BETHESDA, Md. (AP) – Acid reflux is responsible for the sore throat President Barack Obama has complained about for the past couple of weeks, the White House said today, shortly after the president returned from undergoing diagnostic tests at a nearby military hospital.
Obama’s motorcade made the approximately half-hour crawl in rainy weather to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland, where a CT scan was performed and was normal.
Obama, 53, was at the facility for about a half hour before returning to the White House.
The CT scan followed a morning fibre optic exam performed on Obama at the White House by an ear, nose and throat specialist from Fort Belvoir Medical Centre in Northern Virginia and supervised Dr Ronny L. Jackson, Obama’s physician and director of the White House Medical Unit.
Jackson said in a statement that the fibre optic exam revealed “soft tissue swelling” in the back of Obama’s throat. Jackson said he and the specialist, who was not identified, determined that “further evaluation with a routine CT scan was prudent”.
The CT scan was normal, Jackson said.
“The president’s symptoms are consistent with soft tissue inflammation related to acid reflux and will be treated accordingly,” he said, without elaborating on exactly how Obama’s condition would be treated.
Acid reflux is caused when the contents of the stomach flow back up the oesophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. Treatments include avoiding certain foods and using over-the-counter or prescription medications, including antacids.
