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Tonsil Stones - Dealing with Tonsilliths
Unlike generations past when troublesome tonsils were removed at the discretion of a doctor, nowadays we tend to keep our tonsils for life. Tonsils are good and serve many important immunological functions by protecting us from certain diseases. There is really no reason to take 'em out, unless they become seriously problematic.
Tonsils can become so large that they look like bookends when you peer into the throat. If they are so large as to cause difficulty with eating, swallowing, or breathing, they may need to live elsewhere - in a jar. Tonsils that collect strep several times a year, or worse, constantly harbor strep (strep carriers) may need to come out. Tonsils that become so infected that they form abscesses (peritonsillar abscess) usually need to be surgically removed.
Tonsils that become temporarily enlarged due to viral infections, mononucleosis (mono), or random bouts of strep are quite treatable without surgery. Viral infections and mononucleosis will self-resolve in time with a little gargling and chicken soup. Laboratory diagnosed strep tonsillitis responds well to a short course of antibiotics; usually plain 'ol, cheap penicillin or erythromycin. Believe it or not, antibiotics are not used primarily to treat the tonsillitis, but to used to prevent possible strep complications (albeit, rare) of rheumatic fever, or heart/kidney involvement.
I constantly get miffed when people with enlarged tonsils, tonsils with "white stuff" on them, or sore throats are simply treated with antibiotics without a confirming lab test. Since most cases of tonsillitis and sore throats are viruses, it does not make sense to throw antibiotics at them. Antibiotics have absolutely NO EFFECT on viruses. When medical providers pronounce "Strep" based solely on a brief visual examination, they are wrong up to 50% of the time. They might as well flip a coin.
When people only look at their own throats, or the throats of their children, when they have a sore throat, you may no what this area normally looks like. Kids can have very big (normal) tonsils, and tonsils may have that ominous "white stuff" when there is nothing really wrong. While it is possible to get white material on the tonsils when there is an infection (called exudate), it is not necessarily a sign of strep, or an indication that you need antibiotics.
Some tonsils normally have holes, or crypts on the surface. Over time, these crypts can collect an impressive amount of food particles and other debris. This debris will decompose and rot due to the moist, warm environment of the throat. It can also calcify; becoming as hard as a stone. These tonsillar stones are called "tonsilliths". Tonsilliths run in families; yet another thing we can blame on our parents. From time to time, the tonsilliths will dislodge, releasing the trapped, decomposed material underneath; resulting in a disgusting taste and smell. As nasty as these things are, this is not considered an infection.
There is very little that can be done medically to deal with tonsilliths. Once you overcome your own gag reflex, you can reach back and flick 'em out of your tonsils when you see them; or you can use a moistened Q-tip to dislodge them (one of the few approved uses of these cotton-tipped applicators). If you get into a habit of gargling with warm water (or weak salt water) after every meal, you can effectively prevent most of the accumulation of food debris.
The only definitive cure for recurrent tonsilliths would be the surgical removal of your cryptic tonsils. Since money-pinching insurance companies rarely approve surgery for this reason alone, you will need your ENT to be a strong advocate, or you can pay out of pocket to have your tonsils removed (not cheap!). Since they may be genetically-linked, maybe you can convince your parents to chip in (not likely).
Like ugly toes, premature baldness, big noses, weird belly-buttons, tonsilliths are just one of life's misfortunes.
Related Topics:
Tonsils can become so large that they look like bookends when you peer into the throat. If they are so large as to cause difficulty with eating, swallowing, or breathing, they may need to live elsewhere - in a jar. Tonsils that collect strep several times a year, or worse, constantly harbor strep (strep carriers) may need to come out. Tonsils that become so infected that they form abscesses (peritonsillar abscess) usually need to be surgically removed.
Tonsils that become temporarily enlarged due to viral infections, mononucleosis (mono), or random bouts of strep are quite treatable without surgery. Viral infections and mononucleosis will self-resolve in time with a little gargling and chicken soup. Laboratory diagnosed strep tonsillitis responds well to a short course of antibiotics; usually plain 'ol, cheap penicillin or erythromycin. Believe it or not, antibiotics are not used primarily to treat the tonsillitis, but to used to prevent possible strep complications (albeit, rare) of rheumatic fever, or heart/kidney involvement.
