19.14: ENT

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Page ID: 142870

Sara Bradbury Máñez
American River College

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Interpreting in Otolaryngology Settings

ENT (also called otolaryngology) is the medical specialty that treats conditions of the ears, nose, throat, sinuses, and related structures of the head and neck. ENT encounters range from routine pediatric visits to surgical procedures and chronic condition management.

Interpreters working in ENT settings must be prepared for high sensory detail, frequent pediatric encounters, and patients describing symptoms using everyday, non-clinical language.

Scope of ENT Care in the U.S.

ENT services commonly include:

Outpatient clinic visits (most common)
Pediatric ENT (ear infections, ear tubes, tonsils/adenoids)
Audiology services (hearing tests, hearing aids)
Minor procedures (nasal endoscopy, ear cleaning)
Outpatient surgeries (ear tubes, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy)

📌 U.S. system note:
Patients are often referred to ENT by a primary care provider (PCP). Audiology may be scheduled separately, even within the same department.

EAR CONDITIONS (Overview)

Ear-related encounters are extremely common, especially in pediatrics.

Common conditions include:

Otitis media (middle ear infection)
Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear)
Fluid in the middle ear (effusion)
Hearing loss
Tinnitus
Vertigo and vestibular disorders
Eustachian tube dysfunction
Mastoiditis (less common but serious)

ENT providers may use tools such as:

Otoscope
Audiometric testing
Tympanometry

📖 Extensive ear-specific vocabulary and definitions are covered in the CCHI ENT–Ear Mini-Glossary, which students should use for terminology development

VOC-ENT-ENGL-CCHI-mini_glossary-ENT-ear.pdf

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