For over a week now I have had what my dr said were swollen taste buds on the back of my tongue . They are not white or painful.. just extremely annoying. 2 weeks ago, I had a very sore throat that lasted 5 days. I did drink hot tea moreso than usual, like 3 times a day, then drinking alot of OJ to keep the cold away. Could that have made my taste buds swell? I ve been very careful not to drink hot things or spicy foods, but they are still there. Will they eventually go down? Should I do salt water rinses or gargle with Listorine?