Has anyone heard of tonsilliths?

Question

I had one today. It's food debris and stuff that get lodged in your tonsils. Is there anyway to see your tonsils and clean them with a waterpik or something at home?

Answer 1

Tonsil stones. Unfortunately, they tend to be fairly common. Apparently, you can simply scrape the offending material out with minimal problem, but you might want to see a doctor about having your tonsils removed.

The second link below offers some possible remedies that are less drastic.

Answer 2

if you can stand it without throwing up, try it with a waterpik, why not? More seriously, tonsilitis can only happen if your tonsils have been damaged by so many infections (sore throats, mostly) that they are now full of holes, porous, and instead of protecting your body against future diseases, they are an open port for bacteriae to live a comfortable life. The thing to do is see a ottorhynolaringologist (ear, nose, throat doctor) and discuss with him about the opportunity of removing them, before you really get sick. Short operation, 2/3 days hospitalisation, 2 weeks with liquid foods, and done.
Take it seriously, or you can have some kind of a chronic infection exhausting you.

Answer 3

Tonsil Crypts are small pockets that form on the outside of your tonsils. It’s these pockets or tonsil crypts, that collect debris, like the mucus from nasal drip, as well as food particles. When accumulated, this debris forms what is called tonsil stones(tonsilloliths

In order to talk about tonsil stone remedies, we must first understand exactly what tonsils and tonsil stones are.

Tonsils are small flaps of flesh located on either side of your throat, just beyond the back of your tongue. These flaps are actually gland tissue, meant to trap bacteria and viruses and help fight infection. However, the tonsils also tend to collect small bits of food and mucous too, and when combined with sulfur producing bacteria infection may occur. When these materials become lodged on the flaps of the tonsils, they can eventually harden and compact, forming what we refer to as tonsil stones. One of the telltale signs of tonsil stones is a strong fecal odor eliminating from the back of the throat. Particularly bad breath may be an early signal of the presence of tonsil stones.

Once formed, what is the remedy for tonsil stones? Surprisingly, tonsil stones may actually be ejected by a good coughing spell, but this happens less often than one would wish, and is no guarantee that the tonsil stones won’t reoccur.

A probiotic culture known as acidophilus may have a beneficial effect on tonsil stones. Acidolphilus consists of the good bacteria that helps us maintain a healthy digestive track. Acidophilus keeps down the anaerobic, or bad, bacteria along with naturally occurring yeast. This largely homeopathic remedy may help to break down the tonsil stones and work to prevent new tonsil stones from forming. Recommended dosages and results vary, so check with your doctor first. Acidophilus is readily available at health food stores.

Today, antibiotics are usually tried first as a remedy for tonsil stones. Again, this has varying degrees of effect on the tonsil stones and largely depends on how advanced the tonsil stones have become.

Surgery may still be the most effective remedy for tonsil stones, even though tonsillectomies are not the common place childhood surgery they once were. A tonsillectomy involves the removal of the infected tonsils from the throat. Surgical removal of the tonsils should be carefully considered before going ahead. The tonsils are part of the body’s immune system, and though they have the chance of recovery from infection or tonsil stones, once gone they are no longer there to help filter bacteria and viruses.

Remedies for tonsil stones have varying degrees of success, and your physician is the most qualified person to determine a course of action to remove tonsil stones.

Answer 4

Tonsilliths

Answer 5

Yep, had them a couple months ago. How irritating to have them in the back of your mouth.

The doctor said if I really wanted, he could take a device and pop them out. I opted not to and went home and used a popsickle stick to pop them out.

I guess they're fairly common.

Answer 6

I think you have a Leptothrix infection of your tonsils and need a tonsillectomy.

Answer 7

ouch! that seems very uncomfortable! I dont know about the waterpik, maybe gargle??

Answer 8

Yes there is