Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Our audiologists diagnose and treat hearing and balance problems. They are trained to diagnose, manage and treat hearing or balance problems for individuals from birth through adulthood. Audiologists also fit and dispense hearing aids.

Our ENT physicians offer a surgical choice known as balloon sinuplasty for patients who suffer from chronic sinus problems.

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive surgical option that allows most people to return to normal activities within 24 hours. During the procedure, a small, flexible, sinus balloon catheter is threaded into the sinus passageways and gently inflated, which widens the passages to promote drainage. The inflated balloon gently restructures the walls of the passageway while maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining.

Chronic sinusitis is an inflammation of the nasal sinuses affecting an estimated 39 million Americans annually. Symptoms include facial pain or pressure, nasal discharge, difficulty breathing through the nose and fatigue. Although antibiotics and topical steroids can help many people, about 500,000 United States patients undergo surgery each year to alleviate the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

The balloon sinuplasty procedure is done as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia. It takes fewer than 30 minutes to complete and patients are able to return home the same day. Balloon sinuplasty isn't an option for all patients, including those who have had recurrent sinus surgeries or those who have extensive sinus disease. The balloon sinuplasty is a promising option for patients who have issues in the sinuses in the cheeks, forehead and frontal sinus area.

If you are straining to hear even when using powerful hearing aids and find that you are struggling to understand what is being said, a cochlear implant may be able to improve your hearing and quality of life.

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices that provide sound signals to the brains of people who have a severe to profound hearing loss. The device works by bypassing the normal hearing process and are for people who are not helped by traditional hearing aids.

At Core Physicians, Brandon Peck, MD (otolaryngologist) and Alex Nichols, AuD (audiologist) work as a team to offer cochlear implants for adults who have severe hearing loss.

How a Cochlear Implant Works

The cochlear implant system has a sound processor similar to a traditional hearing aid. But unlike traditional hearing aids that increase the loudness and project sounds into the ear canal; a cochlear implant bypasses the inner ear that is no longer working.

With a cochlear implant, sounds are transformed into an electrical signal and sent directly to the hearing nerve, which then transmits the sound to the brain.

Schedule a Consultation

To determine whether or not you would benefit from a cochlear implant, please call us at 603-772-8208 to schedule a consultation. Our offices are located in Exeter and Portsmouth, NH.