronic nasal congestion.
• Speech delay.
• Loss of smell, hearing or
voice.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Earache, sore throat, or pain
that doesn’t go away.
• Dizziness or balance
problems.
• Nasal breathing problems;
and
• Sleep problems.
Dr Elsworth said when
surgery was required the good
news for locals was many
procedures could be carried
out close to home at Pittwater
Day Surgery (PDS) in Mona Vale,
with patients admitted and
discharged on the same day.
Conditions commonly treated
by ENT specialists at PDS
include:
Recurring acute/chronic otitis
media (glue ear)
“Glue ear is a condition where
the middle ear fills with thick
fluid. It most commonly presents
in young children with
speech delay, hearing loss,
behavioural change or recurring
painful ear infections,” said
Dr Elsworth. “Persistent glue
ear causes middle ear damage
and possibly long-term hearing
loss. Tiny tubes called grommets
can be inserted into the
ear drum under general or local
anaesthetic to help prevent the
build-up of fluid or ear infections.”
Grommets can also assist
adults/children who experience
severe ear pain and possible
inner ear damage with hearing
loss due to air travel.
Sleep impairment
“In children, this usually manifests
by excessive snoring and
poor sleep quality and fatigue.
If caused by adenoid enlargement
or tonsil enlargement (or
both) your doctor may recommend
a trial of a medicated
nasal spray or removal of the
adenoids (adenoidectomy) or
56 NOVEMBER 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991