HELP - White Veiny Flap of Skin at back of Throat

[bullybeef]

We all know our throats are a mess, and I think I have yet another infection. So upon viewing the back of my throat through a mirror, I caught sight of a small flap of veiny white skin popping up right at the back of my throat, behind my tongue!

It actually looks like another little tongue, but white. It's freaking me out.

What the hell is it? Anyone else got this??

[bullybeef]

Problem solved, I've finally managed to find out what it is, it's my Epiglottis! Apparently it is commonly seen in children, but rare in adults, and although I have a sore throat, it maybe just one of those things I can do.

Here's a crude picture on the net: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=Epiglottis&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=879&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=fuLVxMKRh5PvJM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Epiglottis.png&docid=z09QdMI10EqMRM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Epiglottis.png/640px-Epiglottis.png&w=640&h=427&ei=FI4FT-PzGczb8QPXldHEBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=543&sig=114395460433896859537&page=5&tbnh=148&tbnw=197&start=92&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:92&tx=91&ty=102

[Cytokine]

Nice attempt to cover your tracks after you revealed too much, but I still suspect you're an alien. It's obvious eating human food is causing your ME.

[peggy-sue]

 

Reality is far stranger than fiction!

[Validator]

Hope your throat gets better soon Bullybeef. My throat's a mess and I try to avoid looking at it.   Severe inflammation of the epiglottis can be a medical emergency, but is more common in children. ISTR Dr Myhill mentions it.



(Epiglottis is #2.)

[bullybeef]

Thanks guys. Obviously I was pretty concerned about seeing something I had never seen before so I was advised by a NHS Direct telephone nurse to visit with my local NHS non-emergency Walk-in clinic.


It seems they weren't too worried about my visible epiglottis, which relieved my fears, but what was interesting was, I was first told my throat problems wasn't something they would normally treat, but when I told them I have been diagnosed with ME, they decided they would treat me!


What was also rather strange was the amount of antibiotics I was given - 2000mgs per day! Even my GP was surprised by this, and boy did they caused me some abdominal problems.


I managed to finished the course, and the upshot is, I still have a sore throat, and it looks like whatever reason I can suddenly see my epiglottis, it remains visible, so what do I do now? 

[Cytokine]

Well, I'm not sure you liked my joke, BB, so I'll refrain from calling you an alien again in future.

But it certainly does seem strange you can see it now when you couldn't before. If it's now white, then maybe a change in colouration has made it more visible. Other than that, it would seem the tissue inbetween has maybe somehow reduced or flattened, at a guess.

Maybe you should google around, try and see how common it is for it to be visible and how normal your colouration is.

Have had a few throat issues myself, (even though I had my tonsils removed before contracting ME) including some swallowing problems and some slightly disturbing episodes on waking from sleep. Although I discovered some of those were down to sugar-free soft drinks.

[bullybeef]

I dunno about being an alien, Cytokine, but it looked like an alien in my throat when I first saw it! 


The picture I posted before is exactly how mine looks, it's pretty gruesome:


 

[Cytokine]

I dunno about being an alien, Cytokine, but it looked like an alien in my throat when I first saw it! 


The picture I posted before is exactly how mine looks, it's pretty gruesome:

Scare the life out of me, why don't you .

Doing a google image search, it seems you maybe just have a long one? Although it's funny you never noticed it to lately. Maybe just one of those things you never notice to one day you do, then can't stop noticing.

Maybe should take another pic in a week or two's time, just to make sure it's not getting any bigger still though.