Diagnostic Testing

ENT and Allergy Associates specializes in assessing and addressing voice and swallowing issues and advancing knowledge on these topics through education. Our team of experts at the center has spearheaded a range of office-based procedures for diagnosis and treatment.

ENT and Allergy Associates offers convenient and non-invasive swallowing evaluations, which include three tests that can be performed in-office without the need for X-rays. If you have difficulty swallowing liquids, food, or medications, experience frequent choking during meals, or have a history of swallowing difficulties due to acid reflux disease (heartburn), Parkinson's Disease, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, or ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), it may benefit you to undergo a Swallowing Examination. Swallowing problems can also arise after sickness, surgery, or changes in medications.

At ENT and Allergy Associates, we use two techniques to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders:

Transnasal Flexible Laryngoscopy (TFL)

To examine the larynx and throat, we use Transnasal Flexible Laryngoscopy (TFL), a non-invasive technique that utilizes a thin, flexible endoscope passed through the nose to provide a magnified view of the larynx.

Transnasal Esophagoscopy (TNE)

To examine the esophagus, esophagoscopy is performed, which includes two techniques: rigid esophagoscopy in the operating room performed under general anesthesia, or flexible esophagoscopy in the endoscopy suite performed under intravenous or conscious sedation by a gastroenterologist. Our doctors perform transnasal esophagoscopy, or TNE, in the office setting with immediate results, less cost, and you can return to work the same day after the examination since no intravenous sedatives are used. 

With both of those other techniques, the esophagoscope is placed via the mouth into the esophagus. In both cases, the anesthesia required to perform the procedure generally requires that the patient loses a day from work. With the transnasal technique, only topical anesthesia is required so that the patient may return to work shortly after the procedure is completed.