Swollen right tonsil and ear feels blocked

[KittyKat885]

My right tonsil is visibly swollen and my ear feels blocked, but neither the troat or ear are painful. It has been like this for 3 weeks now. Two rounds of antibiotics and still no change.
My doctor said its a viral thing and will go away on its own. But my health anxiety is diving me crazy and I'm worried it's something more serious.
Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Thank you so much GreatDuckCookery! I'll give the salt water a go for a week. It's hard not to keep checking the tonsil but I have to stop as every time I see it my mind races, my heart starts pounding and anxiety sets in.
I know I'm probably just being really silly and it could be a million things and least likely something sinister, but that voice in my head always keeps coming up saying "what if it is serious..."

I'll update on here if things change :)

MrsGxx thanks for your reply.
Did the ENT say what might be causing it?
Did you go private and if not how long was it before your GP referred you to the ENT?
Did you have any other symptoms?

ENT didn’t say what maybe causing it, they just dismissed me after investigation as it was nothing.
My doctor first gave me 10 days of antibiotics, and 3 days in, I ended up seeing the nurse as I thought it was swelling more, she called the doctor in who did imidiate referral to ENT within 2 days I was there.
I didn’t go private, my GP is actually quite good, but there’s only one doctor and one nurse il see at my surgery. I know it’s hard I have health anxiety too, but sometimes with anxiety people get problems with the throat. Any stress or anxiety related problems my brother in law gets tonsillitis. I say gargle everyday the same as greatduck said, and if no better go back. Keep us updated x

Take some comfort that MrsG had a similar experience and all was well with her.

And do try not to check it as every time you do you're feeding your anxiety. Let us now how you are next week and fingers crossed it's gone down

Thank you so much MrsGxx and GreatDuckCookery. I can already feel I will get some sleep tonight as my mind has relaxed somewhat regarding this situation.
Salt water gargling for the next week and zero trips to the mirror to check the tonsil!
I'll keep you updated xx

Well I have a slight update. I had a prearranged doctors appointment (he requested the appointment with me) today to discuss how my anxiety medication was working. I went in ready to tell him I was feeling somewhat better and had followed all his advice anxiety wise, but my throat was still worrying me.
I left 10 mins later in tears.
From the moment I walked in the door he was agitated. Tapping his foot and just staring at me. I was expecting him to ask how I was, but he was silent. So I spoke and told him I'd taken the medication he subscribed for anxiety and that I'd started CBT.
He said "you came back here last week about your throat and saw my colleague. There is NOTHING we can do everyone has sore throats this time of year" I was shocked and told him I came back because I was concerned and my throat isn't sore, it's one swollen tonsil which to me is unusual.
Then I sat there while he told me that I was wasting his and his colleagues time, that they can't do anything for me and that asking to see an ENT was ridiculous. I started to cry through sheer embarrassment and shock and he handed me a tissue and told me to leave.

I just don't get it. I didn't even go there for my throat today. I went there to discuss my anxiety at his request! I don't ever want to go back there now. I honestly feel like since now he knows I have health anxiety he will never take any medical issue I have seriously. He seems so angry that I'd seen his colleague. I said to him "I'm sorry if I've annoyed you" and he said "you have because I can see what you did to my colleague"...I didn't do anything, I just told his colleague that I was still worried about my throat. I feel so alone now :(

That's a really shit response from him! What a dick. You didn't "do" anything to his colleague, you asked for help with something that was worrying you.

First of all, put in a formal complaint that is no way to speak to somebody and possibly move doctors.
Do you have a walk in centre near you? You could maybe pop there and see a prescribing nurse, who may have a look for you.
I wouldn’t go back to your gp, that’s what they are there for but how rude. I kept going back when mine didn’t feel right, I must admit my gp gave me antibiotics for 10 days to start with and then sent me to ENT 3 days in, as I said it was getting worse.

