Brief Answer:
LPR/Sinusitis, get videolaryngoscopy/stroboscopy

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thanks for posting the query

Burning sensation in the throat could be either due to nasal block or acid reflux.

During nasal block one tends to open the mouth and breathe, this drains away all the moisture from the throat making it irritable.

Similarly, when there is reflux of acid from the stomach into the throat, the acid burns the mucosa of the throat leading to inflammation. The inflamed mucosa causes irritation, burning sensation in the throat and pain in the ears because of a common innervation. This condition is known as laryngo-pharyngeal reflux (LPR).

My suggestions to you are:
1. Drink plenty of warm water, this re-hydrates the tissues and reduces the irritation.
2. Steam inhalation, if you are having nasal block.
3.LPR is generally treated with a combination of the
following:
a. Dietary Modifications
Avoid or minimize reflux triggers within the diet:
• Alcohol/smoking
• Fried/Fatty Foods/Spicy Foods/Tomato/Citrus based foods
• Caffeinated/Carbonated Beverages

b. Life style changes
• Eat Smaller Meals
• Avoid Eating Within 2-3 Hours of Bedtime or Lying Down
• Avoid stress

c. A combination of medicines like proton pump inhibitors (nexium) and a prokinetic (domperidone) to treat the reflux.

4. A video-laryngoscopy or stroboscopy will be beneficial in recording the vocal cord movements.

5. Also, voice therapy is very much required as you are a singer.

Hope this answers your query; I will be available for the follow up queries.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

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Brief Answer:
The swallowing difficulties are seldom encountered

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thanks for writing back

1. I am sorry! The swallowing difficulties are seldom encountered.

2. Many of the patients may not perceive the actual symptoms of acid reflux. '' Silent reflux" is the terminology given to those conditions when the patients do not complain of any acid reflux.

3. LPR usually affects the voice because of the spillage of the acid from the food pipe onto the rear part of the vocal cords. This part becomes inflamed and edematous, thus affecting the quality of voice. The quality of voice worsens much more in the singers as they have to do voice modulations during different notes and pitches.

Steam inhalation, consumption of warm water, taking appropriate medicines and voice rest, followed by voice therapy helps in complete recovery.

4. A laryngoscopic or stroboscopic examination of the vocal cords can confirm the diagnosis.

Hope this clears the doubts. I wish you good health and speedy recovery.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

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