Throat

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe (esophagus). The backwash of acid irritates the lining of your esophagus and causes GERD signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of GERD include acid reflux and heartburn. Both are common digestive conditions that most people experience from time to time. When these signs and symptoms occur more than twice each week or interfere with your daily life, doctors term this GERD.

Most people can manage the discomfort of heartburn with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. But for people with GERD, these remedies may offer only temporary relief. People with GERD may need stronger medications, even surgery, to reduce symptoms.

A sore throat (Pharyngitis) is inflammation of the pharynx, which is in the back of the throat, between the tonsils and the voicebox (larynx).

If you have a swallowing disorder, you may have difficulty swallowing and may also have pain while swallowing. Some people may be completely unable to swallow or may have trouble swallowing liquids, foods or saliva. This makes it hard to eat. Often, it can be difficult to take in enough calories and fluids to nourish your body.

The most common taste disorder is phantom taste perception; that is, a lingering, often unpleasant taste even though you have nothing in your mouth. We also can experience a reduced ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, a condition called hypogeusia. Some people cannot detect any tastes, which is called ageusia. True taste loss, however, is rare. Most often, people are experiencing a loss of smell instead of a loss of taste.

A tonsillectomy is a 2,000 year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or peritonsillar abscess. Sometimes the adenoids are removed at the same time, a procedure called adenoidectomy. Although tonsillectomy is being performed less frequently than in the 1950s, it remains one of the most common surgical procedures in children in the United States.

Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoids. They may be removed for several reasons, including impaired breathing through the nose and chronic infections or earaches. The surgery is common. It is most often done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. Post-operative pain is generally minimal and prevented with an abundance of icy or cold foods, though dairy foods such as ice cream should be avoided, as they coat the back of the throat, encouraging the body to produce phlegm, which can interfere with healing. Spicy foods, such as jalepenos or curries, should also be avoided. The procedure can sometimes be combined with a tonsillectomy if needed. Recovery time can range from several hours to two or three days (though as age increases so does recovery time).

Vocal cord polyps represent benign lesions that may have a variety of appearances. Polyps may be single or multiple, involve one cord or both, and may be big or small. Polyps may be pedunculated (hanging by a thin stalk) or sessile (have a wide base). Polyps may produce a variety of symptoms, depending on their size and location. Symptoms may include hoarseness, throat clearing, cough, and trouble swallowing.