Health anxiety starting to return :( - swollen tonsils.

[ElectricAlice]

My throat/mouth area has felt a bit weird lately when trying to swallow food, more closed up than usual. I ignored it and put it down to anxiety, but then I looked at the back of my mouth with a mirror and my tonsils look all swollen and big :( Behind the tonsils there's also big swollen red bits and they look all weird shaped, like a sort of brain texture.

Stupid HA, I thought it was gone, haven't worried about anything in ages. And now I'm freaking out I have tonsil cancer or something.

I've got the slightest bit of throat pain, I mean like on a scale of 1-10, it'd be 1.

I don't know what normal tonsils are meant to look like. But the area of space is minimal between all the weird looking swollen red things. God sake :(

Can anyone help put my mind at ease?

---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:40 ----------

Ok, I googled, now I'm REALLY worried :( I don't know what to do. :(

[fred_h]

Sounds like a minor throat inflammation to me.
Don't get caught back in the vicious googling loop...

[ElectricAlice]

The tonsil on the left has what looks like small inflamed separate lumps on it. :(

[fred_h]

Then it's really likely to be a strep throat ;)
Head to your doc if it doesn't get better in a couple of days, till then don't worry.

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks for your replies, I'll try not to worry, I have been feeling fatigued and unwell the past while, but I did have a bladder infection., I thought it was because of that.

I don't have a very sore throat though, can you still have strep throat without that?

[fred_h]

Of course, it can go almost unnoticed if your body is properly defending (maybe why you feel some fatigue too). Or it can be a simple inflammation in the throat area.
Really, so far there's nothing to worry about )

[NervousA1]

I often worry about my tonsils/mouth/throat... on the left side I have a big 1cm hole above that tonsil can actually fit my finger tip in it... its been there years ever since loads of tonsil stones came out of there.

My right tonsil looks like its 2 seperate tonsils kinda like split in half... been like it for nearly 16 or 17 years. But I still worry that its not normal :/

[ElectricAlice]

thanks for all your replies, the statistic one really helped calm me down last night. Thanks :)

I went to the DR's today and he said I have pretty swollen tonsils, he didn't say why but he said he expects my body to fight the infection itself, and he gave my antibiotics if they don't get better.

I asked him 'so it's not tonsil cancer?' and he looked at me strangely and said 'no it's not tonsil cancer'.

DR's never understand health anxiety do they?

I was wondering, peoples tonsils can be different sizes as it is yeah?
My sisters are tiny! and my boyfriends are fairly big. Mine look MASSIVE just now.

[loopylu86]

I have had tonsilitus and Gladular fever which scarred and made my tonsils (especially the right one) all brain looking as you described lol. I get soreness and also tonsil stones occasionally that are gross but sometimes they can cause soreness before they come out and of course you can get sore and red tonsils just from being run doen...infact my left tonsil is really painful today when I swallow. I didn't even think "tonsil cancer" was a thing. You need to relaxxxxxxxxx!!! You are healthy!!

[ElectricAlice]

Thank you :) I feel much better today. I don't really have any throat pain, which is why my brain went "oh no what could this be without any pain!?".

I didn't realise there was other things, hopefully I'll feel better soon.

They are massive looking :(

[Anxious_gal]

Gargle warm salt water . The salt dries up the bacteria so it kills it off.
Also Disprin, that you mix in water gargle in spit it out.
I used it a lot as I got lots of sore throats as a kid.

[ElectricAlice]

Are peoples tonsils different sizes?

[NervousA1]

I have what seems to be a big hole on the left side and tonsil just below it.

On the right side I have a tonsil that looks like it's split in two. Been like it for years, I'm sure tonsil stones caused the big hole on the left one.

Anyone have anything like that? I can't see any pics on the net that look similar... :wacko:

[fred_h]

Are you guys members of some tonsilspotting sect ? ;)
Seriously, we're all so different, don't look for a norm. The number of bones can differ from one person to another for example.

Now you tonsils guys get some rest and relax :hugs:

[agata590]

I have been suffering from health anxiety for about a year. I am so worried about the different size of my tonsils :( The one on the left has been swollen for a few weeks and is completely painless, it feels like some sort of discharge is going down my throat but it's not uncomfortable.
I also found a small lump at the back of my ear. Could these be connected and do I need to go to the doctors AGAIN? I went a couple of weeks ago but I feel that because my GP knows I have HA he did not examine me properly :(