ENT Insights and Blogs

Adenotonsillectomy is a commonly performed procedure in children to help treat infections, glue ear and snoring and sleep apnea

Persistent snoring in children is not normal — it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea, which affects growth, behaviour, concentration, and cardiovascular health if left unaddressed. Adenotonsillectomy is the most effective first-line treatment for most children with OSA caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids, resolving or significantly improving sleep-disordered breathing in the majority of cases.

A blocked nose, constant sneezing, itchy eyes — many people put up with these symptoms for years, assuming it is just how they are. In Singapore, where house dust mite allergens are present year-round, allergic rhinitis is one of the most common conditions I see in clinic. Yet it remains significantly underdiagnosed — and undertreated. Yet it remains significantly underdiagnosed.

Glue ear — fluid behind the eardrum causing muffled hearing — is the most common cause of hearing loss in children and often goes undetected because it is painless and children rarely complain about it. Most cases resolve on their own within three months, but persistent glue ear affecting speech, learning, or behaviour warrants specialist assessment and may require grommet insertion.

Tonsillitis is most commonly viral and self-limiting, but recurrent bacterial tonsillitis significantly affecting quality of life — typically seven or more episodes in a year — is a recognised indication for tonsillectomy. In children, enlarged tonsils causing obstructive sleep apnoea are an equally important reason for surgery, which resolves sleep-disordered breathing in the majority of cases.

Hearing loss in children is more common than many parents realise — and more consequential than it might first appear. A child who is not hearing well is not simply missing sounds. They may be missing the building blocks of speech, the ability to follow instructions, the social cues that come from conversation, and the classroom input that underpins learning.

Parents who bring a child to an ENT clinic with hearing concerns are usually expecting one of two outcomes: either a diagnosis of glue ear, hearing loss, or another treatable condition — or reassurance that everything is normal. What they are rarely prepared for is a more nuanced finding: that the hearing pathway appears to be functioning normally, yet the child's responses to sound are inconsistent or suggest reduced hearing.

Feeding difficulties in newborns and infants are one of the most stressful experiences for new parents — and one of the most common reasons for early paediatric ENT referral. Tongue tie is the most widely discussed cause, but it is far from the only one. Laryngomalacia, gastro-oesophageal reflux, and airway conditions all require assessment by a specialist with experience in paediatric swallowing and airway conditions before a treatment decision is mad