Pediatric ENT

Although children are often affected by the same ear, nose and throat conditions as adults, they are often more susceptible to these conditions and require special care to treat these complex conditions. Our doctor is well trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of ear, nose and throat conditions affecting children, including:

Chronic Ear Infections

Ear infections affect up to 75 percent of children in the United States by the time they reach the age of three. Children with ear infections may experience earache, fever, ear discharge, headache, and dizziness. While most ear infections go away on their own within 3 days, some persist, and could cause long-term damage to the middle ear if not treated. Depending on the severity of your child's condition, ear infection treatment may include antibiotics, steroids, placement of ventilation tubes, or surgery.

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils, the fleshy areas at the back of the throat, caused by a virus or bacteria. It is especially common in children and spreads through contact with throat or nasal fluids. Tonsillitis causes the tonsils to become swollen, red and painful. Tonsillitis can usually be treated at home through rest and drinking plenty of fluids, as well as antibiotics for bacterial infections. If a child has had several cases of tonsillitis in a short period of time, surgical removal of the tonsils may be necessary to prevent future throat infections.

Massive enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids causing obstructed breathing and pediatric sleep apnea is a very important finding often necessitating surgical removal.   If you believe your child might have this problem often characterized by gasping and choking at night, mouth breathing, difficulty eating and breathing at the same time, etc., we encourage evaluation by our specialist.

Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

Each year, over 6,000 infants are born in the US with a cleft lip and/or palate, a common birth defect involving a split in the upper lip (cleft lip) and/or gap in the upper mouth (cleft palate). Children with this condition are highly susceptible to ear infections and dental problems, and their parents usually experience difficulties with feeding. Reconstructive surgery is the recommended treatment for a cleft lip and/or palate. Cleft lip repair is usually performed on children at the age of 3 to 6 months, while cleft palate repair is usually performed at the age of 9 to 14 months.  Cleft lip and cleft palate repair is NOT performed by our specialist, however, comprehensive ENT care of the cleft lip and cleft palate patient is within our scope of practice.

We strive to provide the most effective treatment while taking into consideration the comfort of our patients and concerns of their parents.