Laryngeal manifestations in pregnancy: Our experiences at a tertiary care teaching hospital of eastern India

Abstract

Background: There are several physiological changes seen in pregnant women and among them, laryngeal changes are quite important. The laryngeal manifestations in pregnant women are mainly due to changes of the sex hormones levels and these returns to normal in postpartum period. Objective: The objective is to study the laryngeal manifestations in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational study where 54 pregnant women participated in this study for laryngeal manifestations. A questionnaire was asked to all participants for assessing the laryngeal manifestations in pregnant women. Eighty-four pregnant women in the age group of 22–35 years participated in this study. They underwent complete laryngeal and obstetric examination. Indirect laryngoscopy and laryngeal endoscopic examinations were done in all cases for the evaluation of hearing loss. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women participated in this study was 26.23 years. The most common otological manifestation was foreign body sensation in throat and it common in first trimester of the pregnancy. Dysphonia was found in 22.22% of the cases. Other manifestations were laryngopharyngeal reflux and hoarseness of voice. Conclusion: The alteration of the hormonal milieu in pregnant women can lead to several laryngeal manifestations such as foreign sensation in throat, change in voice, and irritating cough. Although there are several laryngeal manifestations are seen in pregnant women, yet these manifestations often neglected in clinical practice.