I constantly get miffed when people with enlarged tonsils, tonsils with "white stuff" on them, or sore throats are simply treated with antibiotics without a confirming lab test. Since most cases of tonsillitis and sore throats are viruses, it does not make sense to throw antibiotics at them. Antibiotics have absolutely NO EFFECT on viruses. When medical providers pronounce "Strep" based solely on a brief visual examination, they are wrong up to 50% of the time. They might as well flip a coin.
When people only look at their own throats, or the throats of their children, when they have a sore throat, you may no what this area normally looks like. Kids can have very big (normal) tonsils, and tonsils may have that ominous "white stuff" when there is nothing really wrong. While it is possible to get white material on the tonsils when there is an infection (called exudate), it is not necessarily a sign of strep, or an indication that you need antibiotics.
Some tonsils normally have holes, or crypts on the surface. Over time, these crypts can collect an impressive amount of food particles and other debris. This debris will decompose and rot due to the moist, warm environment of the throat. It can also calcify; becoming as hard as a stone. These tonsillar stones are called "tonsilliths". Tonsilliths run in families; yet another thing we can blame on our parents. From time to time, the tonsilliths will dislodge, releasing the trapped, decomposed material underneath; resulting in a disgusting taste and smell. As nasty as these things are, this is not considered an infection.
There is very little that can be done medically to deal with tonsilliths. Once you overcome your own gag reflex, you can reach back and flick 'em out of your tonsils when you see them; or you can use a moistened Q-tip to dislodge them (one of the few approved uses of these cotton-tipped applicators). If you get into a habit of gargling with warm water (or weak salt water) after every meal, you can effectively prevent most of the accumulation of food debris.
The only definitive cure for recurrent tonsilliths would be the surgical removal of your cryptic tonsils. Since money-pinching insurance companies rarely approve surgery for this reason alone, you will need your ENT to be a strong advocate, or you can pay out of pocket to have your tonsils removed (not cheap!). Since they may be genetically-linked, maybe you can convince your parents to chip in (not likely).
Like ugly toes, premature baldness, big noses, weird belly-buttons, tonsilliths are just one of life's misfortunes.
Related Topics:
- WebMD Video: Child Behavior Issues Could Be Linked to Their Tonsils.
- WebMD Video: Tonsil Surgery Just Got Easier
Labels: strep, tonsilliths, tonsils
58 Comments:
I don't have tonsils and I still get tonsil stones. My tonsils were removed when I was 4 yrs old 1989 and I started coughing up these weird white klups in 2003 (like 1 or 2 every month and then I wouldn't get one for a long time). I keep reading articles that say you can only get them if you have tonsils so why am I getting them?
Like the previous Anonymous, I too had my tonsils removed at the age of 4, but recently started to cough up "tonsil stones." Can they be the same thing?
you are not alone.. i too have had my tonsils out but have been getting these small white foul stones from my mouth> Yuck!!! what now??? if we have no tonsils. Also i noticed my taste buds on the back of my tongue are swollen.. any one have any answers?
For about 3 years I have had "tonsil stones" (and many other annoying tonsil problems) and I recently had my tonsils removed I still get the "tonsil stones" which leads me to belive that they also grow farther back. Anyone know anythig further?
I have cryptic tonsils and right now have a terrible infection from these "stones". It is so painful and I have been seriously considering having my tonsils removed... maybe I should reconsider?
tonsils grow back sometimes
also to get rid of them: ya know when you got your wisdom teeth out and the doctor gave you the syringe to clean your gums with? it works well to wash these out
if you dunno what im talking about then click the link
http://www.flyinggems.com/images/misc/fgsyringes.JPG the biggest one is what i recommend
add a G to the back end of that last link, i dunno why it didnt paste
I get tonsilliths so bad that i need to pick them out with my nails and i get about 4-5 per week. I have tried so hard to get them out that i have made my tonsils bleed terribly. now my tonsil and lymph node have been swollen for the past week to the point where i cant eat anything but soup broth. Aside from this being a great weight loss program I want my tonsils removed to avoid having to "pick them out" anymore. Any thoughts let me know.
I have white clumps in my tonsils. I used Avelox, and the white stuff went away. It was a 7 day anti-biotic. I also had a sore throat, swollen glands associated with the white suff, the reason i went on Avelox. I don't recommend taking anti-biotcs unless needed. I did not have a culture done, but i knew i had an infection, sometimes you can just tell!
