Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Unfortunately, this site is not equipped to handle such requests. Please call your physician’s office directly. Go to our Locations page, find your office location, and call the office phone number listed.

Generally, the offices are open from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM during the weekdays. We also offer Saturday hours at select locations. When the office is closed, an answering service for the practice will take your call.

A visit to an ENT specialist or otolaryngologist is different from atypical visit to your primary physician, as the specialist may use instrumentation to allow better visualization of difficult areas affecting the EAR, NOSE, THROAT, ALLERGIES, and HEARING LOSS.

Outlined below is what to expect from a general ENT visit, however, depending on the symptoms of the patient, the consultation may vary, tailoring the history and the examination to the patient’s complaint and presenting symptoms.

It is also important that the past medical history and medication (always bring a current list with you) being used should be documented, as this may have relevance if one requires surgery later. The history will become focused on the presenting complaint and its effect on the individual.

A thorough examination is usually undertaken, but some aspects of the examination outlined below may not be performed if not relevant to the complaint.

EAR: An otoscope is an instrument used to examine the ears and illuminate the eardrum, so that the surgeon can identify normal benchmarks and irregularities. This instrument is made with an illuminating handheld light source with a small amount of magnification attached to it. It is not typically a painful experience and can usually be undertaken in all age groups. In addition, the use of tuning forks as a gauge of hearing may sometimes be used as part of the consultation. However, sometimes it is required to undertake formal hearing tests to ascertain a more exact level of hearing. Occasionally, the eardrum and canal need to be viewed under magnification and a microscope can be used to provide this. The microscope allows the physician a more precise view of the ear structures and the use of suction if necessary, to remove wax or debris from an ear canal.

NOSE: To look at the front of the nose, a simple tool called a nasal speculum together with illumination from a headlight is used to visualize the anatomy and possible abnormalities. In many cases, a flexible instrument called a fiberoptic scope as described below might be used to inspect the nose and throat more thoroughly.

THROAT: An external examination of the neck is not uncommon to feel for any glands or pathology. This is undertaken manually feeling the different areas of the neck in a methodical fashion. The oral cavity is thoroughly examined often with a tongue depressor and good illumination to visualize the tongue and tonsillar area. It is not uncommon to visualize the back of the nose and the vocal cords with a flexible nasolaryngoscope. This is a fine fiberoptic cable with a small lens on one end and an eyepiece on the other that is inserted into the nose. The nasal passageway will be sprayed with an anesthetic prior to insertion of the scope. During Insertion of the scope, it might feel a bit strange, however, it is essential to allow the surgeon a superb view of areas that are very difficult to examine otherwise. The whole procedure usually takes a few minutes, and it is often required as part of a thorough ENT examination.

The summary above is provided as a guide to the full ENT examination, which may be completely undertaken or tailored to an individual’s need.

The ENT specialist may perform a procedure called a laryngoscopy or nasal endoscopy with a thin flexible instrument that has a lighted magnifying tip which is passed through the nose. This additional procedure is essential to discover the cause of voice and breathing problems, ear or throat pain, difficulty swallowing, narrowing, blockages or even tumors or cancer.

All otolaryngologists at ENTA are trained in medicine and surgery of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck for adult and pediatric patients. However, not all physicians treat children. Please refer to our full roster of pediatric specialists.

Regardless of format, any and all data collected at the time of a patient encounter is part of the medical/legal document. Billing records in all states should be retained for seven years according to Internal Revenue Service standards. They may be kept in a separate file. Telephone calls that pertain to medical care should be documented in the medical record and kept according to the above-referenced medical record retention guidelines.

Appointment books may be kept for one year

Commercial Insurance carriers as well as Medicare have temporarily expanded their telehealth coverage to respond to the current Public Health Emergency. During this time, you will be able to receive evaluation and management services through telehealth visits (common office visits). This will help ensure you are able to visit with your doctor from your home, without having to go to a doctor’s office or hospital, which puts you and others at risk of exposure to COVID-19. Many commercial insurance carriers have agreed to waive co-pays for virtual visits. Therefore, we will not be collecting co-payment at the time of service but will follow your insurance carriers explanation of benefits regarding billing. Medicare may assess your usual coinsurance and deductible for these services.