I'm 27, I've been a regular smoker for about 6 years. I just came back from a vacation when I
noticed that the underside of my tongue was inflamed and I relized that I had a number of red bumps on it.

My intial reaction was that I had been smoking and drinking too much over the past few days but then I started to consider the posibility of cancer. Most of the information I have read, recommends that you visit your doctor after you have been experiencing symptoms for more than 14 days. Should I wait or go in to see someone right away?

I disposed of my cigarettes today, from now on I'm an ex-smoker.

ReneeDear,

Good for you on the cigarettes! That is certainly one giant step in the right direction. If you really don't know how long it has been, by all means have it checked it. A handful of days won't make that huge of a difference if you want to wait. You are the only one that can measure what peace of mind means to you.

I am hoping it is nothing to be of concern to you and welcome to the neighborhood.

Ed

ReneeDear, welcome to the site. Hope its just nothing. I would suggest waiting for the two weeks and if it lingers, get it checked out by an ENT experienced with cancer. At a comprehensive cancer center, if possible. I was lucky, the ENT I first saw had been trained at the cancer center I ended up being treated at, so he was very knowledgeable about cancer and spotted it first thing.

Glad you are now an ex-smoker. I smoked for over 40 years before quiting the morning of my tonsilectomy. Will pray this is just a wakeup call for you and not a cancer call.

Hello Renee,

I wonder if you aren't sure if the bumps were there before or are you sure they were not there for more than a few days. If it is possible they were there (perhaps without pain etc) then I would schedual an appointment with an ENT (ear nose and throat) doctor without waiting. Sometimes these things have been there for a while and we don't realize it.

I want to stress that I am not a medical expert nor do I have any way to suspect it is a bad thing going on. The sooner you have it looked at the better.