Alright everyone, I have had the same problems that you're all experiencing with my still remaining tonsils. And one thing that I have noticed to keep tonsilliths from re-occurring was to eat less meat and meat products. I don't know, maybe something in the meat bacterias or proteins. But the less I ate the less I got "stones". I just happened upon this trying to eat more raw foods and less cooked. Hard to part with, I know, but maybe something to try?
I was getting sick twice a year every year with white puss on my tonsils. I cough up those stones too. They were making me sick. I would go to the Dr. and they would give me Zpack or an anti-biotic, but it would come back later.
I started noticing that these stones would get infected making me sick when I had post nasal drip during pollen season (End of Feb-March-April AND in October-November). I started taking Nasonex and Zyrtec during these months, and I no longer have a problem!
I have tonsil stones and went into surgery this morning to have my tonsils removed. Like most of you I get strep several times a year and recently learned about these stones. During pre-op the doctor discovered my hemoglobum level was 8.5 which is low. For surgery on female it should be 12 to 16. So, they dismissed me for now until I see my FP and start taking iron therapy to get my levels up (which may take a few months.) I'm glad they caught this because I was at a surgery center and they did not have anything on hand should I have needed a fusion. The point is, if you DO have your tonsils out MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR HEMOGLOBUN LEVELS ARE NORMAL FIRST. Good luck!
My Doc recommended using a water pick to clean out my throat daily. I was amazed by the amount of footd and those nasty white kernels that were dislodged the first two days. Seems to help.
i have had tonsil stones for years and now cause of them my tonsils look like swiss cheese . when i drop a tonsil stone it hurts for a min and makes my eye watter , it is annoying but you can deal with the problem .
hmmm.... I thought I was the only one. Good to know! Thanks for the ideas everyone.
At least once a week I get a hunk of puss out of my right tonsil by pushing on it with the end of my toothbrush. Now I have noticed a sack with a couple of white things inside. I am afraid to break it open. It does not obstruct my swallowing or breathing, but I can feel it. Yuck!
omg, you all are making me sick. However, I'm glad to know I'm not alone. LOL!!! A 44 yr old friend of mine just had her tonsils out because of this. It's been very sore, but she's so happy to have had it done, she doesn't care about the pain at this point (day 10).
Had tonsils out via "electric needle" as a young child. Developed white lumps in my throat about a year ago. Doctor, a GP, sent the "lump" for analysis and told me I had a "fungal" disease. Then I went to an ENT specialist. He told me I still have tonsils, the "white" things are not serious, just fowl smelling and could cause bad breath, but nothing worse. He wanted to set up an appointment for a tonsilectomy. I'm 78 years old and decided if I need surgery I'd better wait till it was something necessary. I don't have any sore throat problems. I use a tool dentists use to scrape tartar from teeth and when I feel or see one of those things, I go into the little pocket and force it out. Fortunately, I have a steady hand. They appeared so abruptly, I'm still in hopes they will disappear the same way.
Like masonch mentioned, I have noticed a reduction in stones when I altered my diet; except instead of meat, it's carbs that did it for me - I notice when life is really hectic and I'm chowing down on fast food fries and donuts more often, my tonsilliths get worse, and when I'm eating more whole/raw foods they're almost non-existent. I didn't know until a friend told me she had them too that this was 'normal' for those w/tonsils.
Fortunately I've never had strep throat (that I'm aware of) but I do get sinus infections and bronchitis frequently, esp during pollen season, and I have a significant family hx of obstructive sleep apnea. Soon as I'm insured again (current employer doesn't offer bene's) I'm going to inquire about a sleep study &/or tonsillectomy.
I have been fighting these things for about 10 years now, never knowing what they were called. My dr. suggested the water pic but all it did was cause my tonsils to bleed like crazy so I don't do that anymore. I have had one huge one dislodge at night while sleeping and almost choked me. I usually can't remove them until they get quite large and have to snag them with my finger. Yuck! I make several stones; tonsil, saliva and kidney. Go figure. I will try some of the suggestions. I don't want to have my tonsils removed. I don't get tonsilitis, and have rarely gotten strep. I do have selective IgA deficiency. I just don't make it, that may be part of my problem. Also have severe allergies, on Singulair, Zyrtec, and Nasacort AQ but haven't seen a change in my tonsils.
