health anxiety

[Anxiousmeg]

I've had a sore throat off and on for the past 4 weeks and the other day thee it felt like there was a lump stuck in my throat so I used the torch on my phone to look at the back of my throat in the mirror and it looks like there's a lump above my tonsil I also have ear pain on this side and I've managed to convince myself this is tonsil cancer. I have a face to face with my gp tomorrow but need calming down before then, my health anxiety has reared its ugly head again over this

It's likely to just be an infection , I know it's easier said than done but it's highly unlikely to be sinister if it just started today - HA is awful. I suffer too. Try and rationalise if you can. Do not google!

Sorry just read 4 weeks. Get it checked but really likely to just be infection - or do you suffer from acid reflux? This causes my sore throats

The sore throat only seems to be after I've been asleep so don't think it's an infection

Do you have hayfever at the minute? My hayfever is really bad this year and DH is working from home upstairs so has the windows open letting all the bloody pollen in. When I go up to bed my feels really stuffy so I end up mouth-breathing in my sleep, presto chango - sore throat when I wake up.

Definitely get it checked but odds are there is an utterly innocent and easily resolved cause.

Have you taken a Covid test?

@MrsSSG it is a possibility as my glands have also been up for four weeks but it wouldn't explain the lump above my tonsil or ear pain

Hi OP I have a lot of experience with this. I have health anxiety which I’m receiving therapy for currently which was triggered largely after finding several lumps in my throat/neck. I was crying myself to sleep most nights, read up on cancer, I was 100% convinced and nobody could tell me otherwise. The anxiety was debilitating and for a good 3 months, I was petrified to the point I couldn’t go into work some days because of panic attacks.
I was referred to the hospital by the GP and had an appointment with a consultant who was lovely and really put me at ease. He understood my anxieties and tried to reassure me as much as possible. I had 2 ultrasounds as a precaution and although the lumps are still there, the consultant made me feel so much better with his explanations of how lumps can be there and not be anything dangerous.
My advice to you is be really open about how anxious this has made you because the consultant/radiographer (if you see them) will hopefully try to reassure you as best as they can.
Remember that google is no substitute for a doctor. I know it’s hard to believe it when you have health anxiety because I feel the same but truly the doctor will probably have decades of experience that isn’t as black and white as google makes symptoms out to be.

My anxiety is to the point where I don't want to make any long term plans just in case, its staring to take a grip on my life and everything I find something to worry about my poor dp gives me a look of "oh dear god here we go again"

If it's after being asleep it could absolutely be related to gastric reflux , mine is bad in the morning if I don't take my tablet too. Just get seen but honest it's unlikely to be anything serious