How to check for throat inflammation by opening the mouth

Open the mouth to check whether the throat is inflamed; a laryngoscopy at a hospital can confirm the diagnosis. The examination primarily involves observing the color of the throat mucosa, blood vessel patterns, lymphoid follicles, tonsils, and other conditions to determine if inflammation is present. The specific procedure is as follows:

1. The patient sits in front of the doctor, leans forward slightly, opens the mouth, and protrudes the tongue.

2. The doctor wraps sterile gauze around the anterior one-third of the tongue and sprays a local anesthetic onto the throat area.

3. After the anesthetic takes effect, the doctor holds an indirect laryngoscope with its mirror surface facing downward, placing it at a 45-degree angle against the soft palate without touching the tongue, hard palate, or tonsils.

4. The patient is instructed to take a deep breath and silently pronounce the sound "ee" (yi), which moves the base of the tongue forward and lifts the epiglottis.

5. The doctor uses a headlight to illuminate the mirror surface of the laryngoscope and slowly rotates the mirror to examine each region of the larynx.

If abnormal findings are detected, prompt medical consultation is recommended for appropriate treatment under a physician's guidance.