They rushed me back immediately and did blood work, urine tests & a catscan. They couldn't find any signs of a mini or major stroke. However, they discovered my blood sugar was through the roof and were concerned about my tingling in my face and left arm...they admitted me. By 8am I was in a room, stuck on a strict diet, given numerous insulin shots, had an MRI & and an MRA done, several neurological tests, but everything kept coming back normal. WHICH IS GOOD...because it made the diagnosis easier for the doctor as to why I was numb and tingly. For years I thought I was borderline diabetic, because everytime i ever had it tested, I was just a little over the normal range...I was well above 300 when I was in the ER, and throughout Friday and half of Saturday, it fluctuated between 200-300.
As for my face...it was Bell's Palsy. There is still some slight swelling and numbness near my ear, but the rest is clearing up. Both eyes now have ruptured vessels, but the doctor assured me that they would clear up on their own and that I had nothing to worry about, other than my vanity and freaking everytime I look in the mirror. The numbness and tingling in my left arm has gone away, and I've regained nearly all of my strength in that arm.
Hmmm...oh yes...that leaves the part about me coughing continuously and gagging on phlegm!! I kept trying to tell everyone before this hospital visit that I wasn't congested, nor was it in my lungs...that where I was feeling it the most was in my throat around my vocal cords. I was right!! But you'll never guess the actual cause of my gagging...
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
Anatomy of the Condition:
In adults and children, irritating acidic juices may back up from the stomach into the esophagus and throat. It is frequently called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERN. This may occur at any time either day or night. A common anatomic condition known as a hiatal hernia predisposes people to acid reflux. The most commonly recognized symptom of acid reflux is ?heartburn? due to irritation of the lining of the esophagus.
Most people do not know that acid reflux can also cause problems in the larynx (voice box) or the pharynx (back of throat). This can happen to someone even if he or she is not aware of any heartburn, and is sometimes called silent reflux, atypical reflux, or laryngopharyngeal reflux.
Symptoms of acid reflux include: hoarseness, excessive mucous or phlegm, throat clearing, a sensation of a lump in the throat, sore throat, choking spells, wheezing, or post-nasal drip. More serious problems can arise as well such as vocal fold ulcers or granulomas, vocal fold scarring, airway narrowing, or pneumonia. There is also a small chance of developing cancer in the esophagus or throat due to long-term acid reflux.
Causes or Contributing Factors
Eating habits, diet and obesity are all contributory factors in causing Larngopharygeal Reflux, (LPR). Eating one or two large meals each day can ead to the disorder, so it is best to eat three of four smaller meals each day.
Certain foods and products should also be avoided including:
- Carbonated beverages
- Coffee or tea
- Orange juice and other acidic beverages
- Spicy Food
- High Fat Foods
- High Fiber Foods
- Alcoholic Beverages
Mints, lozenges and mouthwashes may seem to soothe the throat, but can actually irritate the throat lining and stimulate acid production.
Preventative measures to remember include:
- Hydration of the throat by drinking lots of water
- Weight Loss
- No smoking
- Smaller meals, three or four times each day
- Avoidance of food at least three hours before bedtime
- Slow down eating (don?t gulp it down!)
- Avoidance of acid producing medications such as Aspirin and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- Sleeping with head elevated
Symptoms
Laryngopharygeal Reflux is sometimes called silent reflux because it may be
present without any feelings of heartburn or with very mild symptoms.
However, in many cases heartburn is a symptom. Other symptoms include:
- Dry Cough
- Hoarseness or voice loss
- Postnasal drip
- Sensation of lump or something stuck in the throat
- Sore Throat
- Chronic Throat Clearing
In a very small number of cases, the condition may be more severe causing major complications such as pneumonia, vocal scarring, airway narrowing and ulcers in the larynx. Chronic laryngophargeal reflux can even lead to cancer of esophagus in rare instances.
I am now taking an Acid Reducer pill to see if it will help. I go back in 2 weeks for a follow up about the blood sugar and if the Acid Reducer doesn't help with the coughing/gagging then the doc said we would cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm praying that this meds will correct it.Anywhoos...I'm now home and back in bed, but only because I'm tired now, not because I'm extremely sick. I bought a blood sugar tester and strips, learned how to use them and hopefully before too long, I'll be a pro at it. The main thing I'm learning about now is changing my eating habits. I'm on a strict high BP/diabetic 1600 cal. diet. Tonight was the first time I stuck to food list given me and I think I did pretty good. Now if I can include an exercise program along with the new food lifestyle, then I'll be good to go!!
I'm off for a nap...
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