UF Health ENT and Allergy – The Oaks

Your ears, nose and throat form a complex, interrelated system. The outer and inner ear, your sinuses, your mouth and throat are all connected and affect one another greatly. For disorders of the ears, nose and throat, you should see an ENT specialist.

UF Health Shands Hospital is committed to providing the highest-quality and compassionate, state-of-the-art care for patients affected by conditions of the Earn Nose & Throat. As a leader in care, UF Health ranks among the nation’s best Ear, Nose & Throat programs by U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 rankings.

Our center is staffed by four board-certified otolaryngologists—physicians specially trained in the anatomy of the nose and sinuses, as well as discovering and treating the underlining causes of sino-nasal and allergy diseases. Each of our otolaryngologists is fellowship-trained to provide expertise in the management of these problems.

Our comprehensive approach to patient care results in the best medical outcomes for those suffering from allergy, sinus and nasal diseases by providing patients access to the most appropriate specialist—whether it’s our ear, nose and throat allergist, rhinologist, pediatric otolaryngologist or cosmetic surgeon—all within the same practice and all on the same team.

Allergies

Approximately 40 million people in the United States suffer from symptoms of respiratory, food and skin allergies.  Allergies are the sixth most common chronic illness of adulthood and the most common chronic childhood illness, resulting in 15 million doctor visits per year. Those suffering from respiratory allergies can experience any or all of the following symptoms, which can be seasonal, perennial, or a combination of both:

• Watery nasal drainage
• Watery eyes
• Itchy eyes and/or nose
• Sneezing
• Nasal congestion
• Post-nasal drip
• Wheezing
• Facial pain
• Headaches
• Chronic fatigue

Symptoms of food allergies include:

• Rashes
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Nasal congestion

Allergy services at UF Health ENT and Allery - The Oaks include:

• Allergy evaluation and treatment (for adults and children)
• Skin testing and blood testing for environmental and food allergies
• Immunotherapy injections (also known as allergy injections)
• Sublingual immunotherapy (using liquid drops or dissolvable pills)
• Medication treatment for allergies

PLEASE NOTE: For your convenience, maintenance allergy shots can be scheduled at either UF Health ENT location--Hampton Oaks or Shands Hospital.

Rhinology

Rhinology is the study of the nose and sinus. Rhinologists are otolaryngologists—ear, nose and throat doctors—that specifically focus on the nose and treating medical and surgical diseases of the nose and sinus. Our fellowship-trained rhinologist specializes in treating patients with chronic infections and tumors of the nose and sinus. 

Rhinology services at the Allergy, Sinus and Nasal Center include:

• Minimally invasive sinus surgery for chronic sinus problems (using functional endoscopy)
• Surgical treatment of benign sinus tumors and tumors inside the nose and nasal cavity
• Endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks (also known as CSF or “brain fluid” leaks)

Pediatric Rhinology

The Allergy, Sinus and Nasal Center has an otolaryngologist fellowship-trained both in pediatrics and rhinology to serve children with complications related to the nose and sinus. We also coordinate care for the Pediatric Airway Center.  With the support of other members of the Allergy, Sinus and Nasal Center who can assist with management of environmental and food allergies, as well as a multitude of pediatric subspecialists within the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, we are able to coordinate the care of your child with sino-nasal conditions like no other institution in the region.

Pediatric rhinology services include:

• Complete airway assessment
• Minimally invasive (endoscopic) sinus surgery for children and teenagers
• Coordination of care for children with complex airway disorders

Nasal Surgery

For people with complex nasal or sinus issues that require advanced surgical or cosmetic procedures, the Allergy, Sinus and Nasal Center coordinates care through our fellowship-trained facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who is highly skilled in all aspects of nasal surgery, as well as improving breathing and cosmetic function and appearance of the nose. Having a fellowship-trained facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon on our team allows us to perform more complicated nasal surgeries and surgical corrections for deformities that contribute to sinus infections or allergies, improving functionality and cosmetic appearance at the same time, reducing the need for possible additional surgeries.

Functional and cosmetic nasal surgery services include:

• Surgical treatment of nasal obstruction to improve breathing, including septoplasty, functional rhinoplasty and turbinoplasty
• Rhinoplasty (cosmetic correction of nasal deformities)
• Repair of nasal fractures
• Nasal reconstruction

The clinical term for the medical and surgical disciplines that deal with the ears, nose and throat is otolaryngology. Otolaryngologists specialize in treating a wide variety of disorders that can affect the head and neck:

• Allergic, sinus, laryngeal, thyroid and esophageal disorders
• Cochlear implants
• Communicative disorders
• Endoscopic examination of air and food passages
• Facial reconstruction
• Management of hearing and balance loss
• Surgery of benign and malignant tumors

Our physicians are expertly trained and board certified by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. As such, they are able to provide patients with consultations and evaluations, including medical and surgical treatments for the entire spectrum of ear, nose, and throat disorders.

• General adult ENT diseases
• Pediatric ENT diseases
• Aesthetic and reconstructive facial plastic surgery
• Allergy testing
• Allergy injections
• Medical management
• Sinus disorder
• Hearing loss
• Cochlear implants
• Balance disorders (Vertigo)
• Facial nerve paralysis
• Botox injections
• Sleep apnea/snoring – to learn more about our new sleep apnea implant procedure, please call 352.594.0537