((Tw for health anxiety)) I’ve had a sore throat for close to a month and all I can think of right now is the possibility of it being throat cancer. I vape regularly (even though I know I shouldn’t) and I’ve never had any issues, but a month ago it became painful to swallow and it feels like I have a rock in my throat and I’m so scared over it tbh.

I get this too and I work in oral health. I also vape... so that is super contradictory to everything I’ve read on vapes and what I tell my patients to do (do not vape). It’s lead to issues for me because I don’t disclose information about myself to doctors. Because I’m embarrassed. Because I obviously know better .... but I will tell you from a doctors perspective, we have HEARD IT ALLLLLLLLLLL. Nothing phases us really. Doctors just see it as ok this patient does 56 drugs and has health issues from it ... next patient ... etc. And It took a LONG TIME , even while knowing this, to be like ok I just need to go to doctor and tell them my habits and concerns. And they check and they say ok you’re fine and probably shouldn’t vape (like LOL duh we all know this..). So if you’re scared if you feel something odd or lumpy in your throat just make a doctors appt to have it checked and tell them you vape so they know to monitor it closely I’d imagine it’s not serious though and that you’re freaking yourself out (like I do often... sometimes knowing the medical info behind it brings comfort . Other times I read research for hours and hours and convince myself I have a bagillion health issues due to be a disgusting unhealthy gross person) like sounds ridiculous when you type it out like that LOL , right ?

i have health anxiety too! i know how you feel it’s soo scary. my advice is to tell someone and see what they think you should do or you take yourself to the doctor yourself. or you could even try taking some medicine at home to see if that helps! not to trigger you in any way but if your throat has been hurting for a month i think you should go check it out. it could be just a simple throat ache. have you looked at your throat? it might be irritated if it’s all red it could be something else and not cancer. sit with the uncertainty of what it could be. but my advice would maybe go see a doctor and see what they say. i know that’s so scary and i have had to go to the doctors with health anxiety but hey they are going to help you and figure out what’s going on. i doubt its anything serious!