Wow, I thought I was the only one with this problem and I thought it was a severly serious issue(I was scared) but yeah about three weeks ago I felt a wierd kinda tickle in my throat and when I looked in the mirror I saw a white thing on my left tonsil so I picked it off with a Q-tip and as applied presure more little "stones" came out of like a little hole. I was dissgusted! And since then I constantly have a bad taste in my mouth no matter how much I brush. Tonight I picked some stones out of the right side of my tonsil so I jump online to find info...I relived to hear its not life threatening but I am not happy to here I have to pretty much just live with this problem! I've never had major throat problems, sore throats here and there in the cold seasons but nothing recently so I'm shocked that I started finding these gross stones in my throat!
I'm 55 yrs old and all this time I've had this nasty pus taste in my mouth.Here I was thinking it was from my post nasal/sinus drip,well, it's from those blasted tonsils.I've suffered for 4 mos now and my R-tonsil still will not go down completely.I did the Q-tip thing and the water pic works, but you need to set it at a low speed,I also gargle with a antibacteria-mouthwash I buy at Walgreen's. I just wish it would stop!!! I was told your tonsils can shrink up and this problem will stop,does anyone know if this is true?I saw a ENT DR and he said he would not remove mine,so I get to deal with this I guess forever.I've had a soreness in my esphogus/ chest area too,I'm thinking it's from swallowing all those stones,cuz I had a upper GI test done which came back normal,all my tests were normal.For months I've had this feeling like I have a potato chip stuck on my throat,it's a VERY painful feeling...well, it was a tonsil stone trying to come out. I wish Dr's would just tell you what these things are and what you can do about it.How would they like to have this
wow you people really need to do more research outside of medical.(natural remedies) try a curved syringe filled with salt water and put it in where the white stone is the pressure should push them out. also gargle with salt water, and do More research. your tonsils are needed.
I have only started having this problem in the last year or two. It definitely made me feel better to know that it runs in the family because I can remember my grandfather used to cough the same way I have since this started. I am a little obsessive about my breath so I am not thrilled with the "live with it" suggestion but I guess its a little vain to think of surgery over it.
i have these tonsil stones in my mouth and they r really anoying ive had them for about 1and a half it gives me VERY BAD BREATH!and 2 or 3 of them r as big as my thumb-nail.they r somtimes yellow.i first thought it was strep throat.but now i feel better knowing im not alone!i have 3 pockets in there top&bottom(left)one big one(right)am i alone?
i opened my tonsils up and found a whole stash up in there there waz blood,yellow ones,and tons of white ones
i have had sooooo many mine are of all colors, my throat green yellow white, puss has been dripping down mt throat im worried
Holy Cow! I always would ask people if this ever happened to them and no one ever knew what I was talking about. It's so good to know that there is information on those weird little pieces of white chunky stuff I have to scrape out of those little holes in my tonsils. I can always feel it in my throat when one has "grown" there...It's a slight annoying feeling like something is stuck in your throat. Barely noticeable...but when I do notice it, I know its time to take the back end of my tweezers, and scrape that stuff out! EWW! Ugh I wish there was a cure for this, it's really annoying!
I've had these stones off and on for four years now. Just this past month they've been appearing more frequently and rapidly. I cough up atleast two a day and I feel like I can constantly feel them in the back of my throat. Is that a healthy amount for these things? I haven't gone to a doctor yet because I don't really see the point in that. I'm just so tired of these things. I have tried a lot of things unsuccessfully. Goji juice, hydrogen peroxide gargle, salt water gargle, I even paid out for that therabreath, that was a complete waiste of money. I don't know I just can't admit to myself that these things will be with me for the rest of my life. It's too ridiculous and embarressing. I just REAlly need to find something that will help me.
iv suffered with these for as long as i can remember. i thought i would just have to live with it until i found out what they actually where. they give dreadful bad breath and are such an inconvenience. i went to the hospital today & i have been given an appointment to have my tonsils removed so no more tonsils stone for me - hurray !! : )
I went to my bathroom and before i started to brush my teeth i opened up my mouth real wide and took a glance at how my tonsils were doing, to my surprise i saw something white on them so i poked it and out came a kernel. Should i just not keep poking at them in fear that it will make things worse, Also dose brushing my teeth and mouth rinse help?
