Otorhinolaryngology is the medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and therapy of the ears ( oto ), nose ( rhino ) and throat ( laryngo ) disorders. It has an important role in pediatric age , that is, in children and young people up to the age of 18, and its intervention may be requested by pediatricians, who do the regular health surveillance of children and young people. The prevalence of various otorhinolaryngology disorders in children and young people varies with age. So, otolaryngologists know well the development of children and young people in this area and the possible implications of possible problems at different ages. Also, they have specific focuses on their approach and on the screenings they carry out in each age group. In newborns , hearing screening allows early detection of deafness at birth (congenital). Neonatal hearing screening should be done on all newborns before leaving the maternity ward or, at the most, up to 30 days of life; Early identification of hearing deficits often allows to make an effective intervention and minimize or eliminate consequences that these can have on children development. In the first year of life , the evaluation by otorhinolaryngology allows also the identification of congenital malformations of the ear, nose, larynx and neck that, otherwise, could go unnoticed at an early stage and later cause health problems. During the following years , nose and tonsil problems can also induce infantile deafness. This deafness is often the cause of problems with language development, interaction with other people and environment and learning difficulties; It happens that children labeled as distracted or doing speech therapy come to the consultation and they actually have a hearing problem; When there are problems with the nose and tonsils, the identification and treatment of related deafness allows to correct this problem early and minimize its consequences. Another important issue, which is often overlooked, are sleep problems in children with otorhinolaryngological origin. More often, these problems occur in school-age children and can interfere with their school performance and development. Sleep pathology can range from simple snoring, usually caused by adenotonsillar (of the adenoids and tonsils) hypertrophy, to restless sleep (causing changes in sleep quality and daytime sleepiness), and to more severe cases with apnea during sleep. The diagnosis of sleeping disorders and the identification of their cause is crucial to solve it as early as possible. In children, the most frequent infectious pathology includes recurrent tonsillitis and otitis media. Tonsillitis and otitis are harmful, per se, to the child health and can also be related to hearing loss, in addition to frequently implying repeated antibiotic medication and school absenteeism; Regular medical surveillance of children with a tendency to tonsillitis and otitis and the implementation of appropriate prevention measures can help to reduce the frequency of these problems and improve the quality of life of these children. Hoarseness (dysphonia) is another problem in the area of otolaryngology that can affect children and young people. It may be associated with vocal effort and disorders in the vocal cords; When hoarseness does not have an evident cause and does not resolve quickly on its own, is prolonged over time or is recurrent, medical care should be sought to identify and treat its origin, thus minimizing future consequences. Nasal obstruction, which is common in pediatric age, makes them have their mouths open for a long time because they have difficulty breathing. In some cases, dental problems and changes in facial growth with the development of malformations may result. Otorhinolaryngology and dentistry are involved in these issues. The otorhinolaryngology teams at Hospital da Luz network have physicians dedicated to pediatric otorhinolaryngological pathology, as well as all the necessary resources for a differentiated approach to ear, nose and throat problems. Author : Ângelo Fernandes Meet the otorhinolaryngology team from Hospital da Luz network. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
