What Are Tonsil Stones And Why Do I have Them?
Tonsils can get inflamed and can cause significant problems, but the fact is, these so-called “useless” tonsils that were once removed as a matter of course are in fact not useless at all. In fact, they help protect us from illness, because they are among the first lines of defense that help protect our bodies from bacterial and viral onslaughts. In fact, they trap viruses and bacteria before they can go further. However, they’re not entirely without problems, and they don’t always work like they should. In some cases, mucous, bacteria, dead cells, or other debris can get caught in tonsil crevices, thus causing so-called tonsil stonestonsil stones or tonsiliths, which are small white or yellow colored stones.
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.
It wasn’t too long ago that people simply thought these tonsil stones were bits of food or small bits of plaque that got caught in the back of the throat. Many of these tonsiliths are very small indeed, such that they can often be overlooked in normal examinations, and often aren’t caught until they’re seen on something like a CT scan.
Do you have tonsiliths? That depends; symptoms can be embarrassing and unpleasant indeed. If you have tonsil stones, you can feel as though something is stuck in the back of your throat or that your throat is somehow “tightening.” You may have a metallic taste in your mouth, and you’ll almost always have chronic bad breath.
However, the good news is, there are ways to treat tonsil stones. A thorough gargling and/or brushing routine can help take care of them, as can reaching back with your finger or the back of your toothbrush, for example, to gently scrape them off. You can get rid of them by squeezing them out and brushing upwards gently from the bottom of the tonsil up, pressing gently as you go. Cotton swabs can also be substituted for the toothbrush if you so wish. There are other methods out there; simply Google, “tonsiliths,” or “tonsil stones,” and you’ll come up with a variety of ways to get rid of these nasty but usually relatively innocuous occurrences.
In some particularly severe cases, surgery may be recommended. Cryptolysis is a surgical procedure whereby a surgeon removes the tonsil stones with a laser, and then smoothes the surface of the tonsil so as to prevent regrowth of the tonsiliths. Even though that may seem like a good idea, remember that smoothing the surface of the tonsils may in fact negate some of the positive effects of those rough surfaces, because those rough surfaces do catch bacteria before they can do significant damage.
A last resort is that you can have your tonsils removed, of course, but this will take care of just the tonsiliths, not the bad breath. Tonsiliths can also reform even so. Surgery can be expensive and painful, and it can take you up to a month to completely recover from it.
Beyond that, it may simply be better to manage tonsiliths by practicing good oral hygiene and following a healthy diet. Cut down on your dairy intake if you have to and make sure you brush regularly, especially after meals and before bed. This will help keep food from accumulating in your throat such that tonsiliths could form. Gargling as part of oral hygiene is also a good way to keep tonsil stones at bay, as is drinking plenty of water. And all of these tips, of course, are good for your health in general — not just as preventatives for tonsiliths.
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