# White spots in my mouth and throat **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 6, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512 "2022-07-06T17:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/1 "2022-07-06T17:46:15Z")
This doesn’t seem important enough to see a doctor about, but I have a sore throat, and a stomach ache. And I’ve been attributing both to acid reflux. But I recently developed a weird sensitive bump on the back of my gum, and I went to look at it with some mirrors and a bright light. It’s a couple millimeters, both diameter and how far it’s raised off the surface, and white. And I noticed some white spots (maybe sunken) on my tonsils, as well. and maybe some other spots further back. Any idea what this is? Could it explain my stomach ache, too? Any chance it’s contagious? Might it be serious enough to contact my doctor? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/2 "2022-07-06T18:13:09Z")
Given that Googling "white spots on tonsils gives you this, _White spots on tonsils are usually caused by pus, and they tend to appear with bacterial infections like strep throat. White spots can also appear with viral infections, such as mononucleosis or cytomegalovirus._ I’m gonna go with yes. A personal experience, I had a bunch of minor symptoms that I could have continued to wait and hope they just went away. I didn’t, I went to the ER. Had I not made that decision I would have gone into respiratory arrest at home and died instead of in the MICU where they called a Code Blue and kept me alive. Easy ‘rule of thumb’, Don’t think about what you want to do, think about what you’d say/do if someone you cared about had the same symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/3 "2022-07-06T18:13:24Z")
Not a medical professional, but I’m wondering about strep, based on my own experience. Dunno about the stomach ache, though. You really should get actual in-person medical advice, and I wouldn’t dawdle. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/4 "2022-07-06T18:49:06Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Dunno about the stomach ache, though. Don’t want to be too gross, but if you’re swallowing pus? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/5 "2022-07-06T18:52:16Z")
Good golly, sister, get yourself to an urgent care facility tout de suite! You’ve got a lot of symptoms that could indicate something serious. Pay heed to @crowmanyclouds’ experience, please! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/6 "2022-07-06T19:01:16Z")
Yeah, I meant to add to my post: Get to the doctor NOW. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/7 "2022-07-06T19:05:50Z")
There’s no visible pus, and it’s not nearly as painful as strep throat. It’s not a lot of spots, either. > [@carrps](#): > > Don’t want to be too gross, but if you’re swallowing pus? Being gross: I’ve swallowed pus after licking a wound. I don’t think pus does any damage in the stomach. It’s mostly just dead white blood cells. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/8 "2022-07-06T19:46:12Z")
but the local minute clinic has an open appointment at 5:10, and it couldn’t hurt to have someone look at it. (But if someone I cared about had symptoms this mild, I’d tell them to wait and see if it got better, probably.) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/9 "2022-07-06T19:47:12Z")
Stomach ache can be a symptom of strep throat. My daughter had chronic strep throat and that was her main symptom. If it is strep is needs to be treated, because if it’s not treated it can possibly lead to heart damage. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/10 "2022-07-06T19:51:47Z")
Yeah. I’ve had a lot of strep, and this is WAY milder than any strep I’ve ever had. No fever, only a few spots, most of the throat okay. But I’m going mostly just in case it IS strep, because that’s worth treating. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/11 "2022-07-06T19:53:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > but the local minute clinic has an open appointment at 5:10, and it couldn’t hurt to have someone look at it. Good decision ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/12 "2022-07-06T19:55:35Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Don’t want to be too gross, but if you’re swallowing pus? Better than those four live spiders you swallow in your sleep each year. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/13 "2022-07-06T19:57:05Z")
That’s good, because strep can masquerade with very mild symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/14 "2022-07-06T20:04:19Z")
I had not even considered spider bites in my differential diagnosis! Or Lu_pus_, because it’s never Lu_pus_! ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/15 "2022-07-06T20:06:43Z")
I thought the swallowing spiders in your sleep thing was found to be, er, unfounded. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/16 "2022-07-06T20:51:25Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Good golly, sister, get yourself to an urgent care facility tout de suite! You’ve got a lot of symptoms that could indicate something serious. Yeah. Okay tomorrow might be okay, but asap. > [@carrps](#): > > I thought the swallowing spiders in your sleep thing was found to be, er, unfounded. Yep. [Myth: You swallow spiders in your sleep | Burke Museum](https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/arachnology-and-entomology/spider-myths/myth-you-swallow-spiders#:~:text=Myth%3A%20You%20unknowingly%20swallow%20an,of%2020%20in%20your%20lifetime). ### Myth: You unknowingly swallow an average of four live spiders in your sleep each year. **Fact:** _This very widespread urban legend has no basis in fact_ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/17 "2022-07-06T21:05:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah. Okay tomorrow might be okay, but asap. I’m waiting at the clinic now. But I’ve had these symptoms for more than a week. And they are milder now than they were a few days ago. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/18 "2022-07-06T21:07:33Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I thought the swallowing spiders in your sleep thing was found to be, er, unfounded. > [@DrDeth](#): > > **Myth** Hence the smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/19 "2022-07-06T21:19:09Z")
I’m glad you decided to err on the side of caution. As you’ve mentioned you’re prone to strep, and it sounds a lot like you’ve got strep again, no sense wasting time getting treatment. Hope it goes well and fast! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512/20 "2022-07-06T21:38:42Z")
The nurse says i look fine. Very small spots aren’t uncommon, and she’s quite sure it’s not strep. I asked her to run the test anyway, since it’s fast and cheap, so she did. She just told me to “entertain yourself” while she waits for it to run, so I figured I’d give you a real time update. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-spots-in-my-mouth-and-throat/967512.md?page=2)