ENT endoscopy hurt? The note from the doctor on examination

 Otoscopy is an advanced medical technology that helps diagnose and detect abnormal symptoms at the ear, nose, and throat locations. Endoscopy is performed in many different subjects and age groups. For those who visit for the first time, it is necessary to know some information to prepare mental and, and to avoid unfortunate risks that may occur.

1. What is ENT endoscopy?

Endoscopy is an examination technique by putting an endoscope (optic tube with the beveled head from 0 to 75 degrees) with light and ultra-small cameras attached. At that time, the internal images of these organs are displayed magnified on the TV screen, helping the specialist to recognize the location and extent of the damage, thereby accurately diagnosing the cause of the disease. 

Otoscopy is widely used in many public and private health facilities

- Nội soi giúp phát hiện sớm các bệnh về ung thư, đặc biệt ung thư hầu - họng, khối u thanh quản (ung thư thanh quản, bướu máu thanh quản...). Trong quá trình nội soi, nếu phát hiện khối u bất thường, bác sĩ có thể tiến hành sinh thiết, dùng dụng cụ lấy một mẫu mô nhỏ gửi xét nghiệm để kiểm tra u lành tính hay ác tính.

Advantages of ENT endoscopy:

- Doctors can easily observe directly and clearly the changes in size, color, detect inflammation the ear, nose and throat area that conventional ENT tools cannot do.

- The endoscopic image is recorded, convenient for monitoring.

- Endoscopy helps to detect early cancer diseases, especially cancer of the oropharynx, laryngeal tumor (laryngeal cancer, laryngeal tumor). During an endoscopy, if abnormal tumors are found, the doctor may perform a biopsy using a device to take a small tissue sample for testing.

- Otoscopy can detect many diseases, such as:

• Ear diseases: otitis media, acute and chronic otitis media, mastoiditis, perforated eardrum, atrial fistula, atrial obstruction, disturbance of atrial movement causing tinnitus.

• Nasal - sinus diseases: allergic rhinitis, acute and chronic rhinitis, nasal polyps, nasal hypertrophy, scoliosis, nasal septum spines, sinusitis.

• Throat diseases: Amidanitis, VA inflammation, nasopharyngitis, nasopharyngeal cysts, hypopharyngeal pathology.

• Diseases of the larynx: laryngitis, laryngeal Papilloma (benign laryngeal tumor), laryngeal tuberculosis, laryngeal polyps, vocal cysts, vocal cord paralysis.

- Support for washing the nose, removing foreign objects.

2. When should you take an ENT endoscopy?

Otoscopy is an essential diagnostic indication when the patient experiences the following symptoms:

• Ear pain, tinnitus, feeling like tickling inside the ear, hearing loss, sudden deafness.

• Nasal congestion, lying and having to breathe through the mouth, blue nasal discharge, nasal voice.

• Nasal bleeding: Endoscopy helps to detect bleeding, bleeding point, the doctor will perform the procedure to stop bleeding in time.

• Diagnosed with sinusitis and have X-ray or CT ... can endoscopy to find the exact cause of inflammation.

• Cough that lasted for many days does not go away.

• Sore throat, itchy throat for a long time, or with pus.

• Dry mouth, unusual mouth odor, difficulty swallowing saliva, choking.

• Breathless while speaking, hoarseness persists.

• Cervical lymphadenopathy at angle of jaw, nodule, firm, painless (often found by chance)

• Have foreign bodies in the ears, nose, throat (common in children).

• Unexplained weight loss.

All abnormal ENT cases should be performed with endoscopy

3. Whether ENT endoscopy pain, and cause complications?

Most ENT procedures performed at reputable institutions do not cause pain. However, in a few cases, the patient feels uncomfortable due to the narrow nasal cavity, the twisted septum compressing the nasal passages, and the throat has many reflexes.

In the past, the ENT procedure often used a rigid bronchoscope, which caused burning pain and discomfort when the end of the bronchoscope touched the nasal or throat mucosa. However, this problem is completely overcome when performing by a flexible bronchoscopy.

The entire procedure of the flexible bronchoscopy takes only about 5 to 10 minutes, with very few complications. Accidents only appear when the doctor performs the wrong technique, the patient (especially a small child) screams or throws, cries, unable to breathe due to fear, paleness, sudden body rotation. Mild symptoms may be bleeding due to the collision with the bronchoscope body, in severe cases, the eardrum may be punctured (rarely).

Regarding the problem of sterility, patients can be assured because the optic tube is often washed with clean water, soaked in a strong antiseptic solution, then rinsed again with clean water before the endoscopy.

4. ENT procedure

- Ear endoscopy: The patient sits upright, the doctor takes the endoscope along the outer ear canal to observe the eardrum, the outer ear canal, the eardrum, the hammer handle.

- Nose endoscopy:

• The patient leans his head back at a 15-degree angle.

• The doctor placed a piece of cotton swab soaked in vasoconstrictor and anesthetic for about 5 minutes. The vasoconstrictor helps the nasal tubes to shrink, the nasal passages are wider for the bronchoscope to insert easily. Anesthetics reduce pain during the procedure.

• Put the bronchoscope into the nasal cavity, up the butterfly sieve, located behind the nasal passages. Images will be displayed on the monitor and recorded if having any problems.

- Throat - laryngoscopy:

• The patient sits upright, her legs straight.

• The doctor inserted the bronchoscope into the pharynx on the surface of the tongue in the direction from the outside to observe the surface positions of the tongue, the throat, the tonsils, the base of the tongue, the bilateral sinuses, the glottis, the funnel cartilage, and vocal cord.

5. Notices for ENT endoscopy

To prevent complications caused by endoscopy, patients should note the following things:

- Absolutely follow the instructions of the doctor.

- High mental concentration, sit still, do not move, do not bend over or turn suddenly.

- For young children: Parents or family members need to explain clearly so that the child is cooperated during the colonoscopy, reassuring as soon as the child fears. For children under 5 years old, the mother needs to hold the baby on the laparoscope, leaning her back against the mother, the mother's right hand is on the forehead to hold the baby's head, the left hand hugging the baby's arms and holding the baby's legs.

Children, when performing an ENT examination and endoscopy needing the support of parents

- For newborns, the indication of ENT should be limited, only in the most necessary cases. At that time, doctors and medical staff will give specific instructions for family members.

- ENT examination and endoscopy at reputable sites for effective and safe diagnosis & treatment.

In HCMC, CarePlus is chosen by many people when having problems with ENT. The specialist here has many experienced doctors who have worked in big hospitals. CarePlus effectively examines and treats common otolaryngitis, cancer screening, painless flexible tube endoscopy, with high technical accuracy.

Customers can go directly to the nearest CarePlus clinic or contact Hotline: 1800 6116 for advice, appointment, and endoscopy.