Throat, Swallowing and Voice

"Doc, I constantly feel like there's something stuck in the back of my throat"
"I keep getting tonsillitis, and am taking more and more time off work each time"
"Towards the end of the day, my voice gets weaker and hoarse"
"I'm worried I have throat cancer"

Every day I meet several people in the office worried about their throat and voice. Often their symptoms may have persisted for many weeks or months, or are not responding to antibiotics. Many are worried about cancer.

The good news is that the majority of people do not have cancer, and their symptoms are often treatable and resolve quickly.

ENT surgeons can perform a procedure in the office known as a nasoendoscopy. This is a quick and painless process to fully examine the nasal cavity, back of the nose and throat and voice box. This is the best way of diagnosing any condition in this area.

Professional voice users such as singers, teachers and call centre operators are particularly prone to voice and throat problems. These professionals place unique demands on this part of the body, and depend on it for their careers.

Like many areas of medicine, early intervention is the key to resolving these issues.

Unfortunately, ENT surgeons do find tumours in the head and neck region on occasion. We work closely with cancer specialists, radiation oncologists and allied health professionals to come up with individualised treatment solutions based on your wishes, the type of tumour and its location.

The vast majority of tumours in the head and neck regions are very treatable, but as always, early diagnosis is key.