Taking a look at your larynx - What is a Laryngoscopy?

If you don’t know what your larynx is, it is your voice box! It is located at the very top of your windpipe or trachea and it contains your vocal chords. Air passing through the larynx and over the vocal folds causes them to vibrate and produce sound – this is how we speak.

A laryngoscopy is an exam that gives doctors a close up view of the larynx and throat. Doctors place a small mirror into the throat, or insert a rigid or flexible viewing tube called a laryngoscope in your mouth. Sometimes, if necessary, they will do both.

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Why would I need a laryngoscopy? Well, a laryngoscopy is used to learn more about various conditions or problems in the throat, including:

- Persistent cough, bloody cough, hoarseness, throat pain, or bad breath

- Difficulty swallowing

- Persistent earache

- Mass or growth in the throat

A laryngoscope can also be used to remove a foreign object

How does a laryngoscopy work? Preparation for the test can include:

- Physical exam

- Chest X-Ray or CT scan

- Barium swallow

Laryngoscopy’s usually last between five and 45 minutes. There are two types or laryngoscopy tests: direct and indirect.

An indirect laryngoscopy is when the patient will sit up straight in a high-back chair and numbing medicine is sprayed into the throat. The doctor will cover the tongue with gauze and hold it from blocking the view, and then the doctor will stick a mirror into the throat and explore the area. A patient might be asked to make a certain sound to make the larynx move. If you have a foreign object or obstruction in your throat, the doctor will remove it at this point.

The direct method can happen in the hospital or the doctor’s office, and usually the patient is completely sedated under expert supervision. A special tube goes into the nose or mouth and then down the throat. The doctor will be able to look through the tube to get a close view of the larynx. The doctor can collect samples and remove growths or objects.

Have you had a laryngoscopy before? Tell us more about your experience!