- difficulty speaking or reading
- having difficulty responding to speech
- limited attention
- poor sense of balance
If your child suffers from recurring throat or ear infections, you should see a specialist as soon as possible. Greater Knoxville ENT’s Dr. Allan Rosenbaum explains why:
Recurring Throat Infection
Strep throat is one of the most common causes of throat pain/discomfort in kids.
It is caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria.
“When your child suffers from Strep throat, he/she could have trouble swallowing, loss in appetite, headache, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and when you inspect his/her throat, you could see red and white patches in it.”
Why You Should See a Specialist
“When left untreated, Strep throat could lead to serious complications. Just two weeks without treatment could cause the spread of the bacteria into other organs.”
In the past, tonsillectomy was viewed as the best solution for recurring throat infections. Recent studies, however, show that this procedure may come at the cost of your child’s respiratory health.
“Seeing an ENT specialist can help pinpoint the possible causes of your child’s recurring throat infection and point you out to the most appropriate treatment/intervention.”
Recurring Ear Infection
Although ear infections are common in kids, recurrent ear problems aren’t.
If your little one suffers from recurrent ear infections, seeing a doctor should be in your priority list. This could be a case of chronic ear infection.
Chronic ear infections can be chronic otitis media with effusion (occurs when the fluid stays in the ear for an extended period of time) or chronic suppurative otitis media (patients with this condition have recurring and persistent ear discharge).
When left untreated, chronic ear infections could lead to mastoiditis (an infection of the mastoid, the bone behind the ear) and cholesteatoma (growth of skin cells in the middle ear).
When To See a Specialist
If your child has a history of ear infections and you notice any of the following, then start setting an appointment with an ENT specialist: