From the photo that you have provided, it seems that you may have what is commonly called a "cobblestone" throat. This is the term used to describe visible benign looking bumps at the back of the throat. The reason for the appearance is likely enlarged lymphatic tissues as a result of chronic irritation. The two main causes of a cobblestone throat are:
1. Postnasal drip - This refers to a sensation of mucous at the back of the nose and throat as a result of back drip of mucous from your nose to the throat and voicebox region. The irritation of the throat by the mucous can cause a sore throat. Common causes of postnasal drip include Rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal cavity) which can be Allergic or Non-Allergic. Typical symptoms of Rhinitis include frequent blocked nose, clear runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose and eyes and postnasal drip. Another frequent cause of postnasal drip is Sinusitis (inflammation or infection of the sinuses). Patients with sinusitis typically experiences coloured (yellow, green or brown) mucous from the nose or phlegm, blocked nose, facial pain and possibly reduced or loss of sense of smell.
2. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) - This refers to a condition whereby the acidic contents of the stomach backtrack up the foodpipe to the level of your voicebox. As the voicebox is a very sensitive organ, a little bit of acid irritation will cause it to be swollen. Typical symptoms of LPR include frequent sore throat, a feeling of something stuck in the throat, frequent throat clearing, dry cough and hoarse voice.
As your sore throat has been more than 1 year, I would recommend a visit to an ENT Specialist for an assessment. This will likely include a nasoendoscopy (scope through the nose) which is done in the clinic and is relatively painless. A nasoendoscopy allows the assessment of the nasal cavity, throat and voice box region to exclude more serious causes (e.g. cancer) of your sore throat.
For more information on frequent causes of sore throats, do refer to my previous Q&A session in Human.
Hope this helps and all the best!
