Home Departments & Services Beacon for Kids Beacon For Kids: Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Service

Beacon For Kids: Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Service

Our Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Service provides specialist care for children who have concerns relating to their ears, nose or throat structures.

ENT Service

Our Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Service provides specialist care for children who have concerns relating to their ears, nose or throat structures. We work closely with GP’s, families and the wider multidisciplinary team to allow us to assess, diagnose and manage a wide range of ENT conditions.

Conditions commonly seen by the ENT service include;

Recurrent Ear Infections and Glue Ear
Hearing loss or concerns about hearing
Persistent Nasal Obstruction, snoring, blocked nose
Concerns relating to the adenoids
Voice changes
Nose Bleeds

Conditions we do not in the ENT service include;

Tonsil removal
Laryngomalacia

Mr Fennessy and Mr Abdulrahmam will accept Nasal Fracture Referrals.

Ms Fitzgerald does not accept Nasal Fracture Referrals.

Contact Beacon For Kids

Phone

01 650 4665

[email protected]

Information on ENT Services in Beacon For Kids

Recurrent Ear Infections and Glue Ear
- Your child may be referred to an ENT Specialist if they have repeated ear infections or repeated fluid in the middle ear, which is known as Glue Ear.
- These are common in childhood but can affect a child’s hearing, speech development, and daily activities like attending school.
- Your consultant will take a detailed history; they may ask questions relating to often your child is experiencing ear infections and how they were treated.
- Your consultant may ask if your child has any associated symptoms like fever, pain, discharge, or irritability.
- Your consultant may use a piece of equipment known as an otoscope to look inside your child’s ears; this is not painful.
- Your consultant will discuss treatment options and make a management plan with you.
- If your consultant feels your child warrants further treatment, they may suggest Grommet insertion. This is a surgical procedure where very small tubes are placed into the ear under general anesthetic to allow the ear to drain fluid. Your consultant may discuss the risks vs benefit of this surgical intervention.
Hearing Loss or Concerns about Hearing
- Your child may be referred to an ENT Specialist if there have been concerns about your child’s hearing or concern about hearing loss.
- When your consultant triages your referral from the GP, they may ask you to take your child for a hearing test before their appointment and bring the results with you to the appointment. If your consultant wishes your child to have a hearing test completed, this can be completed in an audiology department. We have this service in the Beacon if required.
- This hearing test is helpful to determine if hearing loss has been identified which may be temporary or permanent. It will help determine the type and degree of hearing loss.
- When you meet your child’s consultant, they will examine your child’s ears using an otoscope; this is not painful.
- Your consultant will discuss the management plan with you and will recommend when your child should be seen for a follow-up appointment.
Persistent Nasal Obstruction, Snoring, Blocked Nose
- Your child may be referred to an ENT specialist if they have persistent nasal obstruction, blockage of the nose, difficulty breathing through the nose, or snoring during sleep.
- These concerns may be caused by enlarged adenoids, allergies, or structural concerns in the nose.
- Your consultant will take a detailed history, they may ask you questions about when the symptoms were first noted, whether they occur in the day or night or both, whether there is any pattern to the symptoms or whether there have been any identified triggers.
- They may ask if your child’s symptoms are affecting their performance in school, sleep, or their daily activities.
- Your consultant will examine your child.
- They may advise that further investigations are required such as endoscopy, imaging, sleep study, or skin prick testing. This may help your consultant find out what is causing the obstruction in the nose.
- Management plans may include medication, treating an allergy like pollen or dust if identified or surgical options like adenoid removal if required. Your consultant will discuss this in further detail with you and your child at the appointment.
Adenoids
- Adenoids are lymphoid tissue which are located at the back of the nose. They can help fight infections in very early childhood.
- Sometimes the adenoids can become inflamed or enlarged, which can cause nasal obstruction, snoring, mouth breathing, or sleeping difficulties, and your consultant may ask you questions relating to this.
- Your consultant will take a detailed history and examine your child.
- Your consultant will discuss a management plan with you and your child; this may include monitoring, managing allergies or removal of the adenoids.
- If your child’s consultant feels like adenoid removal is required, they will discuss the risks and benefits with you; they will explain this surgical intervention to you and answer any questions you may have.
Voice Changes
- Your child may be referred to an ENT Specialist if there are concerns about your child’s voice changing. This can include their voice sounding hoarse or weak. These changes may be temporary, but persistent changes should be reviewed by an ENT consultant for assessment.
- Your child’s consultant will obtain a detailed history and may ask questions around the when the symptoms were first noticed whether they come and go or whether there is any related pain or discomfort when speaking.
- Your consultant may ask if you have noticed any triggers of infections, potential allergies, certain activities, or if there is any throat clearing or coughing.
- Your child’s consultant will examine your child and decide if any further investigations are required.
- Your consultant will discuss a management plan with you and your child. This may include monitoring the symptoms, allergy avoidance, or treatment of infections.
Nosebleeds
- Your child may be referred to an ENT Specialist if they experience frequent nosebleeds or those that affect their daily living.
- Nosebleeds are common among children and young people. They are often caused by irritation of the lining of the nose, dryness of the nose, or injuries.
- During the consultation your child’s consultant will take a detailed history; they may ask questions about the frequency of the nose bleeds, how long they last, the quantity of blood and if they commenced randomly or after an injury.
- Your consultant may ask if your child has any related symptoms like nasal congestion or snoring.
- Your consultant will give advice on how to best manage nosebleeds in the future.
- Sometimes, nasal cautery is advised; your child’s consultant will discuss the risks and benefits of this procedure.
- Sometimes, this procedure is carried out in the clinic. Your consultant will explain what they will do first and allow you and your child to ask any questions you may have. They will numb the area first so your child should not feel any pain. They will gently apply a medicine called Silver Nitrate to the inside of the nose where the blood vessels are located. This will help seal the area and prevent future nose bleeds.
- Your child’s consultant will give you aftercare guidance and advice when they would recommend seeing your child back in clinic for a follow-up visit.
Absent or Reduced sense of Smell
- Your child may be referred to the ENT service if there is concern; they have an absent or reduced sense of smell.
- The condition may also be called anosmia where the sense of smell is absent or hyposmia where the sense of smell is reduced.
- This can affect the taste of food, appetite, and food enjoyment.
- During the consultation, the consultant will complete a detailed history. They may ask you and your child about when you first noticed the symptoms, whether it was sudden or gradual and whether it occurs on just one nostril or both.
- Your consultant may ask if you have had any injuries, nasal congestion, infections, or if there are any suspected allergies.
- Your consultant will examine your child’s nose and decide if any imagination is required.
- Depending on your child’s examination and results, your consultant will discuss the management plan with you and your child.