Nairobi West Hospital’s ENT and why Kenyans are losing their hearing

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist is a medical doctor trained in managing illnesses related to the ears, nose, nasal passage, sinuses, larynx, oral cavity, upper pharynx, as well as structures of the neck and face.

ENT specialists are experts in both medical and surgical management of the following:

EAR

Deafness is a condition where the ability to detect certain sound frequencies is partially or completely impaired. A person may need to see an ENT specialist if they are suffering from partial or full deafness. Furthermore, an ear disorder, such as an ear infection, hearing impairment, diseases that affect balance, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or pain in the ear are also treated by an ENT. The experts in our ENT hospital specialise in performing Cochlear Implant (CI) Surgeries on patients who are profoundly deaf or hard of hearing. Cochlear Implants are primarily designed to mimic natural hearing. Often referred to as bionic ear, it works by using special technologies that mimic the non-working parts in the ear.

NOSE

ENT specialists manage and treat issues that affect the nose, sinuses, and nasal cavity. These issues can affect breathing, cause loss of smell, as well as change the physical appearance.

THROAT

Disorders that affect the throat can disrupt speech, eating, digestion, swallowing, and singing. ENT specialists can identify, manage, and treat such problems.

HEAD AND NECK

ENT specialists are trained to manage tumours, diseases, trauma, and defects in the head, neck, and face. An ENT specialist can perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in all of these areas. They can also manage issues with the nerves in the head and neck that control smell, sight, hearing, as well as facial movements.

According to the ministry of Health, many Kenyans are losing their hearing due to a medication called ototoxic drugs that can damage the ear resulting in hearing loss, ringing in the ear or balance disorders.

To compound the problem, there is a constant shortage of diagnostic and curative drugs at all levels of healthcare. Most ear care drugs are not in the essential medicines list, as the National Strategy for Ear and Hearing Care 2016-2020 shows. The Kenya Essential Medicine List 2010 has only two ear treatment antibiotic drugs in the list of 28 essential medicines.

More than 600,000 Kenyans cannot hear properly and many more might lose their sense of hearing due to extremely noise-polluted environments in their workplace and in public transport vehicles that play loud music in spite of prohibitive laws.

Some drugs taken during pregnancy may cause hearing problems in the child, as well as illnesses such as severe jaundice, meningitis, and complications or injuries during and after birth.

Inbreeding between blood-related individuals such as second cousins or closer ones, as well as genetics, can also impair hearing. According to the ministry, half the hearing loss cases can be prevented with early intervention. But this has been impracticable as Kenya is also faced with a shortage of specialists to diagnose ear problems.

There are only 75 ENT surgeons against 45 million Kenyans, well short of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of at least a 1:50,000 ratio.

Audiologists, whose specialty is to treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage, are only seven, while there is just one otologist – a specialist who deals with diseases, diagnosis and treatment of ear ailments. In fact, there is no training for ENT nurses or equipment technicians.

Prof Peter Mbugua, the head of ENT Unit at the University of Nairobi, said the institution of higher learning was developing a course in audiology, a branch of medicine dealing with hearing, balance and related disorders.

Conditions Treated by An ENT Specialist

SWOLLEN ADENOIDS: Frequent throat infections can lead to enlarged adenoids. Enlarged adenoids can cause difficulty in breathing and block the eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the nose.

SINUSITIS: Inflammation of the sinuses result in a plugged nose and thick nasal mucus accompanied by pain in the face.

TINNITUS: A condition wherein an individual hears sound when no external sound is present.

NASAL AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION: A condition in which the airflow in and out of the nose is hindered and affects one or both nasal passages. It is caused by either swelling of the nasal tissue or an anatomical blockage which results in narrowing of the nasal cavity and congested sensation in the nasal passage.

TONSILLITIS: Swelling of the tonsils caused due to a viral infection or bacterial infections such as strep throat.

EARDRUM PERFORATION: A tear or hole in the eardrum which can result in hearing loss. This condition can also make the middle ear more prone to infections or injury.

 If someone is dealing with any of these conditions affecting their ears, nose, throat, or a related area, they should visit the TNWH for a successful ENT treatment.