Throat exam (laryngoscopy)

Be sure to tell your doctor

• Allergy to numbing medicines, especially local ones
• If you take blood thinners
• If you get nosebleeds easily
• If you gag easily

How to prepare

• Food. You are usually advised not to eat for 1 to 2 hours before. This makes gagging less likely. Check with your clinic.
• Smoking. It is better not to smoke on the day of the exam.
• Voice. No special preparation is needed. You can write down when and how your voice changes. This helps the doctor.

What to bring

• Your referral, if you have one
• Past ENT doctor reports
• A list of your medicines

How it goes

1. You sit in a chair facing the doctor
2. Your throat or nose may be sprayed with a numbing spray
3. For an exam through the mouth, you stick out your tongue and the doctor holds it with a gauze pad
4. For an exam through the nose, the doctor gently puts a thin tube into your nose
5. You are asked to say "eee". This shows how your vocal cords move

What you'll feel

• The spray tastes bitter and numbs your throat. It may feel like a lump
• You may feel like gagging. Breathe slowly through your nose
• The tube in your nose feels like pressure, but it usually does not hurt

Afterwards

• After the spray, do not eat or drink until the numbness wears off, usually 30 to 60 minutes. Otherwise you may choke
• The doctor usually tells you the result right away
• If a small piece of tissue was taken for testing, that result comes later