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Suggest Treatment For Left-sided Sore Throat, Hoarseness And Expiratory Wheezing

Posted on Mon, 30 Mar 2015

Question: I have had problems with laryngeal reflux for over 10 years. I had a scope put down that showed a burning around my vocal cord on the left. I was started on Prilosec and the left sided sore throat and the feeling of a lump in my throat subsided in a few days. I have never had my throat scoped again but have had bouts of left sized sore throat , hoarseness, a felling of a lump in my throat , blocked sinus. On the left side only and waking up at night coughing. Lately I have begun having expiratory wheezing. I have had mess changed to prtonix, then nexium and now Prevacid. I still feel stuff coming up but it does not seem as acid. My left ear is also stuffed up all the time. I really feel I need more intervention but my doctor always just says to eat a raw vegan diet and loose 40 pounds. I am 5'9' and weigh 180 pounds. I have never had an upper endoscopy. Do I need a new ENT doctor? How should I proceed?

Answered by Dr. Paparaja S (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
All these issues could be due to LPRD.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to healthcare magic.
I had gone through your question.
I can understand your concern.
All your issues could be due to LPRD. That is laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. The wheeze could be due to pneumonia, which is a complication of reflux.
I recommend the following.
1) Stop taking coffee, tea and any carbonated drinks.
2) Avoid spicy and junk foods.
3) Keep regular diet habits. Avoid skipping meals.
4) Do regular exercises, restrict taking fatty foods, plan to reduce weight.
5) Avoid smoking and alcohol. If you don't have this habit, kindly ignore this suggestion.
6) Take your dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime. Never lie down as soon as you take meals.
7) Proton pump inhibitors like tablet rabeprazole.
8) If you are not responding to proton pump inhibitors, you might benefit from neuromodulators like baclofen. Consult an ENT doctor and discuss regarding the same.
9) Oral decongestant like tablet levocetrizine with phenylephrine for ear blockade.
10) Steam inhalation for sinus problems.
11) Once your reflux is controlled, all other related issues could recover.
You will be fine.
Hope I have answered your question. If you have any questions, I am happy to help.
Wish you a good health and speedy recovery.
Regards,
Dr Paparaja S MBBS MS
Consultant ENT Surgeon

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Paparaja S (2 hours later)

I don't smoke or drink coffee. I sleep with a steam humidifier at night. I also sleep with the back of my bed up. All these things have not helped much. I am afraid that some changes are happening to the area around my vocal cords and think they should be viewed. No one has ever told me that I should have an upper endoscopy and I worry about having this chronic problem over 10 years.

Answered by Dr. Paparaja S (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
You can go for scopy.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for the follow up.
I can understand your concern.
You can go for upper endoscopy. This is indicated in individuals who are not responding to proton pump inhibitors. The doctor can also visualize the laryngeal area using endoscopy. So you can clear your worries.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

Take care.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T