ENT doctor in Latviawhere to get treatment, how to verify certification, what this doctor does

An ENT doctor, or otolaryngologist, specialises in diagnosing and treating disease of the ears, nose and throat.

• Acute and chronic middle ear infection, particularly in children
• Hearing loss, gradual or sudden
• Sinus infections
• Chronic nasal congestion and obstructed nasal breathing
• Tonsillitis and tonsil disease
• Larynx and voice disorders
• Vertigo and vestibular disorders
• Foreign bodies in the ears, nose and throat

Veselības centru apvienība notes that these symptoms can also point to other conditions, so consulting the family doctor first is worthwhile. Rīgas veselības centrs adds that throat pain is often linked to stomach problems, and a long-running runny nose may indicate allergy.

Veselības centrs 4 lists the following as reasons to see an ENT doctor without delay:

• Any suddenly developing deterioration or loss of hearing.
• Bloody discharge from the airways.
• A long-running ear infection with a stubborn course and foul-smelling discharge from the ear.
• Frequent tonsillitis accompanied by abscess formation around the tonsils, or inflammation of the joints, kidneys or heart valves. In that case urgent tonsil surgery is needed.

• Six years of medical study and a doctor's degree, at RSU or the University of Latvia.
• Residency in otolaryngology. Programme page: RSU residency programme.
• Some doctors specialise further, for example in hearing disorders, laryngeal disease, or nasal and sinus surgery.
• The certificate is valid for 5 years. Recertification requires 250 continuing education points plus a 48.38 EUR fee.
• Entry in the practitioners register must be renewed every 5 years.

• Children. Not every ENT doctor sees babies, though some providers state they see children from birth.
• Tests on site. If audiometry or tympanometry is likely, a provider that runs them at the same visit saves a second trip.
• Procedures during the visit. Many treatments can be done immediately, so ask whether the provider offers them.
• Surgery. If tonsil or nasal surgery is possible, ask whether the provider has its own surgical unit.
• State-funded or private. A state-funded visit requires a family doctor or specialist referral.

• The consultation combines a conversation with a physical examination, using specialist ENT instruments to inspect the nose, mouth and throat, the postnasal space, the larynx and the ears.
• The doctor often also palpates the neck and the floor of the mouth.
• Hearing, vestibular function, nasal breathing and voice may all be tested. The most commonly used methods are tympanometry, speech audiometry and hearing threshold audiometry.
• Many treatments happen during the visit itself. Veselības centru apvienība lists sinus rinsing, stopping nosebleeds, tonsil lavage, Eustachian tube inflation, eardrum vibromassage, earwax removal, and removal of foreign bodies from the ears, nose and throat.
• Where needed, the doctor refers on for laboratory or imaging tests, or to another specialist.

In the public system, with a family doctor or specialist referral, an ENT visit costs 4.00 EUR. Tests such as X-ray or CT, and procedures, are charged separately.

• Patient co-payment for a specialist visitPrice EUR: 4.00Source: NVD
• Patient co-payment for X-ray without contrastPrice EUR: 3.00Source: NVD
• Patient co-payment for CT without contrastPrice EUR: 14.00Source: NVD
• Patient co-payment for a child under 18Price EUR: 0.00Source: NVD
• Private ENT consultation and proceduresPrice EUR: per provider price listSource: VCA, Veselības centrs 4

The specialty body is the association "Latvijas Otolaringologu asociācija", registration number 40008000545, registered address Pilsoņu iela 13, Rīga, LV-1002, secretary Romēna Namniece, email orl@orl.lv, orl.lv.

Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association. The sector regulator is the Health Inspectorate.

If you have doubts about the quality of care, raise them first with the provider's management. If that does not resolve it, a written submission goes to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement, and is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site.