Swollen tonsilar papillae, swollen tonsil, yellow coated tongue - Ear, Nose & Throat Message Board

wonderingtoo · 09-10-2007, 04:49 PM

I've been posting all over trying to figure out why I've had a yellowish/orangish coating on my tongue for the past month. I can brush it away, but it comes back. It ranges from light yellow to bright orange (depending on what I eat). It's not real thick, but it covers most of my tongue. My tongue has had a weird feeling to it off and on also. Sometimes really dry, even when I'm drinking a lot, and sometimes it seems swollen.

Starting last week I now have swollen papillae way back on my tongue on the right side. My dentist mentioned it when I went last week about my tongue (he said my tongue color was from what I eat, but no one else in my family has it, so that doesn't make sense). But he said my tonsilar papillae were red and swollen on that side. I can feel it, it feels like a hair or a piece of nut is stuck back there.

Also I noticed today that my right tonsil looks to be a little swollen. I have huge tonsils as it is, but there is an area that looks inflamed. Well, normally there are craters there (crypts) where I get tonsil stones, but now instead of being sunk in, there is an inflamed area over it. My throat is not at all sore, but the whole right side of my face feels like there is pressure, even my eye. I do have muscular TMJ that is usually on the left side, but sometimes the right, so the swollen feeling could be from that.

wonderingtoo · 09-10-2007, 10:28 PM

Maybe it was my lingual tonsils on teh right he said were swollen. I've been doing research on the internet and it says one tonsil being larger than the other is a reason to remove them because it could be cancer!!!??? My right tonsil has always been larger that I can remember, and my left one has always seemed to be in two parts. But now with that extra lump, I'm really freaking out.

mjc_basset · 09-12-2007, 09:13 AM

Hi! Don't freak out - since I started getting tonsillitis last year my left tonsil has always been bigger than the right. I get most of my tonsil stones in that tonsil but it's the right side that always looks infected! I'm having my tonsils out in 12 days - my ENT wasn't worried about one tonsil being bigger than the other. Do you think your right tonsil might be infected? Do you usually remove your stones by pushing them out with something? If so, this could be the reason for the inflammation and the pressure on your eye. Also, because you've got that feeling of having something stuck in your throat, it could be a build-up of tonsil stones - sometimes there's loads of them in there even if you can't see them

...You should go and see your doctor or an ENT. Has anything improved since your last post?

wonderingtoo · 09-12-2007, 01:12 PM

Thanks for the reply. I can't see any tonsil stones in my right tonsil (which is the larger one), but the "craters" I usually have are now little swollen areas instead. Also, my left tonsil has two white spots on it, may be stones. I don't have a fever, or even much of a sore throat. It does hurt slightly, but I think that's because I'm concentrating on it. My right tonsil is always a little larger, but to me it definately looks swollen. I never squeeze my tonsils, I've heard of people doing that, but can't imagine doing that myself! I gag just brushing my tongue.

mjc_basset · 09-14-2007, 07:49 AM

Hi! Are the white spots stones or are they blotches actually appearing on the tonsil?