Your throat plays a vital role in many of your body’s functions: breathing, swallowing, and speaking, just to name a few.
If you begin to have trouble with any of these or other throat-related activities, please contact us. There are a number of reasons such things occur, and seeing a trusted professional will ensure you receive the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment you need to live a more normal life.
Please review the information provided on this site, and don’t hesitate to call our practice to learn more. The earlier we can detect a throat-related difficulty, the earlier we can provide a more effective method of treatment.
Conditions We Treat
Voice Box (Laryngeal) Cancer
Voice box cancer or laryngeal cancer refers to the uncontrolled growth of malignant, abnormal cells in the larynx, which is part of the throat and holds the vocal cords.
Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
Nodules, polyps, and cysts comprise the main types of nonmalignant but abnormal tissue growths that can appear around the vocal cords. Hoarseness, uneven or gravelly voice, difficulty speaking, voice fatigue, and other potential symptoms require medical attention for a diagnostic evaluation and treatment.
Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis — a viral, bacterial, or immunological inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils at the back of the throat — is especially common in children and may require surgery. Symptoms can range from fever, bad breath, or throat pain to sleep apnea, drooling, difficulty swallowing, or other problems, depending on the type of tonsillitis.
Vocal Cord Paralysis
Vocal cord paralysis refers to immobility of the vocal cord muscles, potentially affecting the ability to breathe, swallow, speak, or sing.
Hoarseness
Hoarseness refers to changes in the voice that make it sound gravelly, faint, raspy, or scratchy. There are many potential causes such as infection, smoking, overuse of the voice, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and cancer, so it’s important to seek medical treatment if symptoms persist.
Swallowing Trouble
Difficulty swallowing solids and liquids can sometimes be a side effect of neurological injuries such as a stroke or brain tumor but can also be common among other conditions. If you’ve had a laryngectomy, head or neck surgery, vocal cord nodules, or cochlear implants and can’t swallow food or drink as easily as before, rehabilitative therapy can help.
Treatments & Procedure Options
Effects of Medications on Voice
Many people may not realize that various medications can negatively affect the voice, causing inflammation of the vocal cords, dryness, hoarseness, fluid retention, and other problems. It’s important to follow medication instructions, be aware of the stated side effects, and consult a doctor if any symptoms persist.
Tonsillectomy and Adenoids Post-Op
After a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy — usually performed to remove chronically problematic tonsils and adenoids — it’s important to control pain, drink plenty of fluids, get bed rest, and go easy on activities for a while. Scabbing and some swelling are normal, but contact the doctor if problems such as a high fever or bleeding occur.
Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea surgery comes in many forms, all essentially aimed to help prevent the airway from narrowing or closing during sleep. Some examples of procedures include uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, thermal ablation palatoplasty, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, genioglossus and hyoid advancement, tongue-base reduction, and nasal surgery.
Laryngectomee
Laryngectomee refers to someone who has had his or her larynx or voice box removed through laryngectomy surgery, typically to treat cancer.