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Would you worry about this?

23 replies

SnoopyPajamas · 01/03/2025 20:46

I've had what I thought was a tonsil stone in my throat for months now. It's not giving me any symptoms, though it seems to be getting bigger over time. I tried to remove it with hacking cough, salt gargle, gentle poking - all the usual stuff. Nothing would shift it and it seems quite solid. I have had a tonsil stone once before, but that was soft and just coughed up in my sleep.

Bit the bullet and went to the doctor this week, as I heard a doctor can remove tonsil stones, and I was getting sick of looking at it. He poked at it for about ten minutes until it started to hurt, but got nowhere. He told me it was probably a cyst, but that I should ask my dentist to have a look, and they could refer me to an ENT if necessary. He said it might need to be drained, if it is a cyst, that it'll be full of pus and he didn't want to poke any more at it in case it burst.

My question is: would you wait a month to see the dentist about this? It's been there for months already and I'm not showing any symptoms, so I don't think it's likely to be serious. But I was a bit thrown by his fear of it bursting. That wasn't something I'd even considered. Asking the dentist about a throat issue seems strange, and he knows I can't get an appointment until the end of March. So he obviously doesn't think it's urgent.

Just looking for opinions on it, really. Has anyone been sent to the dentist with something like this? Would you give it much thought? Try to get it seen sooner? Or just not worry about it?

I've attached the clearest pictures I could get. Blurred them because mouth pictures are always a bit yucky! It's like it's pushing the tonsil out to form these folds on either side, which, now that I think about it, is not how that tonsil normally looks. But maybe I'm overthinking

Would you worry about this?
Would you worry about this?
OP posts:
TeaRoseTallulah · 02/03/2025 00:10

Yes I'd wait a month and I'd keep poking and salt water gargling in the meantime time.

SnoopyPajamas · 02/03/2025 01:09

Thanks for the advice! I'm a bit afraid to poke any more, if the doctor wouldn't do it, but I'll keep going with the salt water gargles. It couldn't do any harm

OP posts:
SeriouslyWhataMess · 02/03/2025 01:17

Try gargling with sparkling water. Sounds silly, but it worked for DH when he had one stuck for ages.

comfyshoes2022 · 02/03/2025 01:28

I would probably pursue further treatment right away.

SnoopyPajamas · 02/03/2025 21:14

SeriouslyWhataMess · 02/03/2025 01:17

Try gargling with sparkling water. Sounds silly, but it worked for DH when he had one stuck for ages.

I haven't heard that one before. I'll give it a whirl, thanks

OP posts:
Ilovelowry · 03/03/2025 10:16

No thoughts op, except I didn't know uvulas looked different in different people. You learn something new every day!

RolaColaLola · 03/03/2025 10:21

this is not really a dental issue and if your GP thinks you need to see ENT then they should just refer!

Rabssccuttlefissh · 03/03/2025 10:27

RolaColaLola · 03/03/2025 10:21

this is not really a dental issue and if your GP thinks you need to see ENT then they should just refer!

This ^

Darkclothes · 03/03/2025 10:28

Why on earth didn't your GP refer you to ENT??? What a waste of your time and your dentists to wait and hope the dentist does the referral! This makes no sense to me at all!

On another note, I've never seen a split uvula like that before and I've looked down many throats in my time! 🤔

Yingyangwoo · 03/03/2025 10:29

I think you need a referral to ENT. That doesn’t look like a tonsil stone to me. Not a dental issue.

also you have a cleft uvula, that is so cool

TheSpottedZebra · 03/03/2025 13:19

Can you not get an emergency appt at the dentist? I don't mean ooh that looks iffy, I'd check that out ASAP.

But my dentist does hold back appointments for people with raging toothache, abscesses etc that aren't bookable up front. Ours is ring at 8am.

TheSpottedZebra · 03/03/2025 13:21

Posted too soon... My mum got sent to the dentist, and got an 'emergency appointment' as she'd commented to her GP about a mouth ulcer that wouldn't heal.

Much quicker than a referral to an ent dept, although that would have been the next step if there were any concerns.

SnoopyPajamas · 03/03/2025 13:31

Ilovelowry · 03/03/2025 10:16

No thoughts op, except I didn't know uvulas looked different in different people. You learn something new every day!

