Laryngological consultation-what is its course?
Otolaryngologists are specialists in diseases m.in. ears, throat and larynx. Their laryngological examination stands out among other medical examinations m.in. the tools used for this purpose. Although they can cause anxiety in patients, there is no need to be afraid of a laryngological consultation-any doubts and fears should be resolved by learning how such a consultation is conducted.
Laryngology is one of the basic medical specialties. Doctors working in this field are mainly interested in the state of health and diseases of structures located in the head and neck. They diagnose and treat disorders related to the larynx or throat, and also deal with problems related to the ears.
Each medical specialty is characterized by a specific course of medical examination. It is no different in the case of a visit to the laryngologist-if only because of the location of the organs examined during it, the use of special equipment is required during the consultation. Interestingly, in some cases, an online laryngological consultation is quite sufficient.
How is the laryngological consultation?
The laryngological consultation can be divided into two parts: the subject examination (the so-called medical interview) and the subject examination. The first of these is the initial stage of a visit to the doctor’s office. It involves asking the patient a series of questions. The most important is the problem with which the person reports to the laryngologist. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, a specialist will most likely ask a number of fairly detailed questions, therefore, some aspects should be considered even before crossing the threshold of the office. Examples of such are the following:
- since when does the problem occur,
- what symptoms are associated with it, are there any factors that bring relief or vice versa-what situations worsen the course of the problem,
- has a similar condition ever occurred in the past.
Questions may also include other medical conditions, medications taken and hospitalizations.
After the interview, you can proceed to the second part of the laryngological consultation: the subject study. The order of the individual actions can be different depending on what exactly the problem is in the patient. The patient should not be surprised by the flashlight located on the doctor’s head: it is, along with the mirror, the basic equipment of the laryngologist.
During the visit to the laryngologist, the throat and larynx structures (including vocal folds) are examined. This examination is not always pleasant-if the patient has a strong emetic reflex, local anesthesia is possible. Here comes the rationale for why a medical interview is so important. If you have a problem with your voice, and you work in a profession related to frequent speaking (e.g. a teacher), your doctor may look for possible nodules in the area of your vocal folds during the examination. In turn, when a patient complains of frequent sore throats, exponents of potential inflammation will be evaluated.
The laryngologist also evaluates the structure of the nose (this is referred to as rhinoscopy), in addition, attention is also paid to the ears. First, their outer parts are carefully examined, then the eardrum is specularized (this is done during the so-called rhinoscopy). In some offices, hearing is also assessed-this can be done with the help of special devices, during the so-called audiometry.
Laryngological consultation can be carried out within the framework of the NFZ, but it is required to have a referral to it. When choosing private medical care, patients have to face different costs. For example, in Gliwice the price of a visit to a laryngologist starts from 60 PLN, whereas in Warsaw the cost of visiting this specialist is a minimum of 120 PLN.