Throat and voice problems?

Who has not suffered from pharyngotonsillitis or inflammation of the throat and tonsils? They are common affections, which generate a lot of discomfort to those who suffer from it; especially if it is repeated many times a year.

It is necessary to study each case individually to decide whether to carry out a medical management or if we should opt for surgery.

Snoring or simple snoring is caused by vibration and partial collapse of the internal tissues of the upper aerodigestive tract, as a result of the relaxation of these tissues and the negative pressure (inspiratory force) that occurs during sleep.

When not associated with apneas (periods of obstruction with respiratory “pauses”) the problem is almost exclusively a nuisance for the snoring patient’s partner, often altering the quality of sleep.

However, when the snoring patient also has apnea pauses (with a certain frequency) it is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and is a major problem with repercussions on the patient’s metabolic system, predisposing him/her to adverse events such as cardiac pathology, heart attacks, stroke, alteration in glucose metabolism, daytime hypersomnolence, among others.

It is sometimes a silent disease that is detected by the specialist.

The voice is one of the main attributes that define us as a person in society. Therefore, alterations in voice production greatly limit the patient’s normal life.

It is convenient to differentiate two concepts that are often confused:

Dysphonia is any alteration in the normal qualities of our voice and aphonia is defined as total loss of it. In either case it is advisable to have a detailed otorhinolaryngological examination to detect the problem and apply the appropriate treatment.

A simple cold of the upper airways can trigger a dysphonia, but behind this symptom can hide professional pathology (as in singers or teachers) or even malignant (as in smokers, certain viral infections and / or alcohol consumption).

Consult us and find out what is your case!

There are many benign lesions that can develop in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. Some of them cause symptoms of little relevance and others, however, alter voice production.

Speaking specifically of the larynx, there are certain professions more predisposed to develop lesions in the vocal cords (teachers, lecturers, singers, journalists, etc…).

Although there are some habits such as alcohol and/or tobacco that greatly predispose to the development of malignant tumor lesions in the upper aerodigestive tract, they are not the only cause to be taken into account. For example, viral infection with the Human Papilloma Virus can predispose to the development of tumors.

The symptomatology is very varied and depends on the location and speed of tumor growth. For example: changes in the acoustic characteristics of the voice that do not subside within two weeks, choking or difficulty in swallowing food, sore throat, persistent itching sensation or reflex pain towards the ear, etc…).