EENT: Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat — The Otolaryngology Specialty

EENT stands for Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat. It is a historical term for the medical specialty now formally called Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS).

Scope of Otolaryngology

• Ears: Hearing loss, otitis, cholesteatoma, vestibular disorders, cochlear implants.
• Nose/Sinus: Sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal obstruction, epistaxis, skull base tumors.
• Throat/Larynx: Voice/swallowing disorders, laryngeal cancer, airway stenosis.
• Head & Neck: Thyroid/parathyroid surgery, salivary glands, neck masses, facial plastics, reconstructive surgery, sleep apnea surgery.
• Eyes (Historical): Now separate specialty (Ophthalmology); EENT term persists in some institutions/organizations.

Training

• Medical school (4 yrs) → Otolaryngology residency (5 yrs) → Optional fellowship (1–2 yrs: rhinology, otology, head & neck oncology, laryngology, facial plastics, pediatrics).
• Board certification: American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.

Common Procedures

• Tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, tympanostomy tubes, septoplasty, FESS (functional endoscopic sinus surgery), thyroidectomy, parotidectomy, laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, tracheostomy.

When to Refer

• Persistent hoarseness >3 weeks.
• Unilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo.
• Chronic sinusitis refractory to medical therapy.
• Neck mass >2 weeks (adult) — rule out malignancy.
• Dysphagia, odynophagia, globus sensation.
• Sleep apnea unresponsive to CPAP.

While "EENT" appears in older texts and some organizational names, "Otolaryngology" or "ENT" is the current standard terminology.