Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) both are interlinked.
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) refers to the backflow of stomach contents into the throat, that is, into the laryngopharynx.
Its pathological effect occurs through either directcontact betweenstomach content and mucosal structures or indirect vagal reflex responses elicited from the oesophagus.
LPR has pleomorphic presentation and its symptoms and signs are un-specific.The most common symptomsare dysphonia, chronic throat clearing, chronic cough, Globus sensation, dysphagia and granuloma of the vocal process.
Authors proposed that dryness; keratosis of the vibratory margin of the vocal folds, thickening of the epithelium, ulcerative lesions, granulomas and modifications of the Reinke space would form the basis of the alteration of the vibratory function of the vocal folds and leads to dysphonia.
There are no agreed upon diagnostic criteria for LPR due to the variability of its clinical presentation, confusing sets of symptoms, and lack of reliable testing methods, as a result, it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated in spite of being a very common condition.
Reflux symptoms index (RSI)and Reflux finding score (RFS) are the most popular clinical LPR tools developed for the diagnosis and the evaluation of treatment effectiveness.
Diet and lifestyle modifications are an important part of treatment in addition to PPIs for better improvement with respect to LPR symptoms and vocal affection.