Tonsil Stones

[ChristinaD]

This is gross but common.
They are small yellowish hard pieces of matter that smell awful and sometimes look like cauliflower. Usually just cough them up or they dislodge themselves.
Anyone else have these and what do you do about them besides removing your tonsils. They also make your thoat sore.
I just wondered if anyone else knew had to avoid them.

[Jerseygirl]

I heard lots of things about these - I've been getting them since I was a child, my daughter gets them too - from what I read and all, it's little pockets in your tonsils that get food lodged in them (it's the same color and smell as the stuff the dentists get off your teeth.) I never heard of them making the throat sore though. I get them if I eat a hard roll or bagel! It's not necessary to have tonsils removed because of them.

[Trooper]

Funny that this topic turned up... my brother just had his tonsils removed on Monday of this week because of the pockets and the problems that it was causing. So, actually, it might be necessary to remove your tonsils. My brother has had pockets in his tonsils for a couple of years now (they kept getting bigger). It caused all problems, including a very sore/burning throat. The food would get in there, start to 'decompose', turn hard, cause bad breath, irritation, infections, etc. When I spoke to his doctor (I had to take him to the hospital), she said that they absolutely needed to come out because they were so bad. He is older, so his recovery is going to be a little longer, but it needed to be done. His case got pretty bad over time. I suggest getting a good ENT and have them monitor the size/problems of your pockets.

[ChristinaD]

Thanks guys for the response!
Interesting, I have always had them, just small ones and rarely like once every couple months or so.
Now, at 27, I hadn't had them for a long time and all of a sudden I am getting them everyday and it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth along with a sore throat. Maybe my "pockets" are getting bigger.
Thank for the advice!!!

Christina

[Mila21ca]

I have experienced this as well, for as long as I can remember. I don't know if they are actually on my tonsils, but definitly on my throat. Anyway, I once asked a doctor about them and he told me that is was simply a "hard saliva build-up". I know what you mean be it hurting your throat. I find that it hurts my throat if I try to take it off and it's not ready. Anyway, I also haven't experienced this in a while and recently it has begun again! Weird!
Anyway, I wouldn't be too worried about it; if it's the same as what I have, it has nothing to do with tonsil pockets.