Ear, Balance and Hearing ENT Services
If you are looking for Ear, Nose and Throat serivces in McLean Virginia, our physicians provide services in the following ear/hearing related services.
Hearing loss may be due to multiple causes. If you sense that you are not hearing as well as you have in the past, a visit to the Otolaryngologist is crucial to exploring the cause of your hearing loss. Likely, a hearing test(audiogram) will be performed. For those with a sudden hearing loss, this should be treated as an urgent matter and the patient should be seen as close to the onset of the hearing loss as possible.
According to the CDC, 50 million people in the United States experience tinnitus to some degree. Although tinnitus is often a difficult symptom both to diagnose and treat, there are several disorders most of which should first involve a visit to an otolaryngologist. An audiogram (hearing test) will likely be performed. Amongst others, potential causes for tinnitus include hearing loss, noise exposure, trauma, Meniere’s disease, benign or malignant tumors, ear wax, and certain medications.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology discourages earwax removal unless excess earwax is causing health problems. Excessive earwax can cause pain, hearing loss or both. Although many mechanisms have been described for earwax removal, the safest and most effective method is with use of a microscope by an ear doctor.
Infections can occur in any of the three aspects of the ear: the outer ear (ear canal), the middle ear and the inner ear. These types of infections are treated in very different ways. Most ear infections can effectively be treated by general practitioners. A visit to the Otolaryngologist is warranted for multiple or chronic infections, severe infections, complications, patients with complex medical histories.
A perforated eardrum (hole in the tympanic membrane) can occur as a result of many different causes. Often times this condition will lead to drainage from the ear and/or hearing loss. Often the eardrum will heal in several days to months. However, if a perforation persists, it may require a procedure performed by an otolaryngologist.
Dizziness carries a definition of impairment in spatial perception and stability. This term encompasses many different variants including vertigo which may have an inner ear origin. Definitive treatment of dizziness requires thorough evaluation and testing to elicit an origin. There are multiple causes of “inner ear vertigo.” Many of these causes are very treatable.
Ear pressure or pain is not always a straightforward problem. Usually, the sensation of fullness in the ear is due to pressure differences on either side of the ear drum. The eustachian tube is the anatomic structure responsible for equalizing pressure in our ears. Often times the eustachian tube does not work correctly to equalize pressure. This is called Eustachian tube dysfunction. Possible etiologies for the eustachian tube dysfunction include structural blockages like large adenoids, masses, or inflammation secondary to allergies, viruses or bacteria.
A hematoma is a collection of blood beneath the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the ear. This condition happens as a result of trauma to the ear and should be addressed immediately. Treatment in an untimely manner may lead to distortion of the underlying ear cartilage, otherwise known as Cauliflower ear.
At ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery, we provide a safe and professional environment for ear piercing both for adults and children. We use hypoallergenic 24K gold plated earrings.
Earring holes often require repair either secondary to prolonged use of heavy earrings, torn ear lobes or due to previous stretch ear lobe piercing. At ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery, we can usually perform ear lobe repair under local anesthesia with no down time after the procedure.
