Hi there. I’m really looking for some reassurance or advice on where to go next. I hope I don’t offend anyone with my worries. I am a 20 year old female who doesn’t smoke but I do drink quite a lot on occasion. For the past month or 2 I have had a very odd sensation on the left side of my throat. No pain per say but more of a numbness and discomfort. I constantly feel the need to swallow and clear my throat and have a dry cough. I was having a look in the mirror a couple of weeks ago and noticed my left tonsil seems slightly swollen. It also has a horrible smell coming off it which is giving me bad breath. Finally I have been feeling very fatigued for a while now and last week noticed that I have a very hard lump just beneath my ear where the skin meets the jaw, it’s slighly tender when pressure is applied but I am unable to move it. I don’t know how long that was there for as it doesn’t cause pain when not being touched. I finally got an appointment at my practice today and managed to see a nurse. She diagnosed it as tonsillitis. I wasn’t happy with this as I have had tonsillitis before and it felt nothing like this, I’m also not keen on taking antibiotics when I don’t need them. I was really hoping for some advice on what to do next. Am I being totally paranoid, is there another explanation? Should I try and see the dentist or another health professional who can offer an alternative diagnosis. I just have a horrible gut feeling that something isn’t right :(