Why am I noticing a few strange lumps on the back of my throat?

Hi,

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Thanks for providing a quick brief history. I had a detailed look at the picture you have sent as well. The small bumps you are mentioning are lymphoid follicles diffusely present in the throat and represent the first line of defense for the body. One of the larger aggregates is your tonsil and adenoid tissue. The chronic presence of these follicles visible to us indicates a persistent/ recent infection involving the nose or the throat, and there is absolutely nothing to be done as far as the follicles are concerned and may persist for a long time and do not indicate malignancy or cancer. Since you have mentioned you have severe allergy and sinusitis, let me explain few aspects regarding its cascade and appropriate treatment. Exposure to dust (or any irritative substance that your body is hypersensitive to) will initially initiate reflexes such as sneezing to remove the offending agent out. If this fails, mucosal cells in your nose start to hyperfunction, producing mucus loads to trap dust (owing to its sticky nature). This mucus has nowhere to go other than either being blown out of the nose or gets pushed into the throat due to mucociliary activity, thereby entering into a new zone. The throat initially reacts by activating cough impulses to push out the mucus, but if that fails, a local inflammation around the throat starts, which often leads to symptoms such as the feeling of a lump in the throat and the repeated feeling to clear the throat. A long-standing chronic inflammation around the nose leads to the eustachian tubes' involvement, which basically ventilates air and equalizes pressure between the nose and the ear. Inflammed tubes dont function well, which leads to negative pressure in the ear, causing ringing sensations, muffled noise, and sometimes decreased hearing. Long-standing inflammation in the nose also blocks the sinuses' outflow tract, leading to secretions getting collected, which then get infected and cause a pressure headache around your eyes, forehead, and cheeks. Your glands also get swollen for the same reason. I know the problem is there for a long time, but I am not sure if you have followed any specific treatment chart, which is usually recommended before considering any patient for surgery. This treatment chart is custom-made according to your symptoms and does follow the guidelines to treat both allergies with sinusitis. The following things can be considered. 1. Wear an n95 mask at all times, do not allow any dust or irritative substance from entering into your nose. This is the most important thing you should be following, failing which no treatment will bring any relief. 2. Tablet Sinarest (Paracetamol, Phenylephrine and Chlorpheniramine maleate) one tab two times a day after food 12 hours apart for 15 days. 3. Tablet Allegra-M (Fexofenadine and Montelukast) one tablet two times a day after food 12 hours apart for 15 days. 4. Tablet Zerodol TH 4 mg (Aceclofenac and Thiocolchicoside) one tablet two times a day after food for five days. 5. Tablet Clarithromycin 500 mg one tablet two times a day after food 12 hours apart for 15 days. 6. Duonase nasal spray (Fluticasone Propionate and Azelastine) two puffs two times a day in both nostrils for three months (do not inhale while you spray the drug). 7. Tablet Mucomix 600 mg (Acetylcysteine) one tablet two times a day 12 hours apart after food for one week. 8. Tablet Wysolone 10 mg (Prednisolone) one tablet after breakfast for one week. 9. Steam inhalations 3 to 4 times a day. 10. Saltwater gargles 8 to 10 times a day for one month. 11. Do not smoke or consume alcohol as it slows down mucociliary clearance mechanisms. 12. Avoid having anything cold, spicy, and junk (medications to be considered only, if you are symptomatic and not otherwise). Points 10, 11, and 12 are the mainstay of treatment for a mild sore where antibiotics are not really required keeping in mind its side effects. Ideally speaking in a nutshell, I again emphasize preventing any irritative substance from entering the nose and throat, thereby triggering an allergic cascade of events and reproducing the symptoms you have mentioned above. You need to worry about nothing, once you follow the advice mentioned above, your symptoms should start coming down, and I am sure you will recover with time. I hope I have answered your query in detail. If there is anything more you need to know or enquire about, please do let us know, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Warm regards.