Obama Taken To Hospital "With A Sore Throat"

Barack Obama was taken to Walter Reed military hospital in Washington suffering from a continual sore throat, the White House confirmed. The President of the United States has been in persistent pain for “the past couple of weeks”. The condition, which required a fibre optic exam and a CT scan, is thought to have been caused by acid reflux, his doctor Ronny L Jackson said in a statement. The exam “revealed soft tissue swelling in the posterior throat”, he said, adding that he decided a “further evaluation with a routine CT [computerised tomography] scan was prudent”.

The results of the scan were returned as normal. Dr Jackson also confirmed Obama would be treated for acid reflux, the leaking of stomach acid up the throat, which is not considered a serious condition. White House spokesman Josh Earnest stressed that the medical ordeal had been “a matter of convenience for the president, not a matter of urgency”. The health of Presidents, particularly in the run-up to election campaign time, has historically been of media significance. Candidates frequently release medical information and notes from their doctors to the voting public by way of proving that they are in peak condition and are as physically fit to run the country as they are mentally.

Culled from The Independent