Scared I might have oral or throat cancer

 

I’m hoping that I can get some views on if I’m acting crazy or not. I’m a 16 year old girl. I’m very conscious about my health and have got severe health anxiety. I’ve got hypochondria. Whenever anything little happen to me I associate it with cancer.i hate going to doctors and getting any medical tests done. I normally google my symptoms online which I know isnt a good idea.

 I had pain on the right side of my throat for about a couple of months (6 I think) the pain only happens when I touch it. I had a locked jaw that kept on clicking.I also get a lot of headaches. I went to my GP a few weeks ago and he said that  I needed a blood test because he was suspicious that I had anemia as I’m also a vegetarian and have a lot of bone pain and jaw locking on the right side. He said my throat was a bit red from the back but I also had a sore throat that time.i don’t have any trouble swallowing food or talking but sometimes my voice is hoarse and cracks. He checked my throat by touching it and he said there’s no growth or mass but he will give a ultrasound as he thinks it might be a cyst in my thyroid and as it’s required because I said it’s been for a couple of months and if I hadn’t said that then he wouldn’t have gave it to me. But  im sure a ultrasound is to detect cancer not cysts... 

I got my blood test result and I have folate acid deficiency and vitamin D deficiency. My locked jaw has improved a lot since then and so has my bone pain. 

Yesterday while I was looking in the mirror to check my tongue I noticed some bumps that had yellow skin surrounding it at the back side of the tongue. This is also on the right side. I also noticed a white patch on the same place next to it but it looks as if it’s connected to the veins. There is no pain just a feeling of numbness. I searched on google and it points to mouth cancer...

My teeth also hurt on the right side but I feel myself grinding them a lot.last time I went to the dentist she said that my wisdom tooth was growing. I’m worried because all these symptoms are happening only on the right side so it might be that it’s all linked. I don’t wanna die so early. 

I will go to the GP to show it to them in a few days but I’m very scared if it’s cancer or not. Im very anxious and worried about my health. What do you think it is?

  • Hi, Bella.

    Oral cancer is so rare in young, that your chances of being hit by a bus are higher!

    This summer I also had (and still do) some swollen lymph nodes. I checked myself and started to see things in my mouth that didn t look normal to me. I do not want to say how many doctors I have been seeing for this, all of them saying everything looked normal. There are many types of normal looking mouth mucosas, as we are different. 

    You could check this with your dentist and show her what you think looks abnormal. But I have to tell you that dentist are trained to spot this things.

    Also, ultrasound are used for every kind of problems. Also for cysts. I had two ovarian cysts tracked with ultrasound. Ultrasounds help doctors to differentiate the tissues, those are not used only for cancer! 

    Anxiety also makes you more aware of your own body and it s reactions (as a psychologist, I know about this and also as a poor human being fighting health anxiety).

    The conclusion is, an ultrasound would be very helpful to put your mind at rest and pretty sure that s why the doctor ordered it. Oral cancer is more prevalent in those who smoke, drink or hpv infected. Also, it takes time/years to develop and some never get it, even with those mentioned above! Plus, you are too young :)

    Try to relax and listen and trust your doctor. Google is an evil troll if you ask me :)

    Hope you are feeling better.