Can this wait til GP tomorrow - swollen/white tonsil? Gross image sorry

[getthemfeckingcrunchies]

Had a painful throat all day, brushing teeth tonight looked in mirror and one side is swollen/solid lump and white. When prodded a bit (to see if it was tonsil stones that just needed shifted) it’s bleeding a bit.

I’ve had tonsil stones before so not sure if it’s that.

I can swallow fine, other side is painless, just this side - but I’m not sure if it’s an abscess (doubt it - surely an abscess I’d be in a lot more pain/more unwell) or just tonsil stones that have backed up a bit. No foul smell or taste or anything. No fever.

would you chance it and just go to bed?

I’d definitely leave that till the morning.

I would go to bed. And I'm a tonsillitis sufferer. If painful I'd take an ibuprofen and reassess in the morning.

If there's no pain and no fever then ignore it. They won't be able to do anything.

Absolutely leave it. You don’t have a fever or issues swallowing - a&e would just send you home to call a gp in the morning I imagine.

Have you tried an antiseptic lozenge like strepsils or a salt water gargle?

Definitely can wait until morning.

Take painkillers and Gargle some salt water, see how it is tomorrow. Feel better soon

Thanks, I will do - paracetomal and ibuprofen it is then. I haven’t got any losenges sadly but will nip past the pharmacy in the morning and get some if it’s still annoying me tomorrow.

Hi @getthemfeckingcrunchies I am a regular tonsillitis sufferer and I'd say paracetamol and ibuprofen as you said, definitely some boiled warm water plenty salt and garage. I tend to gargle a song or alphabet and spit it out then fresh stuff, or you can gargle mouth wash. A nice hot drink with honey if you have any, and a good nights sleep. Definitely try for an appointment or and antibiotic in the morning. X

No better this morning but no worse either. One side is fine, the other is solid, swollen, red and covered in white stuff - I’m still not sure if it’s tonsil stones that have gotten stuck! No idea if I should ring GP or dentist. Dsis seems to think if it’s stones that needs a dentist not GP. It’s painful swallowing (though not impossible) but painless rest of the time thankfully.

Call the GP

There was a poster here a few weeks ago who had blisters over one side of her throat and it turned out to be shingles! Looked a bit different to yours though.

I wonder if it's a quinsy (tonsil abcess) - I had one a few weeks ago and it was pure misery. My whole throat ended up swollen shut and I was on IV antibiotics and steroids. I'd keep an eye on it!

Get it checked asap in case it’s quinsy

If you're not unwell, then it'll probably get better by itself. GPs tend not to give abx unless you're feverish/unwell as well. Get some difflam spray for the pain, salt water gargles and watch and wait.

No point wasting a GP appointment on this unless you're also running a temperature or really can't swallow. I often get these, it's usually just a matter of sitting it out with OTC medicines for a few days.

I'd only phone the GP if it was extremely painful and I couldn't swallow or I didn't feel well enough alongside whatever to go to work/carry on as normal with my day. Otherwise I'd see how it goes over the next couple of days.

Went to pharmacy yesterday who said it’s probably tonsillitis (although wasn’t able to have a look) and gave me a wee throat spray to use.

I’m not sure how contagious it is; I’m meant to be seeing a friend later on today who needs to be very careful as has a son with CF. Will text her and see what she says if she would rather I wear a mask. I’m not feverish or unwell in myself, just bloody sore throat but nothing else. Pharmacist said it wasn’t the sort of thing I’d need to stay at home with.

Tonsillitis isn’t infectious in itself, but if you caught it from a bug then that bug could be infectious. So where your friend is concerned, do whatever you’d do if you had a headache caused by a bug.

Also wondering about quinsy here. I had it a few years ago and it needed antibiotics. If it doesn’t improve in the next day or so I would go to the GP.

Give a couple of days-I used to get a lot of tonsillitis and rarely took antibiotics but now I don’t get it anymore. Much better to let you body have a go fighting it off. Obv see GP if it doesn’t go away or you get worse