Emergency physicians are regularly confronted with ear nose and throat (ENT) emergencies. The main symptoms are bleeding, dyspnea, dysphagia and swelling. The causes can be foreign body ingestion, injuries, infections, neoplasms and allergies. The origin, localization and the time interval for essential diagnostic and therapeutic measures have to be estimated in the emergency management of bleeding and dyspnea. The main triggers of acute respiratory distress are inflammation, abscesses, anaphylactic reactions and angioedema. Croup and epiglottitis are typical causes of dyspnea in children. Injuries of the larynx and trachea require specific considerations with respect to intubation or tracheotomy.