laryngoscopy

A laryngoscopy is a procedure done to get a closer look at the larynx and the structures near the larynx. It is done in a doctor’s office with numbing spray in the throat.

If you’re experiencing throat or voice problems, a laryngoscopy may help find the reason why. The procedure allows the doctor to see the tissues in nose, pharynx and around your larynx more closely.

You might need a laryngoscopy to:

• Find the cause of a voice change or hoarseness
• Diagnose cancer of the larynx or areas of the throat near the larynx (hypopharynx)
• Find the cause of a cough or coughing up blood
• Find the cause of throat pain or pain felt in the neck or ear
• Find the cause of noisy or difficult breathing
• Find the cause of difficulty swallowing
• Diagnose a laryngeal injury
• Diagnose food or liquid going down into the windpipe (aspiration)
• Remove a foreign body

How is it done and after care ?

During the procedure, your doctor may spray a numbing solution into the back of your throat to prevent gagging. During the exam, your doctor will hold the tip of your tongue with a gauze pad and pass the endoscope through the oral cavity to the back of your throat. Your doctor may ask you to make sounds to check the movement of your vocal cords. There are typically no complications and no recovery period. The doctor may ask you to avoid oral intake for half an hour till the local anesthesia wears off.