Hello.

Thank you for posting your query at DoctorSpring.com
I can understand your problem.
You are smoking for 4 years, now you are suffering from cold and throat irritation and intermittent throat foreign body sensation and you are worried about throat cancer.
Based from you symptoms I want to reassure that you are not suffering from any cancer as your symptoms are not persistent and it improves if doesn’t smoke for some time. Usually symptoms of cancer are persistent and progressive.
But in very young age it self you have symptoms of smoking, it’s a clear signal that you should quit smoking. I am happy to know that you are planning to cut down smoking because smoking doesn’t cause only cancer it effects all the organs of body and causes many diseases.
Now present episode may be combination of cold(upper respiratory tract infection) and acid reflux (GERD) due to smoking and irritation due to smoke.
I will suggest you to quit smoking. Start following medication:
Pantoprazole 40 mg once in morning for 2 weeks
Levocetrizine 5 mg in once in night for one week, this is antiallergic medication will help in cold and throat irritation.
If there is no symptomatic improvement with medication than detailed evaluation can be done including Chest X-ray and laryngoscopy (endoscopic examination of throat)
Hope this helps,

Best regards


Dr. Sunil Jalan
MBBS, DLO,MS(CMC,VELLORE)DNB(ENT),DAA,MBA(HM)