Hi all,
NO - we are not freaks. This is way more common than most of us would guess. A few years ago both my sister and I noticed these things in/on our tonsils. I was just noticing my breath was no where as nice as it used to be but her story was way more gross. She was laughing so hard that one actually "popped" and flew out of her mouth. When she told me this had happened we compared notes (well tonsils!!) and both became obsessed with keeping them clean. Yuck & Ouch!! My work involved speaking with people so I was really getting self conscious about it. I had no soreness or other symptoms but went to the Dr about it anyway. I cannot remember the conversation but I remember insisting I wanted a permanent solution. So as an adult I went in and had my tonsils surgically removed. Much, much better. I cannot remember having another one since. Everyone is different but I can only say it worked for me. (By the way - I have heard that your tonsils can grow back - apparently the only part of the human body that can). On the down side - they say this runs in families... My 6 year old daughter shows absolutely no signs, however, my 4 1/2 year old son is now getting them - his breath is the immediate giveaway they are there - and he is such a brave little fella while mummy has to "get the mucky stuff off". He may also have an ear infection as he is rubbing inside his ear. I am thinking that although he may have been prone to getting them as an adult like I did, an infection in his ears may be causing them at his young age. This stuff may be the by-product of the tonsills doing their job...??? So off to the Dr's we will go - maybe for some antibiotics to see if we can clear his ears and hopefully this will settle his tonsils as well... Good luck everyone.
Ahhh...the lovely subject of tonsil gunk. I have had tonsillar crypts as a kid, and I still get it from time to time at age 42. Mostly it's just a nuicance to me, but I have considered tonsillectomy on occasion. I am a surgeon, and I remember during my Ear Nose Throat rotation as a med student, someone was being treated in the office with a sclerosing therapy that just zapped the tonsils, and knocked out the crypts that way. Anyone else hear of that therapy?
How do you guys get these out with your fingers or Q-tips. I've tried both and keep gagging myself or my tongue just gets in the way. What's the trick?
EEWWEE!!! That's amazing to me... and I HAD to share with my hubby, who is now looking at me like I have been swimming in sewage or something. Oh well. I am so glad I found this! I have had these little buggers for a long time. However, I just figured that some food kept getting stuck back there or something. I am glad I had my first successful extraction, but as the person before me stated, it's hard to do when the gags get going and then the drool! Oh my, the drool!
It's all so delightfully disgusting. But, I feel much better... and if it comes with a fever, then I need to worry.
If you can get past bad gag reflexes, I figured out the BEST way to remove these white stones at home: take a clean bobby-pin with the "hook" part pointing towards your tonsils. Gently use the hook to dig the stones out of the pockets. My throat did bleed a little, but nothing scary. Good luck!
Most comments here say stick a bobbypin, Qtip, in the back of your throat. I've tried these suggestions and if you do not have a steady hand you will seriously hurt yourself, I have. the water pick idea I have also tried I think that if it had a very low setting it would be wonderful. But until then it is very painful and messy
I did find a way to get the same quality cleaning the pick would provide, but with a more controled and cheaper way
Go to Walmart and pick up a squirt bottle fill with saltwater or just water and flush those nasty stones right out. It works perfect you are in control of the power and amount of water.
Interesting that some say "bad breath but nothing worse". Have they never been across the desk from someone with this stuff?
Hi I had my tonsils out on 17th september. I started suffering with mild sore throats when I hit my twenties (29 now), about 3 to 4 times a month but the worst was the ear ache it gave me. I too suffered with tonsil stones and over the last 2 years they became a constant problem (removing stones every day)and it made me very self conscience about my breath and I would become quite down about it.I also cause myself alot more pain by waterpiking my tonsils eveyday and making them bleed. I did so much one day I passed out from the pain. I went to a GP who wantedto treat with anti-biotics I refused and booked to see another GP who straight away referred me to an ENT. The ENT consultant tried to talk me out of it but a tonsillectomy was a firm descision I made and would have considered treatment elsewhere had he not of agreed. I must say from my second trip to the GP to having my tonsils out was about 7 weeks and everybody who treated me was excellent THANKYOU SO MUCH. I feel the recovery will be a long time the pain is immense but I do not regret my descision. I am forcing myself to eat but everything tastes so vile. My only concern is will I still suffer from these Tonsil Stones I have heard that some people still get them and that the tonsils grow back, Does anyone know? Please tell this has not all be in vain?
