If you’ve been having issues with your ear, nose, or throat, your primary doctor may have referred you to an ENT doctor. Visiting an ENT doctor is nothing to be afraid of, but if you’ve never been before you might not know what to expect. Here is what you need to know about visiting an ENT doctor.
Call and Set Up an Appointment
If your doctor recommended you see a specific person, they’ve likely given you a referral card. When you’re ready, call the number listed on that card and give them all of the information. They will also ask you about your insurance, so be sure to have that ready for discussion. The staff member will be able to set you up with an appointment on that call unless they need further information from your doctor.
Go to Your Appointment Prepared
It’s so important to go anywhere new prepared, especially to a new doctor. Before your visit, take a moment to come up with some questions you might have. Write those down and write down how you’ve been feeling lately. Sometimes when we go to new appointments, we can get overwhelmed. That overwhelming feeling may cause us to forget everything we wanted to talk about. If you’ve been having problems with your vocal cords, you need to tell them that. Especially since almost 10,000 cases of vocal cord cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. So, it’s always a good idea to write things down.
What Will Happen During the Exam
During your visit, the doctor will use a handheld tool to check inside your throat, your nose, and your ears. By doing that, they will be able to get an idea of what’s going on with you. They might even be able to fully diagnose you right then and there. If you’re having serious sinus issues, they may decide to do a nasal endoscope, which uses a thin, lighted camera to see inside your sinuses. The tool gets inserted through your nose and the entire procedure only takes a few minutes. At the end of your appointment, you may leave with a prescription, some instructions, or a follow-up visit where they can do a more thorough look.
ENT doctors can help will a bunch of different problems. But it can be scary if you’ve never visited them before. For more information on ENT procedures, contact Ear Nose and Throat Associates of Texas PA today.
