PostsThose tonsils you’ve sometimes cursed during illness (but mostly largely ignored) are in fact not useless at all. In fact, they’re among the first lines of defense against sickness. They trap bacteria and viruses in the throat, before these carriers of sickness can go further. However, they are perfect and don’t always work as they should. In some cases, dead cells, mucous, or bacteria can get trapped in tonsil crevices, which can lead to small white or yellow-colored stones called tonsil stones or tonsiliths.
Tonsiliths are simply “garbage” that gathers around the tonsils, like postnasal drip, bacteria, and even food. They harden into small, yellow-colored stones that can look like small white spots at the back of the throat. They may also be caused by salivary glands that are overactive, or as a reaction to dairy products.
In fact, until recently many people thought they were small gatherings of plaque, or even bits of food that simply got caught in the back of the throat. Since many of these stones are so small, they can be easily overlooked and sometimes aren’t even noticed until they show up on an X-ray or a CT scan.
Do you know if you have tonsiliths? Symptoms can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Most often, you are going to feel like you’ve got something stuck in the back of your throat, or you may feel your throat tightening. You may have a constant or near constant “metallic” taste in your mouth, and you probably have bad breath.
There are a variety of treatments for tonsil stones. Some people develop a thorough routine of gargling and frequent brushing, as well as scraping the back of the throat with a toothbrush to manually remove them. You can also reach back with your finger or a cotton swab to gently squeeze them out by brushing from the bottom of the tonsil and pressing upwards. There are many websites with more tips and ideas on how to get rid of them.
If tonsiliths are particularly severe, surgery may be recommended. Cryptolysis involves having a surgeon remove tonsiliths with a laser, and then smoothing tonsil surfaces so that tonsiliths can’t regrow. Remember, though, even though this may seem like a good idea, when the tonsil surfaces are smoothed, this negate some of the benefits of the rough surfaces’ catching of bacteria and other foreign matter as a means to prevent infection and so on.
If the problem is particularly severe, you can of course have your tonsils removed. However, even though this will probably take care of the tonsiliths, it won’t take care of the bad breath you normally get, and it won’t even necessarily stop tonsiliths from forming. Surgery is expensive and painful, and it can take up to a month to completely recover.
There are other ways to help fight tonsil stones, among them diet and good oral hygiene. Cut back on your dairy intake and don’t eat for half an hour before bed to keep food from accumulating. Brush your teeth after you eat and before bed to keep bacteria from gathering, gargle and drink water. Not only will following these tips be good for your mouth and your breath, but good for your body, as well.
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