With regard to your voice and associated strain, you are referring to vocal polyps (Reinke's edema) that can form on the external striata of the tissues. I'd be astounded if you actually had vocal polyps from your singing experience. We more rarely see these with long-term smokers who consistently engage in abuse of their vocal cords for many years. The polyps are sort of like a blister and the symptoms are almost virtually associated with hoarseness rather than any type of sensation of fullness or blockage. They are quite small indeed, but can have a dramatic impact on vocal production.

Your sensation is due to a phenomenon known as Globus Hystericus and is a very common symptom of folks with anxiety. If you'll recall my little anatomy lesson contained in the HEART PALPITATIONS postings, the larnyx is among the regions innervated by the Vagus nerve. Sensations arise that make the throat feel swollen and can actually induce panic by many patients who feel as though they are about to suffocate due to the combination of the Globus sensation and hyperventilation. It is oftentimes relieved by counter-sensations such as drinking cold or hot liquids. It's unnerving, but entirely harmless and will never actually cause you to suffocate at all.  

As for your MRI, we typically use the imaging features with contrast to determine whether, among other things, a mass or asymmetry exists and to determine whether the main arterial branches in the brain are compliant, we use an MRA and view it from a 3D perspective. Although I certainly show my patients the diagnostic films that I think are of any significance, I know many practitioners who do not because it leads them down the road of extended in-service time due to questions that amount to a crash course in imaging. It's impossible within the timeframe of an office visit to explain the various factors associated with such imaging. I narrow this corridor by only showing patients what they need to know in order to determine their relative health status. As I've mentioned on numerous postings, the vast majority of MRI scans are negative and mainly used to rule out serious disorders or conditions that we don't want to overlook in our search to determine causal factors for patient symptoms. And above all, no physician would conceal abnormalities on your diagnostic scan. Simply be thankful that the results were unremarkable to the extent that your doctor felt it unworthy of even removing them from the envelope.

You'll be just fine.

Best regards and Good Health

Thankyou very much for your information and support, much appreciated.