10 Throat Cancer Symptoms
Reviewed: Dr. Mera
Symptom #9: Difficulty Breathing or Wheezing
Difficulty breathing is also known as dyspnea and shortness of breath. It is a common issue for patients with throat cancer. Laryngeal cancer that affects the movement of the vocal cords can make breathing difficult. In these cases, it takes an extra effort for patients to breathe, which requires accessory and scalene muscles.
They may also develop wheezing or stridor, especially if the tumor causes the opening of the vocal cords to narrow. There are many causes of stridor, such as foreign bodies, infections, subglottic stenosis, laryngospasm, and vocal cord palsy. Visualization of the airway may be necessary to confirm the cause of the stridor.
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