Think only kidneys got stones? Think again!
In some instances, hard and sometimes painful stones may form in your tonsils.
Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths or tonsilliths, are white, yellow or grey nodes that grow in the tonsils. Have you ever experienced that gross, bad breath that temporarily disappears but still reappears after brushing your teeth or gargling your mouth with mouthwash?
Yes? Well, that is how tonsil stones smell! Unfortunately, tonsil stones smell as bad as your morning breath.
But what causes tonsil stones to form?
These stones often form if you have been experiencing frequent bouts of tonsillitis or if you got large tonsils with lots of nooks and crannies. But don’t worry, tonsil stones are benign accumulations of bacteria and debris that lodge in the tonsils.
The debris, which may include food particles, dirt and mucus from post nasal drip that decomposes at the back of your throat and collects in the tonsil crypts which are small pockets on the surface of your tonsils.
Bad breath, obviously that’s the biggest and most disgraceful problem with tonsil stones. It happens when the stones combine with the volatile sulfur compounds produced by bacteria beneath the surface of your tongue, they can also cause chronic and severe bad breath.
So shameful, that you couldn’t even stand smelling your own breath!
So, how can we treat tonsil stones?
- Simply scrape them off using your toothbrush.
- If it doesn’t work. Gargle with salt water to help dislodge them. Then use a cotton swab for scraping
- But if tonsil stones are deeply embedded, that you found difficulty removing them by yourself, consult an EENT and schedule for a tonsil stone removal.
- The key to get rid of tonsil stones is through oxygenation in order to destroy the bacteria and debris causing the production of these stones.
- Last resort would be tonsillectomy or the removal of the tonsils. (To those who frequently experience tonsil stones.
And how can we prevent them from forming in our tonsils?
- Promote good oral hygiene.
- Brush teeth and tongue every after meals, before bedtime and upon waking up in the morning.
- Floss teeth regularly.
- Gargle regularly with mouthwash or a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water.
Image Credits: healthline and traceybell.co
