What's the matter with leeks growing in women's throats? Of course, it's not leeks we eat in our daily life, but polyps in our throats. Many people have had the experience of suddenly feeling 'acid reflux' in their stomach after a full meal, and most people don't take it seriously. But for Ms. Li, this is the beginning of a nightmare.
Itchy throat, foreign body
Women recur months after surgery
About five years ago, Ms. Li inexplicably developed itchy throat and cough. At first, she thought it was caused by cold, but after the cold was cured, the condition not only did not improve, but became more and more serious. At the same time, she felt that there were foreign bodies in her throat repeatedly, which often made her unable to sleep at night.
After Ms. Li went to the hospital for laryngoscopy, she found that she had vocal polyp (granuloma), so she had surgery to remove it.
Unexpectedly, the symptoms recurred several months later. After she went to the hospital for examination, she found that the polyp grew out again in almost the same place and had to be operated on again.
Cut and grow again, polyp company grows 4 times
Doctor: it's just like leeks
It didn't last long, and after a while, the otolaryngologist saw Ms. Li again.
The doctor asked, 'is it growing again?', and after examination, it is!
'how can I cut like leeks?' Ms. Li's illness made doctors feel helpless.
Two months ago, Ms. Li came to the people's Hospital of Zhejiang Province, when her vocal polyp had grown for the fourth time. The head of otolaryngology department thinks that it is necessary to check the root cause of the disease.
This time, the operation is finished
She can finally sleep well
According to Ms. Li's frequent experience of gastric acid regurgitation, Professor Wang Zhifei of the hospital believes that an anti reflux operation is needed to control the pathogenesis, otherwise, it is still a treatment without treatment.
Therefore, Wang Zhifei and otolaryngologists operated on the same stage, followed by vocal cord polyp bud resection after anti reflux operation. After surgery, most of Ms. Li's symptoms were relieved, and finally she was able to sleep well at night.
'Ms. Li's condition is relatively rare. In five years, the vocal cord polyp has grown four times, such as leek. After the surgery, it has grown out again. The otolaryngologists are a little bit annoyed. Wang Zhifei said that the disease that has plagued Ms. Li for many years is gastroesophageal reflux disease.
But this seems to be a common problem, how can it cause vocal polyps?
Professor Wang Zhifei explained that acid substances of reflux repeatedly stimulate the throat for a long time, causing vocal cord edema and polyp formation over time. This has something to do with the patient's own 'Constitution'. However, if the stimulation of acid regurgitation is not completely removed, Ms. Li may have to go through many times of pharyngeal polypectomy painfully, even when it is the end.
This kind of disease likes to make a lot of noise
Beware of acid regurgitation
Professor Wang Zhifei introduced that this kind of gastroesophageal reflux disease is very 'mischievous' and likes to' beat the East with the West '.
Because about 75% of the patients have atypical symptoms, they are easy to go to the wrong clinic. For example, many patients went to respiratory department, otorhinolaryngology and other clinics for the first time, which is often ignored or misdiagnosed.
After reflux occurs, if it is mainly under the esophagus, the symptoms are acid reflux and heartburn; but when it comes to the upper part of the esophagus and the throat, because it is with the throat and respiratory tract, it becomes a variety of symptoms.
Although the causal relationship between these hidden symptoms and gastroesophageal reflux disease is not very clear, but a common explanation is: harmful reflux stomach contents, direct contact with throat and upper bronchus tree or micro inhalation, induce local irritation and cough.
Professor Wang Zhifei said that about 4% - 10% of the patients who have seen otolaryngologists in the international report have complaints related to gastroesophageal reflux disease. These symptoms include many: chronic hoarseness, dysphagia, frequent throat cleaning, foreign body sensation in the throat, sinusitis, vocal cord spasm, erosive esophagitis, esophageal stenosis, vocal cord granuloma.
'reflux can flow back to the throat or even inhale into the lungs, bronchitis, asthma, aspiration pneumonia, etc., leading to coughing. Last year, a middle-aged woman who received the doctor in charge of internal medicine was cheated by her symptoms. Her chronic cough lasted for many years until she was diagnosed with gastric reflux, and her long-term cough gradually relieved after the operation. '
The incidence of male was significantly higher than that of female
In recent years, it also shows a trend of youth
Professor Wang Zhifei introduced that many people once felt a stream of acid water flowing back from the stomach to the esophagus and mouth after having a full meal, drinking or drinking tea, sometimes accompanied by the burning sensation in the stomach and chest, or even the situation of back eating, which is gastroesophageal reflux. The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is very high. The incidence of GERD in China is up to 10%.
Gastroesophageal reflux can also be said to be a modern disease, the main pathogenic factors are overeating, obesity, emotional instability and so on. 40-60 years old is the age of high incidence of disease, men are significantly more than women, about 2:1. However, due to obesity, smoking and drinking, mental stress and other factors, the number of young patients is also increasing.
Professor Wang Zhifei reminded:
Patients should first lose weight and avoid high-fat food that promotes reflux;
Quit smoking and alcohol, eat less spicy food, chocolate and coffee, and exercise properly;
Avoid actions and postures that increase abdominal pressure for a long time in life, such as wearing tights and tightening belts.