You’re stuffy, and you have been for a while.

So when is the right time to see your primary care provider, and when should you see an ear, nose and throat specialist?

“Mild symptoms related to your ears, nose or throat can be evaluated at a primary care visit. However, if your symptoms recur or don’t resolve with initial treatment, you should see a specialist,” says ENT specialist Meredith Sellix, PA-C, who will be seeing patients at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Carbon when it opens later this year.

“ENT clinicians have specialized experience treating conditions that affect these areas of the body, and they will be able to fully evaluate your condition and recommend an individualized treatment plan for you.”

Sellix shares seven of the most common reasons people see an ENT below:

1. Repeated episodes of tonsillitis

If you find yourself repeatedly getting bad sore throats or tonsillitis, you might need to get your tonsils out. However, if you are having trouble breathing or swallowing saliva, severe pain and a high temperature, it’s a good idea to see an ENT specialist for further evaluation.

2. Chronic sinusitis

Sinusitis is a common condition in which the cavities around nasal passages become swollen for at least 12 weeks.

If you appear to suffer from chronic sinusitis, your primary care doctor will often refer you to an ENT specialist.

3. Recurrent ear infections

They’re among the most common reasons parents take their children to the doctor. In adults, constant ear pain or infections also can be a sign of a tumor in the throat, so it’s best to be evaluated by a specialist.

4. Allergies

An allergic reaction can happen anywhere in the body. If you have severe allergies that affect your ears, nose or throat, an ENT specialist can evaluate you fully and come up with specific recommendations for your care.

5. Hearing loss

This may be a normal sign of aging, or it may accompany recurrent ear infections. But when hearing loss comes on suddenly, it may be due to a more serious illness. An ENT can help detect causes for sudden hearing loss, which may include infections, circulatory inner ear problems or neurological problems.

6. Hoarseness that lasts longer than six weeks

We’ve all experienced hoarseness with the common cold or bronchitis, but if it lasts six weeks or longer, it may signify another medical problem (such as benign vocal cord lesions or cancer of the larynx). An ENT will examine your vocal cords to determine if more tests are needed.

7. Lump in the neck (especially in adults)

A lump in the neck that lasts more than two weeks should be seen by an ENT specialist. Cancers that begin in the head or neck can spread to the lymph nodes in the neck before they move elsewhere, and a lump can be the first sign of mouth, throat, thyroid or certain types of blood cancers.

For more information on Lehigh Valley Health Network’s ENT services, visit LVHN.org/treatments/ear-nose-and-throat-ent-and-otolaryngology.