small streaks of blood in back of sore throat, cold symptoms, tHROAT CANCER?

[anxietymcc]

I have been a) traveling on planes a lot b) having odd sleeping patterns, but I've picked up some kind of virus/infection that is causing really congested nose, a cough (but not really sore throat generally, only in one specific area). on the plane, my ears were popping like crazy. I'm 18, have only smoked once, but this one area near my tonsil on the left side hurts when I swallow and there were small streaks of blood when i tried to gently brush it with a toothbrush to clean my throat.

im really worreid about throat cancer... a) is it prevalent in young people b)non-smokers (im not really gonan consider myself a smoker).

would i have other symptoms? appetite is good, sleeping is fine.

[tryingtoheal]

I think you're okay with the blood streaks, given the sore tonsil (heck, even without the sore tonsil, you'd probably be just fine). Last year, I had the WORST strep throat of my life...on one side. I was SOOO sick. By the time I went to urgent care, I had a high fever and I vomited in the waiting room.

It was on the right side. So sore I couldn't swallow my own spit. Swollen neck. The other side was completely, totally fine.

3 days of antibiotics and I kissed the earth I felt so much better. If I had been willing or able to brush my throat with ANYTHING, I'm fairly sure it would have bled.

I'm sure it won't get to that extreme with you; I picked it up from my daughter, who was in preschool. Just saying, the doc was surprised to see it "unilaterally" like that. It wasn't fun, but even in that extreme situation it was very, very simple to treat.

[anxietymcc]

Yea it's quite worrying-- my only experience with any inhalation of smoke has been very limited (like one cigarette and limited weed), but this illness and congestion began after one of those incidences so my minds running