Maladies of the throat can be a mere nuisance or a major ordeal. Tonsillitis, voice disorders, and even hoarseness all interfere with our ability to communicate. Many of these conditions can be improved or corrected with the care of an ENT physician or head and neck surgeon.

  • Aging and Swallowing

    Swallowing is a complex process that changes over time, and swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) can be associated with aging. Changes in the tongue, upper throat (pharynx), vocal cords and voice box (larynx), and lower throat (esophagus) occur with aging. It has been estimated that more than 20 percent

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  • Aspiration

    Aspiration is a medical term for accidentally inhaling your food or liquid through your vocal cords into your airway, instead of swallowing through your food pipe, or esophagus, and into your stomach. Once past the vocal folds, the food or drink enters your windpipe, or trachea, and can pass into your

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  • Cricopharyngeal Muscle Dysfunction

    If the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPM) in your throat malfunctions or is impaired, this can cause you to have difficulty swallowing. The top valve of your esophagus (food pipe) is called the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), or pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). The CPM separates the esophagus and throat.

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  • Dysphagia

    Dysphagia means that you can’t swallow well. Dysphagia is not a diagnosis; it is the symptom. Many factors may cause dysphagia, and most are temporary and non-life-threatening. In uncommon situations, swallowing difficulties can be related to a tumor or a nerve system disorder. It happens to people

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  • GERD and LPR

    Acid reflux occurs when acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus, the swallowing tube that leads from the back of the throat to the stomach. When acid repeatedly “refluxes” from the stomach into the esophagus alone, it is known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, if the

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  • Hoarseness

    Hoarseness (also called dysphonia) is an abnormal change in the quality of your voice, making it sound raspy, strained, breathy, weak, higher or lower in pitch, inconsistent, fatigued, or shaky, often making it harder to talk. This usually happens when there is a problem in the vocal cords (or folds)

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  • Laryngeal (Voice Box) Cancer

    Cancer of the voice box, or laryngeal cancer, is not as well known by the general public as some other types of cancer, yet it is not a rare disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 13,150 new cases of laryngeal cancer (10,490 new cases in men and 2,660 new cases in women),

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  • Salivary Gland Disorders

    The salivary glands are found in and near your mouth, face, and neck. Dehydration is a risk factor for certain salivary gland disorders. To help maintain good oral health, it’s important to drink lots of liquid every day to promote good saliva production. The major salivary glands include the parotid

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  • Sore Throats

    Everybody gets a sore throat now and then. When you have a sore throat, this can affect speaking, swallowing, or breathing. Infections from viruses or bacteria are the main cause of sore throats, but allergies and sinus infections can also contribute. Some sore throats are worse than others. If you have

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  • Spasmodic Dysphonia

    Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a voice disorder that causes involuntary spasms or contractions of the vocal cords, interrupting speech and affecting the quality of a person’s voice. The voice may sound broken, strained, or breathy depending on the type of SD. The two most common types of SD are the adductor

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  • Tonsillitis

    Tonsillitis, also described as pharyngitis, refers to inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils, which are lymph glands located in the back of the throat that are visible through the mouth. Typically, tonsillitis happens suddenly (acute). Some patients experience recurrent acute episodes of tonsillitis,

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  • Tonsils and Adenoids

    Tonsils are the two round lumps in the back of your throat. Adenoids are high in the throat behind the nose and the roof of the mouth (referred to as your soft palate). They are not visible through the mouth or nose without special instruments. Tonsils and adenoids are part of the immune system and help

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  • Vocal Cord Paralysis

    People have one set of two vocal cords, also known as vocal folds, that work together in your voice box to produce sound. They open when you breathe in to let the air flow through your lungs, and they close and vibrate when you speak (this is called phonation). To produce adequate voice, both vocal cords

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  • Zenker’s Diverticulum

    A Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) is a rare condition where an “outpouching” occurs where your throat meets your esophagus, the swallowing pipe that leads into your stomach. When this happens, a pouch forms and mucous, food, and/or liquid can become stuck instead of going down your esophagus and into

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Our Location

ENT Associates proudly serves the North San Diego area including Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos Encinitas, Escondido, and Fallbrook.

3907 Waring Road Suite One, Oceanside, CA, 92056

Office Hours

Monday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed