advice on throat needed

[Klara]

Hoping someone might have an idea about this.

Have had a sore throat for weeks now. Wa really bad, and then lessed off .The Dr had a look at it and said my tonsils were a bit inflamed, and that i should just give it time/. I did, and while the pain has gone, the feeling that one of my tonsils is a bit swollen remains.

The othe odd thing is that it's only on one side - other side is totally normal. I wouldn't go as far as to say i feel like I have a lump in my throat, but I feel I constantly want to clear my throat, but can't quite.

Have called him again and he thinks I should go to the ear, nose and throat at the hospital. AM now terrified that I have tonsillar cancer or similar ......

Has anyone else had one inflamed tonsil only - how long did it last??

Klara

bump

anyone???

I've had a situation in the past where there was a white matter stuck behind the tonsil area (don't know how else to phrase it, sorry!). Anyway, without getting too graphic, I managed to remove it and everything calmed down. Salt water gargles and antibiotic mouthwash are helpful.

haven't had a similar problem but I can tell you that throat cancer's are pretty rare even in heavy smokers Much more likely that its swollen as a result of infection, your gp is a bit concerned it hasn't gone down quicker and is covering his back. But ENT departments also see a lot of people with swallowing problems caused by anxiety, some with sore throats due to reflux nd a few from other non cancerous conditions. Make the appointment but follow jabberwockys excellent advice and you may be able to cancel it.

sorry about the punctuation, I do know better even if I haven't read eats, shoots and leaves....

ENT guy can have a look down your throat properly in a way that GP just can't. he will be able to tell if a piece of food has lodged and the rotting food is causing the localised swelling. It doesn't take long and it's well worth having done.

thanks guys - that is vaguely reassuring. Its always a panic when your dr refers you on to someone else......

Klara

Hi Klara

I've had similiar problems for the last couple of years. Both my tonsils are big and one is very big, and I suffer bouts of sore throats that last for weeks. My GP has always been reassuring however - he said that throat cancer below the age of 50 is virtually unheard of, and its quite common for tonsil(s) to stay enlarged after colds/viruses etc. A recurrent sore throat is often not due to anything in particular, some people are just more prone to this especially if they are tired or run down.