Skip to main content

Reflux Symptoms: Second Part



The most common symptom of LaryngoPharyngealReflux (LPR) is laryngitis. Hoarseness is found in almost 70% of cases. Close to half of patients complain of feeling "a lump in the throat" that makes it difficult for them to swallow, which they often mistake as a ‘thyroid problem’, and about 51% have a chronic or recurrent cough, unrelieved by cough preparations. Chronic throat clearing of "phlegm", and sore throat are also common symptoms. Reflux laryngitis is characterized by hoarseness, voice fatigue, and breaking of the voice, especially towards the end of the day. This is commonly experienced by teachers and speakers/lecturers. Reflux has also been associated with vocal cord polyps, vocal cord granulomas, laryngospasm, and paradoxical vocal fold movement. These disorders may sometimes necessitate surgery already. In worse cases, LPR may lead to laryngeal cancer and a condition called subglottic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the air passage, making it hard to breath.

LPR may also be overlooked as a factor that exacerbates asthma. Research has shown that when stomach acid is successfully suppressed, 73% of patients with asthma have improvements in asthma symptoms and pulmonary function. Patients with LPR may also complain of postnasal drip. This symptom may come from the mucosal irritation associated with LPR and not from sinus disease or allergy. This sometimes complicate the diagnosis of LPR and delay appropriate treatment

Videoendoscopy is a good diagnostic tool for LPR but a properly done indirect laryngoscopy by your doctor may suffice.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abdominal Epilepsy?

The other day, I encountered an uncommon medical diagnosis, abdominal epilepsy. Maybe I was absent when this was taught in med school or maybe it was mentioned but it just didn't register in my memory bank. Anyway, for those colleagues who haven't heard of this as well, here's what I found out about it, so that next time you are faced with a weird abdominal pain, you will think of abdominal epilepsy as a differential. There are many medical causes of abdominal pain; abdominal epilepsy is one of the rare causes. From a medical perspective, the term epilepsy refers not to a single disease, but to a group of symptoms with numerous causes. The common factor in all forms of epilepsy is an excessive electrical excitability of the brain. The increased excitation is called a seizure and may manifest as a partial or total loss of consciousness and muscle spasms or other involuntary movements. Many conditions can produce epilepsy. For example, a genetic predisposition is...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Ganacity"

If there's one word that I will never forget from my AGSB experience, it's "ganacity"! A word frequently mentioned by our FinMan professor. What does it mean? It's a combination of the tagalog word "gana" (appetite, zest) and the english suffix "city" which converts an adjective word into a noun. 'Ganacity' therefore refers to one's state of desire or interest in something. I am sharing this because I feel that my 'ganacity' for what I am doing now is spiralling down, and it is so difficult to reverse it back up or just to keep it at a maintained level. It is becoming a struggle on a day to day basis. I am hoping that night and day will alternate fast so that this battle will end soon.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Beauty of Giving

It is heartwarming to read how people are coming together to help and support all those involved in this war against the corona virus 19. Indeed, the blessing in this crisis is the transparency of people and the willingness to help those in need without a second thought. We have proven once again that we can care beyond ourselves. Hopefully though, this selflessness goes beyond the end of this pandemic. Giving sincerely is powerful not only for the heart but also for the mind and soul. It provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift.   It’s ‘finding one’s self by losing it in the service of others. As we nest in the comforts of our home, let us continuously find ways to help others in even small and meaningful ways.
2 comments
Read more