Urgent referral to ENT - what to expect

Hello  

I’ve been unwell since Christmas with sore throat, cough, chest infection etc, went to dr as feels like there is a lump in my throat when I swallow, my neck is sore to touch around my voice box area, my ears hurt a little and I’m totally exhausted. I expected antibiotics but instead had an urgent referral to ENT for next week. My GP said they’d want to put a camera up my nose to get a closer look but there’s no mention of anything on the letter from the hospital...can anyone tell me what to expect? As you can imagine, I’m panicking a little....

Thank you!

Parents
  • I had an urgent ENT referral for a persistent sore throat just before Xmas.

    As gilliebean described, I had the camera up the nose. This really was no problem at all, and I didn't find it uncomfortable. I had to pull a few faces to get the camera in the correct position to look down my throat, and then I had to count so the consultant could see my vocal cords working.

    The consultant said I had an overgrowth of tonsil tissue that I needed a neck/throat MRI, which I had in the gap between Xmas and New Year. It wasn't much fun, but I got through it. I had a followup appoinment two weeks later and was told the MRI seemed to be clear, but just to be sure I needed a panendoscopy with biopsies under general anaesthetic. 

    I had the panendoscopy a few days later, and the results came through about 2 weeks later. Again this was completely clear. I was cleared of possible cancer and sent back under my GP. 

    Obviously everybody's case is different, but that's what happened to me. 

Reply
  • I had an urgent ENT referral for a persistent sore throat just before Xmas.

    As gilliebean described, I had the camera up the nose. This really was no problem at all, and I didn't find it uncomfortable. I had to pull a few faces to get the camera in the correct position to look down my throat, and then I had to count so the consultant could see my vocal cords working.

    The consultant said I had an overgrowth of tonsil tissue that I needed a neck/throat MRI, which I had in the gap between Xmas and New Year. It wasn't much fun, but I got through it. I had a followup appoinment two weeks later and was told the MRI seemed to be clear, but just to be sure I needed a panendoscopy with biopsies under general anaesthetic. 

    I had the panendoscopy a few days later, and the results came through about 2 weeks later. Again this was completely clear. I was cleared of possible cancer and sent back under my GP. 

    Obviously everybody's case is different, but that's what happened to me. 

Children
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