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What Are Tonsil Stones And Why Do I have Them?

27th January, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

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.

These stones, also known as tonsiliths are accumulated bits of food, post-nasal drip and bacteria that collect in and around the tonsils. These accumulations gather into small, hard, yellowish stones that look like small, almost invisible white spots in the back of your mouth. They can also be caused by overactive salivary glands or 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 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.

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.

Among the less drastic and arguably better ways to manage tonsiliths is to practice good oral hygiene and follow a healthy diet. Reduce dairy intake if necessary and brush your teeth after you eat and especially before bed. This will keep food from possibly accumulating that could cause tonsiliths to form. Gargle as part of your oral hygiene, and make sure you drink plenty of water, too. This will help keep tonsiliths from forming, but these tips are also good for your health in general.