You might think of your ears, nose and throat as separate parts of your body, but the connection between them is strong. The health of each directly affects the others. That’s why, when you have a cold, you may also have a sore throat, swollen eyes and a cough. And since this grouping includes your brain and everyday functions like swallowing and talking, it’s important to see a provider if you’re experiencing any difficulties.
Specialized Care for a Wide Range of Conditions
Our experts (also called otolaryngologists) specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions, from the common to the complex:
- Chronic ear infections
- Sinusitis
Each of these illnesses has different causes, symptoms and treatments, and our highly trained team members will diagnose your specific problem and design your personalized treatment program.
Some ENT treatments happen on an outpatient basis, including minor surgeries such as removing a lesion or performing a biopsy. You might only need a one-time, straightforward remedy, or your diagnosis might involve temporary or even long-term, ongoing treatment. Whatever your situation, your experience with Central Maine Healthcare will always begin with a thorough consultation and progress through follow-up care.
Fax Number: 207-784-2868
Phone Number: 207-784-4539
Click here to find an ENT provider or talk to your primary care provider for more information on services offered at Central Maine Healthcare.
Chronic Ear Infections
If you’re an adult with an ear infection, you might be surprised you have it. After all, we usually conditions as only affecting children. But they do happen at any age, and while they’re rarely dangerous, they are painful.
At Central Maine Healthcare, our highly skilled ENTs can help you find relief. We provide a full range of treatment options, from medications to tube insertion (tympanostomy), a highly common, safe and reliable procedure for patients of all ages.
Symptoms of a Chronic Ear Infection: The clearest sign, in both children and adults, is a feeling of pressure in the ear. If you feel that pressure and it lasts for more than a few days, or if it repeatedly disappears and returns, you could have a chronic ear infection. Other symptoms may include:
- Mild ear pain
- Low fever
- Hearing loss
- Trouble sleeping
- Fluid leaking out of ears
Most of these symptoms could indicate other illnesses, so it’s a good idea to see an ENT specialist whenever any of them persist.
Where Ear Infections Live: Your infection might be in your inner, middle or outer ear.
An infection in the inner ear could be more serious, because it sometimes is a symptom of meningitis, an inflammation that can lead to serious or life-threatening complications.
The middle ear, the space behind your eardrum, is where ear infections happen most frequently. A small canal called a Eustachian tube connects your middle ear to your throat and nasal canal, and if that gets blocked by inflammation and fluid build-up, often from a cold, the ear infection sets in.
Outer ear infections, sometimes called “swimmer’s ear,” are rarely serious but they still can be uncomfortable. They occur when water pools in your ear after swimming or bathing. Bacteria can breed in the water, causing an infection.
Treating Persistent Problems: For ear infections that are short-lived and relatively mild, home remedies, like ear drops or holding a warm or cool washcloth to your ear, may help.
When the infection lingers, your Central Maine ENT may prescribe an antibiotic or recommend a minimally invasive tube insertion. In the procedure, your provider inserts tiny tubes into your eardrums so that air can flow into the middle ear again. It only takes about 30 minutes for both ears and is seen as the gold standard for relieving chronic ear infections. For children especially, tubes not only help reduce chronic ear infections, but may also eliminate hearing loss, speech development problems or other complications due to fluid build-up.
Sinusitis
Your sinuses are cavities around your nasal passages. They’re usually filled with air, but when they’re filled with fluid — from allergies, a cold or even a deviated septum — they become blocked and infection sets in. Sinusitis is a painful condition that can hang on for months. If you have symptoms of sinusitis, let Central Maine Healthcare’s ENT specialists provide the skilled care you need. We specialize in all types of treatments, include newer, minimally invasive procedures like balloon sinuplasty (BSP) to help you get faster to a life without pain.
About Sinus Infections: Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinus lining, often caused by allergies or the common cold. If the sinus opening becomes blocked due to this swelling, normal mucus drainage may not occur, which in turn can lead to frequent sinus infections and related problems. Common symptoms include:
- Facial pain or pressure
- Tenderness and swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead
- Cough or congestion
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Dental pain
- Loss of smell or taste
- Fatigue
Sinusitis comes in a variety of forms, from acute, which is mild and last for a couple of weeks, to chronic, which can linger for 12 weeks or more. Whatever type you’re dealing with, you’ll want to see a provider, because the infection could also signal meningitis or even an infection in your bones.
Experience the Benefits of Balloon Sinuplasty
Your ENT at Central Maine will assess your symptoms and help you find the right treatment. If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and haven’t responded well to medication, you may be a candidate for balloon sinuplasty. With this simple procedure, a small, flexible balloon catheter is inserted into the inflamed sinus. The balloon is inflated to gently widen the blocked sinus passageway and restore normal drainage. The catheter is then removed, leaving the sinuses open. Balloon sinuplasty offers a variety of benefits compared to traditional treatments:
- Proven effective: Clinical studies have shown the procedure to be highly successful in relieving sinus symptoms and improving quality of life.
- Minimally invasive: Unlike conventional sinus surgery, BSP requires no cutting or removal of bone or tissue from the nose. That means significantly less pain and no scarring.
- Convenient: For certain patients, we can perform the procedure in the comfort of our office with local anesthesia, sparing you a trip to the operating room or the need for complete sedation.
- Safe: BSP is FDA-approved, with thousands of procedures performed and very low complication rates. It can also be an effective option for children with chronic sinusitis.
- Fast recovery: Healing time is a little different for everyone.
ENT Head and Neck Surgery
Practice Hours
- Sunday: Closed
- Monday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday: Closed
About
Our board certified physicians have the highest level of experience with a full range of head and neck conditions and diseases. Our Otolaryngologist are supported by a highly trained clinical, clerical and management team. Otolaryngology is a surgical specialty encompassing the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that are among the most common that afflict all Americans. Our mission is to provide state of the art medical and surgical care for our patients with:
- Facial, mouth, nasal and neck lesions or growths
- Nasal or sinus infections and diseases
- Chronic ear infections and other ear disorders
- Tonsil and adenoid concerns
- Snoring and sleep apnea
- Swallowing, breathing, taste and smell disorders
- Voice disorders and hoarseness
- Hearing loss and tinnitus
- Nosebleeds