1. Differential Diagnosis of Throat Disease
Throat disease might include anything from a simple sore throat to GERD (Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease) to throat cancer. When throat symptoms occur in tandem with simple colds, the condition is rarely confusing and does not require a diagnostic test. If, however, throat symptoms are not associated with colds, and are accompanied by fevers and weight loss, especially in long-term smokers, throat cancer may be a possibility. In this case, diagnostic measures are required. When throat symptoms, such as pain or the sensation of a lump, are accompanied by trouble swallowing or breathing, or when hoarseness or a change in your voice occurs, the presence of a physical mass should be suspected. A throat mass that interferes with swallowing or affects the voice can be something benign, like a vocal cord polyp, or it may be malignant, possibly denoting throat cancer.
2. Sore Throat That is Accompanied by Digestive Symptoms
When sore throats are chronic and associated with digestive symptoms, such as heartburn, frequent stomach pain, gas and bloating, GERD may be the cause. With this condition, your stomach acid leaks up into the esophagus and throat, irritating the tissues and causing heartburn and chronic sore throats. Any sore throats that are worse when you awaken in the morning but improve throughout the day may be due to acid reflux (especially when they are associated with heartburn). If you have these symptoms, see a doctor, herbalist or nutritionist to improve the health of the digestive mucous membranes and to treat a Helicobacter bacterial infection, which may contribute to the condition.
3. Diagnostic Tests for Chronic Throat Symptoms
If your throat symptoms, such as pain, trouble swallowing, or the sensation of a lump, are chronic and not associated with a simple cold or virus, diagnostic tests may help your doctor determine what is going on. If you feel as if you have a lump in your throat and your voice changes, your doctor can look down your throat with a fiber optic or other imaging device to rule out vocal cord polyps. If you are also experiencing fever, cough, weight loss or trouble breathing or swallowing, a chest x-ray, CAT scan or MRI can uncover the presence of a tumor or other throat mass. If throat pain and discomfort with swallowing are accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and fever, a chronic viral infection may be confirmed by lab tests that screen for mononucleosis, cytomegalo and Epstein-Barr viruses.
