swollen tonsils, difficulty breathing

02-01-2006, 07:45 PM

For about 2 months now, since I last had a sore throat and cold, my tonsils (least I think that's what those bags in the back of my throat are) have been swollen. I can feel them with my tongue plus there's holes in them. Also, I think it's giving me bad breath even if I brush my teeth a million times over. There is weird stuff that comes out of it every now and then but nothing to get too excited about. Anyway, I'm just wondering if this could cause me problems with breathing? I find it hard to take in a deep breath, pretty well since this ahs started. I haven't gone in to get it checked yet since it's just more of a nuissance, although one that isn't going away it seems. Is there anything that can be done? I don't know if both relate, but I can feel weird things in the back of my throat where my tonsils are, it gives me a sore throat now and then and according to my bf, seems to give me pretty bad breath even after I brush my teeth. Also, I can taste something nasty back there when I cough, kind of like blood although not exactly, hard to describe. It doesn't really hurt either, unless my throat gets irritated which is every now and then but nothing to really complain about. I can't think of anything else besides that.. I think I'll make an appointment with my doctor soon enough but I thought I'd check opinions on it. thanks

02-01-2006, 08:19 PM

Read up on tonsil stones. this sounds like your problem.

02-01-2006, 09:39 PM

COuld be tonsil stones.

I've heard of this phenomenon and experienced it a few times. I'm interested to hear more, as I have had throat problems possibly similar to you for over a year, and just a few months ago developed a breathing difficulty. Let me ask you this: You say you find it more of a niusance... So you can take a full breath then, it just feels like it's harder to breathe all the way in? Was there any pain in your chest associated with that?

Let me know how it turns out, I may use your experience with the breathing as an angle for my doctor to look into.

02-01-2006, 11:19 PM

Somewhat, sometimes I can take the full breath, if I move my head a certain way or reposition myself to take in a breath, but other times it just doesn't go in all the way. At the moment, I am experiencing pain when I breathe. Although this is entirely seperate because I believe I may have just cracked a rib (as thought I needed it?). I've had this problem before as well, last year I went to get it checked and was told they had no idea what it was. Got checked for a ton of stuff, but no one diagnosed it. Normally, I wouldn't feel pain, it's more so just an inability to take in a big breath. To me, it feels as though my throat won't open up enough to let it in. That's how it feels, although I don't know if that's what's happening.
Let me know what you find out, could be helpful to me as well.

02-06-2006, 03:38 PM

Annarayne,
You need to go to an ENT doctor. I have had large tonsils with "holes" ever since I can remember. On Friday 2/10/2006, I'm having surgery to remove my tonsils and adenoids and repair my septum. I thought this was a surgery that was only done in childhood until I went to the ENT and researched because of all the "stories" my hubby's co-workers were telling him. That's when I found this site. Your tonsils are part of the lymphatic system, I have since learned. The stuff that gets caught in your tonsils is food pieces as my doc described it. Please go and get them looked at. I have felt run down for 6 or 8 months now, kind of like I'm just getting or just gettin over a sickness. Let us know what the doc says.

02-10-2006, 08:29 PM

i had large tonsils all my life. (i am now 33). they were never a problem...until i was about 30....i got to where i started choking very easily...on the least thing. it wasnt until i got severely choked on hamburger that i really got scared and "ran" to the ent. he immediately suggested tonsillectomy.....because i had what they call cryptic tonsillitis (this is not known until AFTER surgery). its a silent illness that can be deadly. what happens, is you get tonsillitis...with no symptoms.....your tonsils swell and swell, and once the infection has gotten to the severe stage...thats when symptoms present themselves. had i continued to let mine go....either i would have started getting the "symptoms" of tonsillitis....or i would have died from my tonsils swelling..blocking my airway.....and having large tonsils to start with...didnt allow me much room for swelling!!!

my ent said that when he took my tonsils out....he was amazed as to how much pus and infection was in my tonsils. so i wasnt far from having symptoms to start...or worse. i am not saying that this is what you have.....i am not trying to scare you.....but i am telling you.....go to your ent as soon as you can!

02-19-2006, 08:17 PM

sorry for no reply as of late. i tried to see my doc but no luck, she was away AGAIN!! lol. i went to the clinic anyway, was given 4 weeks worth of antibiotics but was told to take 2 weeks worth, and if it got better to do another 2. it didn't, my tonsils are still the same size, i can feel them in the back of my throat still and it still feels kind of constricted back there. he said that if it didn't help i'd need to see an ent. i'll head out to my doc hoping she's there soon and see what's what then. thanks all for your replies.

02-19-2006, 08:25 PM

keep us posted. please see an ent asap.

02-21-2006, 04:26 PM

BAD tonsils run in our family. I had mine out when I was 2. (I will be 49 this year). My skin had boils on it and my parents didn't know what was wrong. They took me to the doctor who said it was the tonsils poisoning me from the inside out. My first daughter had bad tonsils and they came out at age 6. My second daughter was 3-3/4 yrs old and was to the point where she couldn't eat spaghettios. She was literally drinking all day long as if she was a month old again. If you've seen the cartoons of a baby with their mouth wide open, you see the uvula hanging down in the middle of the mouth. Imagine, if you can, putting a marble under the skin-one on each side of the uvula. That's what bad tonsils look like. Pus can form on them--which is little white dots. I know this from looking into my daughters mouths. They are fine now and are 22 and 19.

swollen tonsils, difficulty breathing

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