DEAR DR. GOTT: You have repeatedly indicated that a primary care doctor can remove wax from the ears. NO WAY! Only a trained ENT doctor should do that. It does not take much to create serious problems.
I go every three months to my ENT for ear cleaning. I am deaf in one ear and have an over 75 percent hearing loss in the other. I will not take a chance on just anyone doing any more than looking in my ears. The same thing goes with my eyes.
I have a story about how a primary care doctor could not help with an ear problem. A little girl we knew had a problem with one ear where she would get real bad pain. Her parents took her to the pediatrician, who just gave her antibiotics, which did nothing. They finally took her to an ENT. He took one look, got his tools out, reached in and removed a watermelon seed. That is why we need specially trained doctors when it comes to our ears and eyes.
DEAR READER: Your story doesn’t convince me. A watermelon seed is a fairly large object to be wedged into the ear. Had the pediatrician done a thorough examination, including looking into the girl’s ear, he would have no doubt found the cause of her pain. Your story simply leads me to believe that he prescribed antibiotics without actually looking to see if she had an ear infection.
I stand by my statement that a primary care physician can safely remove wax from the ear. If other problems are suspected or present, then a referral to an ENT (ear-nose-and-throat) physician is definitely in order.
As for the eyes, simple problems such as pink eye can also be safely handled by a primary care physician. For more complicated matters, such as shingles or herpes of the eye or poor vision, referral to a ophthalmologist is appropriate.
Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Report “Ear Infections and Disorders” by sending a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title, or print an order form from my website’s direct link: www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf.