Hello, I had my tonsil removed on Aug 11, 2009 and today I'm still experiencing the foul odor out of my mouth. Begore have them removed it smell like old blood, somedays sewage now I will be getting a catscan of my throat to see what's on the back of my tongue due to the odor it's been really a bad expierence. I have tryed baking soda, rinsing with listerine, nothing works.
I am an RN (registered nurse) and had my tonsils removed in the 4th grade. At the age af 57 I noticed a foul smelling taste/drainage in my mouth which I could not get rid of. After seeing an ENT, I discovered that tonsils DO GROW BACK. If only one cell of tonsil tissue is left in the mouth at the time of surgery, a tonsil can return.
So what do you do?? My solution is hydrogen peroxide which you can buy at any dollar store for $1.00.
Mix half peroxide to half warm water....it only takes a very small amount. Gargle with this EVERY morning for at least 10 seconds and also use it as a mouthwash rinsing it in and around your teeth. Gargle again and spit it out. You have to BE PERSISTENT!!!
When the tonsil is no longer swollen, don't stop! Use a weaker solution of peroxide such as 25%.....to 75% warm water. Do this every day and if your tonsil gets inflamed and swollen again, return to the stronger solution until the tonsil returns to normal.
The other alternative is to have the tonsils out....but if you're like me and been there, this is MUCH SIMPLER. The key is PERSISTANCE!!
***Always mix the peroxide and warm water together right before you gargle. Just purchase a little plastic medicine cup or use one you have on hand!
I use large popsicle sticks (like the tongue depressors the dr. uses) to scrape them out of my tonsils. You can get a bag of them at the craft store or even in the craft section at Walmart. They are longer than a q-tip and wide so you can cover a larger area.
Has anyone found anything else other than surgery that works? I have a large crypt in my tonsil and have tried gargles to make it disappear.Dr. recommeded surgery but I am trying to avoid that. I would really appreciate any suggestions.
Ok, so i've been getting these tonsil stones for a little less than a year, and i gotta say....im not a fan. The crypts or "holes" on my right tonsil are fairly big, and i can see it stones when they ready to come out, BUT i can never see the ones coming on my left tonsil. Out of no where i'll feel it just appear in my mouth. Also for the past 3 or 4 weeks ive felt what i think is a tonsil stone in my left tonsil, and it feels like its getting bigger, but alas i cant see it for the life of me. HELP! WHAT DO I DO!!!???
I have my tonsils and have had a few stones occasionally. Most of the time they just come out on their own. This last weekend, I had a couple of big ones and managed to get them out with a straightened bobby pin. (I tried syringe with water, wet q-tip, gargling, etc.) I have a huge and horrible gag reflex. I've only seen them on my right side and this time, they came with horrendous bad taste! (My throat is sore when I have them too.) There's still a little left, but I need to wait until it works itself out a little due to my gag reflex. I would love to hear any preventative suggestions (besides surgery) as well as how to remove them if you have a gag reflex.
Thanks! :)
Thank goodness that I found out that the internet knows what I had and my doctors don't.
I still have not read anywhere if light to dark bleeding is normal during removal of the stones (I can do it without tools). Should I be worried?
WOW!!!!!!!I am so glad I stumbled upon this info about these damn stones--I too have had these for as long as I can remember--my brother & I would get them as kids & when my mother went to bring one of these stones to the pediatrician in saran wrap it disintegrated! So, the dr thought we were nuts (this was back in the 70's)--Just yesterday I felt the wierd feeling in the back of the throat and saw the white thing--went to scrape it with my fingernail and it wouldn't come off like they usually did--I pushed on the side of the hole and quite a few stones came shooting out like a pussy pimple--almost made me throw up it was so disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I always thought I was wierd for having these things in my mouth but feel much better knowing I am not alone.
While in Chiropractic College I learned that it is important to drink at least a liter of water a day and more foods that contain water, celery for example therefore the tonsils collect milk products and build snowballs. Again water and food with less milk.
geez. i've been dealing with these little things forever. they cause me to have "death breath". and picking them out is disgusting. i have a wife whom i enjoy kissing but i don't want to put this mouth anywhere near her when these things pop up. gargling mouth wash has become part of my life now. i still got tonsils but i want them OUT. if that's what's causing this they can be gone. i'm just afraid that won't fix the problem. i'm getting a lil depressed about this situation to be quite honest. i don't like bad breath on people and it sucks to be the one people are holding their breath at during conversation! will someone please post an after surgery success story about this?