You really do! I didn't know I was unusual until I read the replies on here today 😅

OP posts:
SnoopyPajamas · 03/03/2025 13:38

Darkclothes · 03/03/2025 10:28

Why on earth didn't your GP refer you to ENT??? What a waste of your time and your dentists to wait and hope the dentist does the referral! This makes no sense to me at all!

On another note, I've never seen a split uvula like that before and I've looked down many throats in my time! 🤔

I don't understand it either. I'm not the kind of person who argues with doctors so I didn't push it. He just kept saying the dentist would be the person to refer me. That they'd know more about "all that".

I have a horrible feeling I'll go to the dentist and they'll boomerang me right back to the doctor.

This guy is usually quite good though. I can't imagine he'd send me on a wild goose chase for no reason. Do doctors just sometimes go mad and decide they can't be arsed doing referrals? 😂

OP posts:
Ilovelowry · 03/03/2025 13:41

@SnoopyPajamas can't you ring the dentist and say you have toothache and get an urgent appt?

When I had my lump removed from my throat, the GP sent me to dentist who confirmed it was their job to monitor, so they measured it then referred me to maxfax for removal when it kept growing.

SnoopyPajamas · 03/03/2025 13:42

TheSpottedZebra · 03/03/2025 13:19

Can you not get an emergency appt at the dentist? I don't mean ooh that looks iffy, I'd check that out ASAP.

But my dentist does hold back appointments for people with raging toothache, abscesses etc that aren't bookable up front. Ours is ring at 8am.

We have a real shortage of dentists in our area, and a lot of them seem to take holidays in March. I've rung a few times and asked, but I don't want to be too pushy because I'm not in pain or anything. Like I said, it's been there for months. I'd feel terrible taking an appointment away from someone in pain

OP posts:
BobbyBiscuits · 03/03/2025 13:47

I love your uvula! I used to have an obsession with looking at people's uvulas when I was about four, probably when I first learnt the word. It's very unique. Now I think about it I don't even know what the uvula does?

Hope your tonsil stone goes away soon x

SnoopyPajamas · 03/03/2025 13:48

Ilovelowry · 03/03/2025 13:41

@SnoopyPajamas can't you ring the dentist and say you have toothache and get an urgent appt?

When I had my lump removed from my throat, the GP sent me to dentist who confirmed it was their job to monitor, so they measured it then referred me to maxfax for removal when it kept growing.

Oh, okay. That makes me feel like the whole thing is a bit less mad, thank you! I really appreciate that.

I'll keep ringing for cancellations and see how I go. Hopefully something will come up before my scheduled appointment

OP posts:
Squeakpopcorn · 03/03/2025 13:53

comfyshoes2022 · 02/03/2025 01:28

I would probably pursue further treatment right away.

Me too. Can you get an emergency dentist appointment?

Based on the NICE guidelines I think they should be referring you under the two week wait pathway.

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/head-neck-cancers-recognition-referral/

Pigeonqueen · 03/03/2025 14:00

You will need an ENT for that. I have throat and mouth issues related to lupus, I’m under oral specialists at the hospital, they won’t touch tonsils; that’s ENT.

ItGhoul · 03/03/2025 14:33

Squeakpopcorn · 03/03/2025 13:53

Me too. Can you get an emergency dentist appointment?

Based on the NICE guidelines I think they should be referring you under the two week wait pathway.

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/head-neck-cancers-recognition-referral/

I think that would depend very much on the appearance of the lump. When I saw my GP about a lump on one tonsil, he referred me straight to ENT on the two-week pathway - but I had a very different-looking lump, one that couldn't be diagnosed on sight. Whereas the OP's does immediately look very much a lot like a cyst or a tonsil stone that's under the skin - rather than a fleshy tumour type growth/lesion that would need a biopsy to work out what it was.

TheSpottedZebra · 03/03/2025 15:02

Don't call asking for a cancellation. Call and say you need your mouth looking at ASAP, your GP has seen it and advised a dentist takes a look.

Darkclothes · 03/03/2025 15:10

As a side note, I decided to look up a bificated uvula and there is a whole section on it. You are one of only 2% of the population OP, or 10% if Native American!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvula

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