The 15-minute zap to the throat that fixes coughing fits
A15-MINUTE radiowave treatment could give relief to people plagued with long-term dry coughs and sore throats. British doctors have pioneered an experimental procedure which has been a complete success for 90 per cent of patients who have been offered it so far.
Acid reflux – or heartburn – coughs and sore throats are a common problem and typically not an indication of anything sinister.
However, some sufferers experience other symptoms such as hoarseness, excessive throat-clearing, and globus – the sensation of a lump in the throat – for months and even years.
They are often offered heartburn medication which is ineffective.
Some studies suggest that in about three per cent of these patients the discomfort may be due to abnormal cells on the inside of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food to the stomach from the mouth.
The condition is known as inlet patch, or IP (also referred to a cervical inlet patch), and the diagnosis is given when there are one or more abnormal areas on the inside of the oesophagus.
These areas contain cells normally found elsewhere in the body, including inside the stomach, and appear yellow or a pinkish ‘salmon’ red when looked at with a medical camera, rather than the normal pale, pearl grey of healthy oesophageal tissue.
As many as ten per cent of the population may have IP, but in the vast majority it causes no noticeable difficulties. The condition is thought to develop in the embryo.
It is not fully understood why IP causes the acute symptoms, and little is known about the long-term risks of leaving it untreated. The new minimally invasive treatment is known as radiofrequency ablation of symptomatic cervical inlet patch and is designed to destroy the patches, which can be up to 2in in diameter.
Developed by gastroenterologists at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, the procedure is carried out under conscious sedation.
A probe is inserted through a tube or endoscope inserted into the throat and positioned next to the patch. This fires radiofrequency waves – a type of heatproducing electrical energy – at the area, eradicating the cells.
The day-case operation takes on average about 15 minutes.
Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Jason Dunn, who is leading research on the new treatment, has shown that one year after treatment, the patch had disappeared in eight of his ten patients. In the remaining two, more than 90 per cent of the patch had gone. After 14 months, there had been no recurrence of the patch or symptoms.
Dr Dunn says: ‘The procedure destroys the unwanted tissue with no side effects. It is particularly suited to those people with symptoms who have not responded to heartburn medication.’
One of the first patients to benefit from the new treatment is Karen Holford, 56, who first had symptoms about four years ago. The mother-of-three from Hemel Hempstead, whose job involves public speaking, said: ‘I had a really rough cough that would go on and on. I would have to take each breath carefully to try not to trigger it.
‘I had tests for all kinds of things, antibiotics, MRI scans, and bronchoscopies.’ Eventually, she was referred to a gastroenterologist who diagnosed IP and had treatment earlier this year.
She says: ‘It was easy and fairly pain-free. After two treatments, three months apart, I really noticed a difference. It has made my life less stressful and more comfortable.’
I HAD TO BREATHE CAREFULLY TO TRY NOT TO TRIGGER A COUGH