Key points for diagnosis
(1) The patient has hoarseness. In mild cases, phonation results in tiredness easily. The tone is low and gruff. Pronouncing high-pitched voice causes crackling.
Hoarseness, even aphonia will occur in severe cases.

(2) The laryngeal region is dry and discomfort, with foreign object sensation and pain. The patient will feel painful in the laryngeal part after he speaks a lot. The secretion increases in the laryngeal part, with attachment of sputum which is not easily expectorated. The patient clears his throat frequently.

(3) Indirect laryngoscopy may show diffuse congestion and swelling of the laryngeal mucosa, congestion of the vocal fold with thickened margin and attachment of mucus on the surface of the mucosa. In severe cases,there exist hypertrophy of laryngeal mucosa with poor closure, hypertrophy of ventricular bands which covers the partial vocal fold. Or there exist symmetrical projections on the 1/3 parts of the anterior and middle margins of the bilateral vocal folds. Or the anterior and middle segments of the unilateral vocal fold or bilateral vocal folds have circular or oval neoplasm with reddish colour or yellowish and whitish colours and smooth surface.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.