FAQ's Throat
- How is Voice produced from our Voice Box?
- What are Tonsils?Why do we have them?
- My Child get frequent sore throat with fever?What are Tonsillities?
- My Child has Delayed Speech?
- My voice has become hoarse ?
- What Are The Causes Of Hoarseness?
- Do I have a Thyroid Problem ?
- Severe and prolonged sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- Joint pain
- Earache
- Rash
- Fever (over 101°)
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Frequently recurring sore throat
- Lump in neck
- Redder than normal tonsils
- A white or yellow coating on the tonsils
- A slight voice change due to swelling
- Sore throat
- Uncomfortable or painful swallowing
- Swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the neck
- Fever
- Bad breath
- Hoarseness lasting longer than two weeks especially if you smoke
- Pain not from a cold or flu
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing
- Lump in the neck
- Weakness and lethargy
- Cold or Heat Intolerance,
- Weight Gain or Weight loss inspite of usual appetite
- Menstrual disturbances and Infertility
- Palpitations and Mood swings
- Dry or Sweaty Skin
- Heavy voice constant throat irritation
- Lump in the neck or throat
How is voice produced from our Voice Box?
Voice is produced by vibration of the vocal cords. The vocal cords are two bands of smooth
muscle tissue which are located in the voice box (Larynx). The voice box is in our throat at the level of adam’s apple and leads into the windpipe (Trachea). It is located in front of the food pipe (Esophagus) and is protected by a lid (Epiglottis) which closes the voice box and the wind pipe when we swallow food. Accidentally we may choke if we talk while eating food as the food may accidentally enter the windpipe.
When at rest, the vocal cords are open to allow us to breathe. To produce sound the vocal cords start vibrating in the stream of air coming up from our lungs. The sound from this vibration then travels through the throat, nose, and mouth (resonating cavities) and is altered by the tongue and lips to produce voice.
Every individual has a unique natural voice. Voice can be altered by lengthening or shortening, tensing or relaxing the vocal folds. Movement of the flexible cartilage of voice box, tongue, lips and neck muscles can vary the voice leading to variety of an individual voice.
Tonsils are masses of lymphoid glands at the back of the throat, near the entrance to the food passages where they can monitor incoming germs, which cause infections. They "sample" bacteria and viruses and work as part of the body's immune system by filtering germs that attempt to invade the body, and that they help to develop antibodies to germs. This happens primarily during the first few years of life, becoming less important as we get older.
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Sometimes during their role they can swell up and become chronically infected. Bacteria may form colonies within the crevices of these glands, leading to flare up of infections frequently. In this situation they tend to harm the body leading to frequent throat pain, fever and poor appetite needing frequent antibiotic courses.
My child gets frequent sore throat with fever? What is Tonsillitis?
Some children will get repeated episodes of sore throat or Tonsillitis accompanied by fever. These infections are more common during winters and cross infection between children is common within school or crèche.
Infections in the nose and sinuses also can cause sore throats, because mucus from the nose drains down into the throat and carries the infection with it.
The following signs and symptoms should alert you to see your ENT doctor:
Immunity develops gradually and some children may grow out of the problem. However some children continue to get frequent sore throats (more than 4 times in a year) and need repeated antibiotic courses. Some children may also get breathing difficulty in the night due to enlarged obstructing Tonsils (OSAS).
Eventually, bacterial colonization occurs in the Tonsils leading to persistent residual infection in spite of antibiotics. Frequent infections may cause growth retardation in children. Some orthodontists believe chronic mouth breathing from large tonsils and adenoids causes malformations of the face and improper alignment of the teeth.
Tonsillitis and Its Symptoms
Tonsillitis is an infection in one or both tonsils. One sign is swelling of the tonsils. Other signs or symptoms are:
In these circumstances a Tonsillectomy may be required.
Medical Research has proven that there is no decrease in immunity after removal of tonsils.
About 5-10% of children have a delay in their speech and language development. Parents are usually the first to notice that their child is not developing their language skills at the same rate as similarly aged children and will describe their child as 'not talking,' 'a late talker,' or 'not speaking yet.'
A speech delay can be caused from problems with the output of speech (anatomical problems with the vocal cords, etc.), the input of speech (hearing loss), or the processing of speech (mental retardation, autism and developmental language disorders).
Speech delay can be expressive (inability to generate speech) or receptive (inability to understand speech of others) or a mix of both types.
With early intervention (speech therapy), most of these children will have improved speech by the time they begin school and their speech will ultimately become normal.
Another important cause of speech delay are hearing problems, and so all children suspected of having a speech or language delays should have an ENT checkup and their hearing tested by FFA, OAE , PTA or BERA. It is not enough that they think that he hears because he responds to a loud clap or bell in the house or because he comes when you call him from another room.
If by the age of 2 years a child cannot speak two word sentences and by 3 years of age three word sentences then child should be evaluated for Speech Delay.
Hoarseness is a general term that describes abnormal voice. When hoarse, the voice may sound breathy, raspy, strained, or there may be changes in volume (loudness) or pitch (how high or low the voice is). The changes in sound are usually due to disorders related to the vocal cords that are the sound producing parts of the voice box (larynx). While breathing, the vocal cords remain apart. When speaking or singing, they come together, and as air leaves the lungs, they vibrate, producing sound. Swelling or lumps on the vocal cords prevent them from coming together properly and changes the way the cords vibrate, which makes a change in the voice, altering quality, volume, and pitch.
What Are The Causes Of Hoarseness?
Acute Laryngitis: One of the most common causes is acute laryngitis, which usually occurs due to swelling from a common cold, upper respiratory tract viral infection, or irritation caused by excessive voice use such as screaming at a sporting event or rock concert.
Vocal Nodule/Polyp: Prolonged hoarseness is usually due to vocal overuse or habitual abuse. It can lead to vocal nodules (singers’ nodes), which are callous-like growths, or may lead to polyps of the vocal cords (more extensive swelling). Vocal nodules are common in children and adults who raise their voice in work or play.
VOCAL NODULES
Other causes include Gastroesophageal Reflux, Smoking
Since smoking is the major cause of throat cancer, if smokers are hoarse, they should see an ENT.
When hoarseness lasts longer than two weeks or has no obvious cause it should be evaluated by an ENT.
The various causes of hoarseness can be diagnosed using Tele Video Laryngoscopy along with Stroboscope.
When should I see an ENT doctor?
Thyroid gland is located in the neck just below the level of the adam’s apple. Its function is to produce thyroid hormone which is essential for the normal functioning of the body.
Common symptoms of thyroid gland malfunction are
If any of these symptoms are present a thyroid evaluation and blood testing may be done.