Hello s.jones

Try a gargle (a warm lightly salted solution will do) to soothe and clear the 'hair' and give it about 3 weeks to clear as most irritations/ulcers take that time to resolve. If it still bothers you, see your doctor. Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Vinod

I have a throat infection myself at the moment - I got a prescription for penicillin yesterday (without making an appointment to see my doctor btw) and the pain is definately reduced a bit, but I do have this distinct feeling that there is something 'stuck' at back of my throat on the right hand side, just where my tonsils are. Most of the time I only feel it when I swallow. The thing is, that the tonsils on that side of my mouth don't appear to be as swollen as they are on the left hand side, and I have no irritation there whatsoever.

I looked at the back of my throat today and I am sure I saw a lump or spot at the back of my tongue just underneath my tonsils - and it's in the area where I have the feeling of something being stuck. I checked the other side of my tongue and couldn't find anything there, although my tonsils are very prominent on that side of my mouth and could be preventing me from seeing anything.

I am only 23 and have never smoked and rarely drink - is that 'lump in the throat' feeling a common symptom of tonsillitis, even if it's accompanied by very little pain?

While looking at my 4 year old son's throat tonight I discovered a lump in the back of the throat. The best way to describe it is that it looks like a uvula (same size and shape) sticking straight up in the back base (very back of tongue). I can only see it when I have him stick out his tongue way out and say, "awe". I'm very worried. I came across your site while trying to find out what's wrong with him. It's a holiday here, so I can't get in contact with his doctor. It's not white in color at all. Just looks like normal tissue.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr Vinod K Joshi:
Hello s.jones

Try a gargle (a warm lightly salted solution will do) to soothe and clear the 'hair' and give it about 3 weeks to clear as most irritations/ulcers take that time to resolve. If it still bothers you, see your doctor. Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Vinod

Please ignore my post. What I was seeing was his epiglottis.

I know I'm probably being stupid but recently started to worry about my throat problems since a child I've had problems with tonsils (tonsilitis) and tonsil stones but three weeks ago I came down with flu symptoms and what i thort to be tonsilitis the flu symptoms have gone but my throat is still really painfull and over the past few days really painfull down the left hand side only like something is blocking the passage way when i swallow. It hurts to eat and swallow nothing is visible ( apart from the normal raised bumps of the back of the tongue) when the toungue is stuck out. out of curiosity and the ability to not gag when i place my fingers in my mouth i reached a finger down the back of my throat against the tongue and was shocked to find a lump/swelling about the size of a fruit pastel/winegum it hurt to press on. I'm sorry if this sounds silly hope someone can shed some light on this? .... ps sorry for going on so much! thank you

Hello CurvyRocks

You might just have a sore throat. You could injure yourself sticking your finger into your throat. It is best that you see your doctor for him/her to have a look. If it doesn't get better in the next two weeks ask to see an ENT specialist. Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
Vinod

So basically I had these killer ear infections about two weeks ago. To the point where my GP said that my eardrums were on the verge of popping. In both ears, by the way. Anyways as soon as I finished my medication I woke up the next day and my throat was throbbing. Or at least what I thought was my throat. It all started on the left side, then kind of migrated to the right side. Two days ago I woke up and my tongue was hurting REALLY badly so genius me decides to stick my finger down my throat and find out what the hell was going on. I did and I felt these massive lumps on the base of my tongue...all the way down there to where I can't actually see it in a mirror and examine myself. Well anyways, now it's not even on just one side...it's all over the end of my throat. It doesn't hurt as much but it still hurts a bit. And I feel like the lumps have gotten really hard. But like I said, they initally started off as individual lumps on each side of my tongue but now it's all kind of just one big blob in the back. I don't know what to do. I'm actually kind of afraid to go say anything to my parents because of the reasoning of tongue cancer and how they say you can get it from excessive alcohol consumption and I'm merely a college student. But I perform good oral hygene so I can't really think of any other reason. I'm hoping it'll go away soon, but like I said it's been like two weeks so it's slowly starting to freak me out more and more every day.

Hi,

i hope you can put my mind at rest, i do tend to worry too much sometimes!

I have a strange tongue! Over the last couple of years, whenever i drink something that is coloured (such as tea, beer, red wine) my tongue is almost instantly stained to that colour. I use a tongue scraper to remove the colouring and it works quite well. Can you tell me why my tongue is so easily stained?

Also I am suffering a cold at the moment with the usual symptoms sore throat, runny nose etc. But now i have a feeling in the back of my throat that feels as though something stuck. When i run my finger right back i feel a lump on my tongue where it begins to descend down my throat. It doesn't hurt, just irritates. Any idea what it might be, something swollen?

I hope you can help as i am a little nervous to see a doctor, I am currently in Thailand!

PS. I am a smoker and i do like a beer. Sorry!

Hello youknow.. and i_have_no_username

There are large bumps on the top surface of the back of the tongue called circumvallate papillae.. They are located along the "circumvallate line" and contain taste buds that confer the sense of sour and bitter to the back of the tongue. They can actually be quite prominent and are often mistaken by patients for cancerous growths .

Look at Figs. 1.37 and 1.39 in this article called Examination Technique with Normal Findings and Structures Mistaken for Disease for pictures of normal appearances.

See past discussion on circumvallate pappilae.

Best wishes
Vinod

Thanks Dr Joshi.

I read all of the posts on here and i was beginning to think it may well be one of the circumvallate papillae but it has only just started to aggrevate me. It is at the very back of my tongue, i cannot see it in a mirror, i literally have to push my finger as far back down my throat as i can to feel it and it is located iin the middle of my tongue. It makes me feel as though something is lodged in my throat. Does this still sound like circumvallate papillae?

Many, many thanks for your help on this Doc, it really is greatly appreciated.

Any reason why my tongue stains so easily after drinking coloured liquids? (Please see my previous post)

Thanks Doc.

hi.
I'm very new to this site.
I just need some answers.

Well first I started coughing and I thought it was a simple cold. The next day and the day after that the back of my tongue where i have the slightly enlarged bumps got bigger and is irritating me and It hurts to drink and eat. Especially spicy foods. I can't sleep at night because it bothers me too much. What should I do? I don't have any white spots or anything unusual on the front of my tongue. Its just the back.

i found two white lumps on the near the back of my toung at night but i dident have them during the day thay just appeard at night do you have a clue of what they are.

Dr. Joshi, I looked at your clinical examination pictures which made me feel better.

I've had some dental work on my tooth on the back and on the top (crown).

My problem is that there seems to be something stuck in the area where my tongue and cheek connect. The last (2) days it feels like there is some food stuck there but there is not any food. When I look at the back of my mouth, I don't really notice anything unusual.

ANy help would be great. I have a dentist appointment coming up to get a permanent crown put in, would this be appropriate to ask the dentist to look at it? Or is this ENT territory?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Scammy

You should have your dentist take a look at it--(s)he'll be in the neighborhood anyway.

Please let us know how it turns out.


Julia