There is an increasing trend to perform minor laryngeal procedures as in office procedures under local anaesthesia without an anaesthetist being present. This has come about because Health Insurance companies in the United States of America will no longer provide rebates for microlaryngeal surgery done in the operating room, under general anaesthesia in a hospital. […]
The association between gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn) and alteration in voice is well established. The diagnosis however is difficult. Some degree of heartburn is universal; that is to say that everyone at some point in time gets heartburn. How do we then determine if the cause of your hoarseness is related to silent reflux, proximal reflux, […]
Although there is undoubtedly association between acid reflux and hoarseness, it is probably the most (over diagnosed cause of this condition). Some degree of reflux is universal. For the reflux to affect your voice box, the splash has to come all the way up to your swallowing tube to fall onto your larynx. This does […]
The diagnosis of reflux remains difficult, particularly in cases where the only symptoms are chronic sore throat, change in voice, intermittent difficulty swallowing, and metallic taste in the mouth. A new test has recently been added to the repertoire that we have. This is called Peptest. Pepsin is an enzyme that’s only made in stomach. […]
New techniques of tonsillectomy are always emerging. In the last ten years, a technique called intracapsular tonsillectomy has become popular. This involves removing the tonsil from inside the capsule, but leaving the capsule intact. It was here the to thought, that if this technique were used, the chance of recurrent infections, because not all tonsil […]
The exact cause of throat cancer is not known. But tobacco products are known to play a significant role in 80% of cases. In addition to the uses of tobacco, high risk factors involved: Tobacco use including smoking or chewing of the tobacco; Regular and heavy consumption of alcohol; Poor dental hygiene; Sexually transmitted virus […]
Vocal nodules are the most common cause of hoarseness in children, and a very common cause of hoarseness in adults. Nodules develop in the vocal cords with inappropriate voice use, usually associated with shouting or screaming. These little nodules are like calluses on your hands. They are benign and if the inappropriate vocal use is […]
Sensation of a lump low down in the throat is quite a common presentation. Understandably individuals who experience this for days and weeks become very concerned about something sinister going on. To put this in perspective the most common cause of this is spasm of the muscle of the top of your swallowing tube called […]
As we get less young, we lose muscle tone all over our body including our voice box. Our vocal cords which when we are younger are taut, become somewhat bowed. This is associated with several features including hoarseness of voice, inability to project and vocal fatigue or tiredness when speaking for long periods of time. […]
Hoarseness is a symptom. It is not a disease. It is a general term that describes any abnormalities in how the voice sounds. When hoarse, the voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, soft, or there may be a pitch, such as a high pitch or low pitch. Changes in sounds that are heard are usually […]
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