Throat Treatment Options

The Harley Street ENT clinic can provide a variety of treatments to tackle voice loss and throat problems. Getting the right treatment can help to relieve pain and other symptoms while preventing complications such as damage to the vocal cords. The ENT doctor at the clinic in London can explain the treatment options in detail and advise on the best way to tackle your symptoms.

Referral to Speech Therapist

A speech therapist can help with issues such as voice loss, discomfort while speaking, hoarseness and difficulties with specific actions such as speaking loudly or singing. Treatment at the Harley Street ENT Clinic may help to tackle the cause of some voice problems, but additional support is sometimes needed. Speech therapy may also be recommended alongside treatments such as nodule removal in order to ensure the best results. If the ENT specialist believes that speech therapy is appropriate, a referral to an experienced therapist will be made.

The speech and language therapist will perform an assessment and recommend a course of voice therapy. The treatment may include exercises to improve or maintain the voice and advice on caring for the throat to prevent voice loss. The exercises will need to be performed regularly at home and further sessions with the speech therapist may be needed as treatment progresses. It can take time to restore the voice, but following the speech and language specialist’s advice can make a big difference.

Medication

Medication can often help to relieve the symptoms of sore throats and similar conditions. It can also tackle the causes of some symptoms, such as bacterial or fungal infections in the throat. The medications that are most often recommended by ENT doctors include lozenges to lubricate the throat, anaesthetic sprays to relieve pain, and antifungal drugs to treat oral thrush or yeast infections. The doctor will be able to prescribe medication if necessary or recommend over the counter products that can help to relieve the symptoms of throat conditions.

It is essential for patients to understand why the medication is needed, how it should be taken, and what potential side effects might appear. Following the doctor’s instructions will ensure that the medication is able to produce the best possible results. Follow up visits to the clinic in London may be needed to ensure that the medication is working well and that there are no side effects or other complications. In some cases, additional treatment may also be required in order to address the cause of the problem or to alleviate symptoms that aren’t responding to medication.

Intralaryngeal Neurotoxin Injection

Neurotoxin injections can help to prevent spasms and treat laryngeal dystonia. The treatment can reduce the number and severity of spasms. It can also improve vocal quality. Neurotoxin is a toxin that can be used to block nerve signals and relax muscles. When it is injected into the muscles around the vocal cords it will weaken the muscles so that they no longer interfere with speech.

Intralaryngeal Neurotoxin injections can usually be performed at the ENT clinic with a local anaesthetic. The ENT doctor will use a laryngoscope or electromyography (EMG) machine to visualise the vocal cords during the procedure to ensure that the injection is given at the right location. A long, curved needle will be used to inject the Neurotoxin directly into the muscles around the larynx. The effects of the Neurotoxin should be apparent within a couple of days and can last for several months.

Removal of Nodules

Vocal nodules are swellings that can develop on the vocal folds when they collide repeatedly. A few days of resting the voice is often enough to allow the swelling to subside, but if the problem is allowed to get worse the soft nodules can develop into hardened scar tissue. Hard nodules can make the vocal folds stiffer, which can affect their ability to vibrate and produce sounds normally. The hardened nodules may need to be removed surgically in order to restore the voice, if speech therapy alone has not been successful.

Surgical removal of nodules or laryngoscopy is performed under a general anaesthetic. The ENT specialist will perform the procedure through the throat, so there will be no external scarring. The nodules are carefully removed from the vocal cords with specially designed instruments. The doctor will ensure that the form and function of the vocal cords is preserved as much as possible. A referral for speech therapy may be needed after surgery in order to ensure that the voice recovers as much as possible.