Recently Answered Questions
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Do my asymmetrical tonsils indicate cancer?
Query: Hello doctor, My tonsils are not symmetrical. I first noticed just two months ago that my right tonsil looks like a kidney bean with a small hole on top while my left tonsil looks oval in shape with a much larger hole. My right tonsil looks like there is a lump of the bottom of it. I am 28 years ol... Read Full »
Dr. Dheeraj Kumar Jonnalagadda
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Tonsils are our lymphoid organs which protect us from infections. The shape of tonsil can vary from person to person and asymmetrical shapes are not at all indicators for cancer. The holes you mentioned are called crypts which lodges food particles which can form stones. ... Read Full »
I have a yellowish pus sac on my tonsil. What could it be?
Query: Hello doctor,I have a yellowish pus sac on my tonsils left side which I noticed a few days ago. A doctor says he thinks it is ectopic, I do not know what that is, but I can submit to you a picture of the spot on my tonsils. I have a good picture of it. I was sick about a month ago with a fever for a... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to iciniq.com. I have seen the image (attachment removed to protect patient identity). The yellowish pus sac is a tonsil stone, known as tonsillolith. It occurs due to the accumulation of tonsillar secretions and some minerals inside the tonsillar crypt and obstruction to its free f... Read Full »
What is the white lesion in my mouth?
Query: Hello doctor, I have one white lesion in my mouth. I do not know whether it is painful or not because it is very deep and also how long it has been there. Kindly guide me and also tell me if there is any need to worry or it is just only aphthous ulcer. I am not been sexually active for 1.5 years. I ... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have seen the pictures attached (attachment removed to protect patient identity). You are probably having a tonsillolith. It occurs in chronic tonsillitis. It is not an ulcerative lesion at all. There is nothing to be worried about. I suggest using Hexidine gargles. Read Full »
How can the formation of tonsil stones be prevented?
Query: Hello doctor, I am suffering from tonsil stones and I am very much irritated by them. Can you please tell me how to cure them and how to prevent them? I have not taken any medicines until now. Thank you. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Tonsilloliths or tonsil stones are formed due to the deposition of lime salts in tonsils after the blockage of crypts in the tonsils. Treatment involves the removal of stones by an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. Recurrent stones are treated by tonsillectomy.... Read Full »
My throat feels sore and my tonsil seems slightly larger on the left side. Why?
Query: Hi doctor, I have a slight sore throat on the left side, my tonsil on that side seems slightly larger, it looks like tonsillitis, and I also have some teardrop-shaped swellings on the arch in front of the tonsil. I do have sore mouth regularly due to hypothyroidism. I am most concerned about the bum... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. First of all, do not worry, it is a minor condition of tonsils. It can be tonsilloliths or just crypts filled with debris. If the pain increases, I suggest antibiotics like tablet Amoxiclav 625 mg (Amoxicillin and Clavulanic acid) twice daily. Kindly maintain your or... Read Full »
I have a white spot on my tonsil, but it is painless. What to do?
Query: Hello doctor, I have a small white nodule on my right tonsil. I have often suffered from tonsillitis and have had an enlarged right tonsil for more than ten years. It is painless and appears suddenly. I have no other symptoms. Please help. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Your history and picture (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity) show either white pus in the tonsillar crypt, tonsillolith (formed by deposition of food debris or dead cell or calcium deposition), or keratosis. You do not have to worry. For now, I su... Read Full »
How do I get rid of my tonsil stone?
Query: Hello doctor, I was diagnosed with a tonsil stone. I have typical symptoms due to tonsil stone along with slight ear pain since the last four to five days. I got checked yesterday and was given an antibiotic and betadine to gargle. It is small in size as said by the doctor. Will it go away or do I h... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. You have chronic tonsillitis with tonsillolith (stone in tonsil). The curative treatment for this problem is surgery (tonsillectomy). Other conservative treatments may give you a temporary relief, but the condition usually recurs after conse... Read Full »
I have a few bumps below my tonsils that extend back into my throat. What exactly are they?
Query: Hi doctor, I have a few bumps that start below my tonsils (especially on my left side) and then trace back into my throat. They are constantly present, even though they might be hurtful at times. They had been there long, and I wondered what they were. I have had tonsil stones for the past 12 years.... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. As I can tell from the image (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity), you are referring to the lumps on the posterior pharyngeal wall and below your tonsils. These are just lymphatic cells. They, together with tonsils, form ... Read Full »
Can you explain what the hole present in the back wall of my son's mouth is?
Query: Hello doctor, My 8 year old son has a small hole in the back wall of his mouth. He has seen a number of GPs and consultants. None of them know what it is or can explain it. They are not going to continue to review it as they say it is not a problem. I would like to know how what it is and if anythi... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. From your description, the hole seems to release tonsil stones. In that case, it must be a tonsillar crypt. The hole is in the anterior pillar. Usually, tonsillar crypts open into the oropharynx area behind the pillar and not through the pillar. And, I can see enlarged... Read Full »
I have been suffering from a sore throat on and off for the past three months. Can it be cancer?
Query: Hi doctor,I have been suffering from a sore throat on and off for the past three months. I took Lansoprazole for two months. Alcohol seems to make it worse. It is only painful while swallowing some food; soft food is fine. The tonsil area seems to have no visible stones or redness. One side of my ea... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thanks for writing in, and I understand your concern. Regarding your query, it seems you have tonsillitis, or it may be tonsillolith which is a stone in the tonsil. Would you please check if you also have halitosis that is bad breath despite good oral hygiene, which is... Read Full »