Mines still the same, & when I do go back because it’s an awful feeling so I do feel you on that one, there isn’t anything else they can do, because nothings showing infection to warrant me antibiotics, it’s something I need to ride out and I’ve had mine since October. I have good days with it, and bad.
Try and see somebody else and keep us posted 💐

Thanks for your replies. I'm still really upset. I've NEVER been spoken to like that by a doctor before.
I was just really shocked as today's appointment wasn't even intended for my throat. Yet he treated me like I was wasting his time, despite the fact I was there for an appointment he request I attend! I reminded him that he asked me to see him today and he said "yes, well that was obviously a mistake" I couldn't quite believe it to be honest. I was speechless. It was only after I left that all these things I should have said started flooding my mind.
I'd like to make a complaint but I think it would be kind of pointless as doctors tend to stick together. I can easily change doctors as I live close by to another surgery.
And I do have a walk-in centre but I fear now that today's Doctor will write in my medical notes that I am a time waster and not take me seriously.
I really can't fathom what I did wrong for him to be so angry with me? Maybe he was just having a bad day and took it out on me :(
I don't ever want to see him again. Partly because I don't want to be made to feel like this again and partly because I feel like he doesn't take me seriously at all.

MrsGxx I feel reassurance from you that it's nothing serious as our symptoms sound very similar. I just would rather hear from a specialist that it's nothing serious rather than from a GP who told me it was tonsillitis, then when two rounds of antibiotics didn't clea it told me it was viral. To me he doesn't have a clue. He's not even listening when I tell him it's not sore just swollen! He keeps saying "everyone's throats are sore at the moment, nothing I can do"

Also, I told him I'd been on the website he recommended (instead of using Google) and told him that people in the forum mentioned and he cut me off mid sentence and insisted there isn't a forum on that site. I said there was and he started typing in his computer. The forum came up and he said "I'm making a complaint, there shouldn't be a forum on a health website, don't look at that again"
This guy is clueless.

OP- totally sympathise with your anxiety, and the GP shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, but given the pressures on the NHS, particularly at this time of year, saying “I just would rather hear from a specialist that it's nothing serious rather than from a GP” isn’t really a reasonable or realistic expectation unfortunately.

Artesia, I totally understand what you mean and you're right, the NHS is under a lot of pressure.
Today I was upset more about the way he spoke to me. I really don't think I did anything to warrant him being so rude to me.
He's made me feel like I can't ever go back there regarding my throat, and what if it doesn't get any better day in a months or two time...then I'm left feeling utterly stuck.

Kitty551 - I totally understand what your saying. I do think change GP surgery and yes they’ll have your notes but maybe they’ll look into it further my throats not sore either just glands are up in one side and my right tonsil is swollen but for also no reason.
It can be stress related, it can be viral. I know sometimes it’s hard to hear somethings viral as we want answers but sometimes even doctors don’t know. Antibiotics haven’t cleared it up so the only other option is to go for viral. They can take upto 6 months to clear. I wouldn’t worry and if you are worried pop to your walk in centre and switch GP’s.
I’ve been told I’ve got depression and thrown meds before when it’s been something more but I’ve always requested a different doctor and now I only stick with one doctor and one nurse at my surgery and they are great.

MrsGxx - it's ideal when you can see the same doctor, you're lucky to have that. It must offer a lot of comfort.

Going to do the salt water for the week. See how it goes. I'll leave it another 2 weeks and if it's no better I'll book a private ENT appointment.
In the meantime I'm definitely going to change GP so I don't have to worry about seeing today's doctor again.

Today just shocked me a little as I was expecting to have a discussion about my anxiety and instead was told off and left in tears. I'm trying to see the funny side, I'm sure soon enough I will be able to laugh about this...

I'm sorry your GP spoke to you like that, absolutely no need whatsoever. You are obviously suffering with anxiety including health anxiety and his attitude is not going to help.

If you can afford a private ENT consultation I would in your shoes proceed sooner rather than later, just to give you some peace of mind if nothing else. Then change doctors.