The nose, ear, and throat system are completely interlinked and quite complex. The throat or pharynx is the frontal part of the neck. The throat is a long tube starting from the backside of the nasal and oral cavities till the larynx or the voice box and till the esophagus. The pharynx or the throat is a muscular column which starts in the head – which is at the posterior side of the nasal cavity, passes down through the backside of the oral cavity, and then, in the end, merges with the esophagus and larynx. The throat or the pharynx is a part of both the respiratory and digestive systems and is accountable for managing the functions of swallowing and breathing. It forms an unbroken muscular passage for food, air, and liquids which passes down from the nose, mouth till the lungs and stomach. The muscles also help to assist constrictors or peristalsis along with speaking and swallowing.
The throat includes the hard palate which separates the mouth and the nose.
NOTE: Above More accurate treatment cost estimates can be provided if medical reports are emailed to us or after the patient is examined by doctors after arrival at hospital in India and medical tests are done after admission.
Otolaryngologist is the doctor which cures the problems related to the nose, ears, and throat. They are known as ENT (ears, nose and throat) as well.
ENT doctors can cure and can also perform surgery on the organsinvolved.
Dr. W.V.B.S Ramalingan, Dr.K.K.Handa, Dr.B.Khatri, Dr. Ameet Kishore, Dr. MeeneshJuvekar
A sore throat that lasts for more than a week or makes swallowing of water very difficult needs medical attention and you need to meet an ENT.
Throat pain, painful swallowing, swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck, fever, nausea/vomiting in children, body aches
Direct fiber optic laryngoscopy is a type of flexible laryngoscopy in which a small telescope is attached at the end of a cable, which can reach the nose and go down till the throat. This will take around 10 minutes. This helps the doctor to directly view your throat and evaluate any inflammation or infection, if present.
Patients may feel some kind of pressure from the tools which are used to collect the sample. Rather some patients may feel pain once the effect of anesthesia reduces, it depends entirely on the spot in the throat or the mouth from where the sample was removed. The spot of the biopsy may remain sore for a few days, which would also lead to difficulty in eating solid foods.
The throat or aear disease may lead to pain in the throat and ear at the time of swallowing food. Generally, an infection in the ear is the most common reason for ear pain while swallowing.
Cough cold medications and pain relievers along with antibiotics are usually prescribed. The most commonly used antibiotic for strep throat is Penicillin. Cefixime is another antibiotic that is generally preferred to cure some of the bacterial infections in the throat.
Penicillinis the most common antibiotic fortonsillitis which is caused by streptococcus.
Treatment depends on what part is affected or what caused the illness. Medications like painkillers and antibiotics help inthe case of bacterial infections. Surgery is an option if tonsillitis recurs frequently or the tonsils make it hard to eat or breathe.
The patient will have to take enough rest. Drink warm or cold fluids, eat soft foods such as ice cream, flavored gelatin, and many more. The patient can also use a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer in the room. The patient should rinse the throat with salt and warm water. Suck medicine like lozenges along with benzocaine or any other medicine to numb or freeze the throat. The patient may also ingest over the counter pain killers.
For tonsillitis which is arisen due to a viral infection such as flu or the common cold – the symptoms may be a little milder. Tonsillitis which is due to a bacterial infection, like streptococcal infection, the symptoms may be more severe and the patient may also have bad-smelling breath.
Can enlarged tonsils cause ear pain?Nasopharyngeal tonsil or Adenoid enlargement itself or maybe in combination with enlargement of tonsillar may lead to obstruction in the nose, frequent infections in the ear, or either sinusitis
Infected tonsils may look swollen or red, and at times may be covered with whitish or yellow spots or coating.
AIG hospital and BGS Gleneagles Hospital
Voice Box or Larynx: The Larynx is also known as the voice box which is a group of cylindrical cartilages, soft tissues that surround the vocals cords and muscles. This voice box is the foremost opening into the trachea or the windpipe, which acts as a passage to the lungs. Voicebox creates a sound that is used for speaking. When the inner wall or the laryngeal mucosa stimulates, it stops food and other contents to enter the trachea. It also helps in airway protection. The larynx or the voice box includes many cartilages and muscles which are used for voice production. Vertically it is subdivided into a glottis which is at the level of vocal folds, supraglottis which from the epiglottis till the vocal folds, and subglottis which is from the vocal folds till the cricoid cartilage.
Epiglottis. — This is a flap of cartilage and soft tissue above the vocal cords. This flap folds over the vocal cords to avoid food and other irritants to enter the lungs. This prevents liquids and food when a person eats or swallows to enter the trachea.
Subglottic space: This is the space exactly below the vocal cords. It is the thinnest part of the upper airway.
Eustachian Tube: This is the tube which connects the ear and the throat. The pharynx is space lined with muscle that joins the nose and mouth to the esophagus and larynx. The upper portion of the throat at the back of the nose is known as Nasopharynx. The space in the middle of the throat and at the back of the mouth is known as Oropharynx. This Oropharynx connects with the oral cavity through the oropharyngeal inlet which in turn receives the food bolus. The area at the lower part of the throat is Hypopharynx. This muscle shrinks during rest and loosens up while swallowing to allow the food bolus in the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that carries liquids and food to the stomach from the throat. The trachea is a kind of tube that passes air between the lungs and the throat. Tonsils are lymph glandsthat are similar to bean shape. They are the first line of defense for the pathogens that are either ingested or inhaled.
Sore throat or pain while swallowing is quite a regular complaint. Pain along with difficulty in swallowing is generally an allergic reaction or an infection. Scratchiness, sore throat, irritation in the throat may become worse when the food is swallowed. The most common reason for phrayngitis or a sore throat is a viral infection such as flu, constant cough, and the common cold. Streptococcal bacterial infection or strep throats, tonsillitis, gastroesophageal acid reflux, are all very common causes. Some of the other reasons are swollen lymph nodes, throat injury, irritants, ear infection, and improperly swallowedlarge chunk of food, muscle strain due to loud talking or HIV infections and allergies.