Tonsil stones: the body's 8 warning signs – which you should never ignore

Everyone gets a sore throat once in a while — but most people don’t think much about what causes them.

A few years ago a friend of mine was feeling ill. She went to a clinic, but was just told she had a sore throat. But after a few days, her symptoms persisted.

Together, we started researching the possible causes, and that’s when I first heard of tonsilloliths, or tonsil stones. Even after my friend got better (she’s lucky it wasn’t anything serious) the question gnawed at me.

What are tonsil stones — and what should you do if you suffer have them?

My hope is that this article will help someone who’s suffering from tonsilloliths but doesn’t know what they are. Have a look through the info below, and don’t forget to share it with your friends on Facebook!

What are tonsilloliths?

In the back of the pharynx, between the palatal arches, sit the tonsils. They have small recesses where, for example, mucus, mouth bacteria and dead white blood cells sometimes get stuck. Eventually, this debris can form small, hard stones — and these are known as tonsilloliths, or tonsil stones.

The stones are white or yellowish and can be unpleasant to look at. They’re often quite small, just a few millimeters large.

Symptoms

There are several signs that you have tonsilloliths. These are the eight common symptoms that everyone should know:

Bad breath
A sore throat
Coughing
Swollen tonsils
Difficulty swallowing
Feeling like something is stuck in your throat
Ear pain
Visible white tonsil stones

Treatment of Tonsilloliths

When the stones are small and you don’t have any no other symptoms, no treatment is required. Often, it’s even possible to remove smaller stones on their own.

However, if the stones are large, an operation under local anaesthesia may be required to remove them. Tonsilloliths can only be prevented by removing the tonsils completely – but this is seldom recommended.

And don’t forget: if you think you have tonsil stones, you should always consult a doctor to talk about treatment options!