After 20 years of cryptic tonsils,I always expressed those nasty white stones myself. Until about 3or 4 months ago I could no longer push it out. I went to my ENT. He gave me the down low on the gunk in my throat, it's bacteria thats growing, not just a
bad breath thing. I had my tonsils out 11 days ago, my doc told me it would hurt like heck for 2 weeks,and he wasn't kidding. But he does make sure I have plenty of liquid pain med. It's not easy but I would do it again.
stop complaining and tell if any body have the solution without removieg tonsils
This post has been removed by the author.
I have had about everything mentioned here. Have had tonsil stones for years. I have been irrigating my sinuses daily for over a year and have not had any since doing this. I don't understand why but it works for me.
I've had these for about 10 years now and always wondered what the heck they were. Recently my tonsils started hurting because the stones were getting so large. I've found that gargling with peroxide every morining in the shower before I brush my teeth has helped immensily. I use small pointed staws, Ones that come with Capri-sun juice drinks help the best for removing these, I also use plastic silverware knife to apply presssure on the tonsil to "pop" them out. Hope this helps others with this problem :-)
I saw a post on here mentioning that milk could be the cause of the stones. Well I'm here to tell you that I'm Lactose intolerant and don't drink milk at all and I have large stones, so i think that theory is de-bunked!
wow, i'm so glad i stumbled on this post! i too suffer a horrible bad breath.. i'm guessing from the tonsil stones and made an apt. with a GP tomorrow to get a referral for ENT doc. after 5 years of suffering from bad breath and enduring the embarressment of people constantly offering me gum, turning their faces, rubbing their noses, or even stepping back while talking to me, i am ready to have my tonsil removed. i'm just curious about whether the insurance will cover it and is arguing to the ENT doctor that i have tonsil stones with bad breath good enough reason to have the surgery approved? i just learned that the tonsil stones can grow back from reading this post and is deathly scarred (even more than the surgery) because that would mean i have to suffer humiliation. would anyone know the answers to my questions???? (insurance, approval from doc, and whether the chance of tonsil stones returning after surgery is high or not?) thank you!! and PLEASE HELP!!
i have found using the BACK of the dental pick (the soft rubber part) to be the most efficient way to get the tonsils out!
another trick that i use is i use a large flashlight that i place on my closet (high enough to shed light into mouth, which also frees up both of my hands) then turn off all the light, and push with the rubber end.
i think this is more helpful than using your finger or espcially bobby pin which sounds very dangerous.
also, i don't know about the hydrogen peroxide suggestion. i wouldn't recommended given that with either the wrong hydrogen peroxide/water ratio or high concentration of hydrogen peroxide usage can be more damaging than good.
I read everyone's comments, and, believe me, I understand how you all feel. I have dealt with the 'rotting carcass' smell and picking out stones for YEARS. Every ENT Dr I have been to refused to operate.
I always used the back of my tweezers. Sometimes they come out easy, sometimes not. One thing I am positive of, is that eating chicken, or any kind of nuts makes it worse. I always have a ton of yellowish, stanky stones after I eat chicken or nuts. So, I no longer eat those things.
I have had about 4 or 5 ENT Drs tell me that cryptic tonsills are not dangerous to your health, but, yet I feel very tired and sick all the time and have for years now. I just made an appt with yet another ENT Dr because I now have a huge lump in my throat.
I saw my PCP a few days ago, and she said it was a swollen gland, most likey from my tonsils. This gland under my chin is huge and it makes me look like I have 3 chins. So, now I am freaked out about this and what it could be.
My primary Doc gave me a Z-pac and told me I really should have my tonsills out. So, I guess I will wait and see what the new ENT Dr says. The last one I saw told me that it is bacteria growing, and NOT food particles. So, I dont know which Dr to believe.
Also, I have NO insurance, so, I would be paying cash for this surgery. Cash I DONT have. I really dont want to go through all of this only to still have bad breath, or, have them grow back.
Does anyone else here feel tired alot? I mean, chronic fatigue. I am always so tired. I have had a ton of tests done, but my Primary cant find anything wrong. She did diagnose me with Fibromyalgia a few years back, and I do seem to have all the symptoms of Fibro, which is very dibilitating and painful.
So, I am wondering if me feeling SO crappy all the time is the Fibro, or, are my tonsills poisoning me? All I know is life really STINKS for me right now.
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