ENTA Allergy, Head & Neck Institute -Offers Patients Solutions

Decatur’s ENTA Allergy, Head & Neck Institute, affiliated with Decatur Memorial Hospital and led by Otolaryngologists Steven Sobol, M.D., Medical Director, Stephen Chadwick, M.D., Director of ENTA’s Clinical Research, newest associate Terence R. Woods, M.D., and Nurse Practitioner Candace N. Benner, APRN, NP-C, focuses on patients’ health and well being by using the most advanced medical and surgical treatments available. The ENTA physicians differ from many other doctors in that they are trained in both medicine and surgery. Therefore, they do not need to refer patients to other physicians when ear, nose, throat, or head/neck surgery is needed and they can offer the most appropriate care for each individual patient.

ENTA is comprised of nine different centers of focus. The ENTA physicians consider the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) portion of their practice as the springboard for their multiple areas of concentration. The nine centers include:

ENTA treats patients, both adults and children, from the Midwest and the ENTA specialists see much more than the common ear and sinus problems that many think of when they hear the acronym ENT. Below is just a sampling of some of the disorders that ENTA treats in its everyday practice.

EARS - Hearing loss affects one in ten North Americans, making it a frequent problem among ear disorders treated by ENTA. ENTA’s Otolaryngologists are trained in both the medical and surgical treatment of hearing disorders. ENTA features a full audiology department and, when prescribed, offers hearing aids to patients to correct hearing problems. Ear infections, balance disorders, ear noise (tinnitus), nerve pain, and facial and cranial nerve disorders are commonly treated by ENTA, as well as congenital (birth) disorders of the outer and inner ear.

NOSE – "About 35 million people develop chronic sinusitis each year, making it one of the most common nasal health complaints in America," Dr. Woods states. Care of the nasal cavity and sinuses is one of the primary skills of Otolaryngologists. Management of the nasal area includes allergies and sense of smell. Breathing through the nose and concerns about the appearance of the nose are also part of ENTA’s Otolaryngologists’ expertise.

THROAT – Speech and eating a meal all involve the throat area. ENTA’s voice lab features office based state of the art technology that gives live, on-screen, images through Fiberoptic Esophagoscopy. The ENTA Otolaryngologists manage diseases of the larynx and the upper aero-digestive tract or esophagus where swallowing disorders may appear.

ALLERGIES – "Diseases affecting the respiratory tract are often interrelated with allergic problems," Dr. Chadwick said, "predisposing patients to both asthma and sinus disorders." ENTA offers the expertise of ENT Allergy and Pulmonary specialists to develop the best approach to allergy related problems. Whenever possible, patients are treated by avoidance of allergens, medication and, when needed, immunotherapy (allergy shots), reserving surgery for those patients who do not elicit results from medical treatment.

HEAD AND NECK - This center of the body includes the important nerves that control sight, smell, hearing, and the face. In the head and neck area, Otolaryngologists are trained to treat infectious diseases, both benign and malignant (cancerous) tumors, facial trauma and deformities. ENTA physicians perform both cosmetic plastic and reconstructive surgery on patients needing this type of treatment.

THYROID AND PARATHYROID – The thyroid and parathyroid glands are endocrine glands, located in the middle of the lower neck, which produce hormones that regulate the physiological functions of the body. "We, as the ENTA physicians, work closely with our Endocrinology colleagues, when necessary, offering a contemporary approach to diagnosing and treating all disorders of the thyroid and parathyroid glands," said Dr. Sobol.

SLEEP DISORDERS – It is estimated that sleep disorders affect more than half of the U.S. adult population, having a major impact on their daily lives which can lead to health problems. ENTA offers a comprehensive approach to sleep disordered breathing, focusing on snoring and sleep apnea, and works closely with Pulmonary and Neurology Specialists who focus on Sleep Physiology, finding individualized approaches to these problems.

ENTA continues its commitment to the people of Central Illinois by providing the most contemporary medical and surgical approaches to treating disorders of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. For more information on ENTA Allergy, Head & Neck Institute call 876-ENTA (3682).

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