Ear, nose and throat: examination and treatment by a specialist

An ear, nose and throat specialist examines and treats conditions affecting the ears, nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, larynx and neck. These include hearing loss and tinnitus, recurrent ear and sinus infections, difficulty breathing through the nose, hoarseness and voice problems, snoring and sleep apnoea, allergies, dizziness and balance disorders. The ENT specialist also assesses lumps in the neck, salivary glands and thyroid gland. Many of these conditions can be assessed during a single specialist examination and then treated medically or surgically, depending on the underlying cause.

You should consult an ear, nose and throat specialist if you have symptoms that persist or keep returning. These may include hearing loss, persistent tinnitus, recurrent middle ear infections, a blocked nose or sinusitis that does not clear up, as well as hoarseness lasting more than three weeks. Dizziness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, and a lump in the neck should also be examined. In rare cases, persistent hoarseness and a newly developed lump in the neck may be signs of a serious condition and should therefore always be assessed by a doctor.

The consultation is conducted on an outpatient basis (requiring no overnight stay) and typically takes under an hour. First, the specialist will discuss your medical history and current symptoms, followed by an examination of your ears, nose, and throat using specialized instruments. Depending on your clinical needs, the assessment may involve a microscopic ear exam (otoscopy or otomicroscopy), a nasal exam (rhinoscopy), a flexible endoscopy of the throat and larynx (fiberoptic laryngoscopy), middle ear testing (tympanometry), a hearing assessment (audiometry), or a neck ultrasound. Each evaluation is fully personalized, allowing the physician to tailor the process to your specific concerns.

No, you generally do not need a referral to be examined by an ENT doctor. However, some private health insurance companies require a referral or pre-authorization before they will cover the treatment, so it may be a good idea to check your insurance terms first. If you are paying yourself, you can book an appointment directly.

A preliminary examination by an ear, nose and throat specialist at Charlottenlund Privathospital costs from DKK 2,400 to DKK 5,000 as a private payer, depending on the extent of the examination. The price of any subsequent treatment or surgery depends on the procedure and is always agreed with you before anything is started. If you have health insurance, it often covers both the examination and treatment.

The vast majority of ear, nose and throat diseases can be diagnosed and treated on an outpatient basis. Several of the conditions are very common – in the National Health Profile 2021, it was estimated that around 770,000 Danes, approximately one in six adults, had tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and according to the Weekly Journal for Doctors, tinnitus should generally be diagnosed by an ear, nose and throat doctor. In the ear area, specialists diagnose and treat, among other things, hearing loss, tinnitus, repeated middle ear infections and loose ear stones that cause dizziness. In the nose and sinus area, these include chronic sinusitis, enlarged nasal turbinates, deviated nasal septum and frequent nosebleeds, while the throat and voice area includes hoarseness, tonsils and polyps, as well as nodules on the throat and in the salivary glands. Finally, pressure and equalization problems such as blockage of the Eustachian tube and difficulty swallowing and burping (R-CPD) are treated. If a condition needs to be treated surgically, you can see all of our ear, nose and throat surgeries and read more about the individual procedure.

At Charlottenlund Private Hospital, you will be examined and treated by a specialist in ear, nose and throat diseases. The hospital's ear, nose and throat department was founded in December 2019 and currently has 22 affiliated specialists, 11 of whom work at the department in Charlottenlund. The others take care of patients at the hospital's clinics around the country. In total, the department is responsible for around 10,000 patient visits and approximately 4,000 surgeries per year, including minor procedures such as ear drainage and polyp removal. The department covers the entire ear, nose and throat surgical field – from small, outpatient procedures to more extensive surgery – and has a tender agreement in the area, where the hospital also carries out tasks for the public healthcare system. Regardless of whether your complaint requires a single examination, medical treatment or surgery, the entire process is gathered in one place. You can book an appointment online or contact the clinic for an appointment for an examination.

Charlottenlund Private Hospital's ear, nose and throat doctors see patients at the main department in Charlottenlund and at clinics in several locations around the country. Find addresses, opening hours and maps of all locations on our contact page, and book an appointment online at the clinic that suits you best.