has anyone ever coughed up little white things that stink from throat?

Question

does anybody know what they are? my cousin gets them and i think it is from her tonsills, she says they smell awful !!!!!

my cousin is very pleased i asked you and yes she has had tonsilltas more than 3 times this year, she is booking into docs tomorrow to see if he will refer her to have them removed, ta everyone, this site is brill

Answer 1

tonsil stones...theyre nasty

heres an article i found:

"These things are called tonsilloliths ("tonsil stones.") You have described them perfectly. They are typically white, or whitish-yellow, irregularly-shaped, foul-smelling, and usually smaller than a pea. The tissue lining the tonsils (oral mucosa) is fairly sensitive, so people with this problem often report that they feel an irritation in the back of their throat and are able to pick these critters out of their tonsils.
Like your skin, oral mucosa sheds continuously. The dead cells become incorporated in your saliva and then you swallow them. Yum! One more anatomical fact that you need to know: the surface of your tonsils is pockmarked with deep pits, appropriately called "crypts" (since dead stuff accumulates in these pits.) Oral mucosa lines the crypts. Under normal circumstances, as this mucosa sheds, the dead cells leave the crypts and are swallowed. In some unlucky people, like you and your sister, the dead cells accumulate and glom together to form hard little balls. All of this dead stuff makes great food for bacteria, and of course your oral cavity is colonized by all kinds of bacteria. Consequently, the tonsilloliths are ripe with bacteria. This accounts for the smell.
The only sure-fire method for ridding yourself of this problem is to have your tonsils removed (tonsillectomy), but there are nonsurgical alternatives which you should certainly pursue before you ask an ENT to take out your tonsils:
– You could try gargling frequently with warm salt water (1 teaspoon of table salt mixed with one pint of water– gargle with about 1/4 cup of this mixture three times per day, after meals.)
– You could also gargle with a mouthwash called Alkalol, which is essentially salt water combined with a variety of natural aromatic extracts; some people prefer Alkalol to plain salt water. Most other commercial mouthwashes contain sugar or alcohol, which are pleasant-tasting but are, in the long run, fairly irritating if used frequently.
– There is a doctor in Los Angeles, Murray Grossan, who markets a water-jet device for "hosing down" the tonsils. Relative to gargling, this device provides a more aggressive technique for clearing out those nasty crypts.
– In the hopes of avoiding tonsillectomy, I will often put my patient on a long (3 to 4 week) course of antibiotics in the hope that this will allow the tonsils to "settle down" (become less inflamed.) I must admit that antibiotics are not a very effective cure for this problem.
If I had this problem, I would try all of these things before resorting to a tonsillectomy. You should also discuss your problem with an ENT, since he/she may have other suggestions to help eradicate these nasty critters, and could also give you information on what to expect from a tonsillectomy."

Answer 2

Yes... they are from her tonsils... they are made up from something called 'exudate' and are white hard lumps that have a smell and taste similar to strong mothballs. She needs to go to see her doctor as they are s sign of a chronic (long term) and underlying bacterial throat infection. It doesn't necessarily mean she has a sore throat all the time, but I can bet that she has tonsilitis at least 3 or 4 times a year.

The tonsils are covered in small pockets, which can become blocked with the 'exudate'. This builds up until it becomes too big and at some point either, when coughing, or swallowing, it breaks free.

The condition causes awful halitosis, and is very embarrassing.

As well as seeing her doctor, she could also try using an anti-bacterial mouthwash .... 'Oraldene' is excellent, and doesn't taste too bad either. Use it after eating, so any food is not allowed to get caught in the pockets in the tonsils.

Hope this helps. I spent several years too embarrassed to mention it to my doctor... but got it sorted out very easily.
Good luck!

Answer 3

White Stuff Back Of Throat

Answer 4

I know what you mean, but can't remember what it's called. They aren't anything to worry about. They are just accumulated deposits of dried salvia, mucus, and a few other things on the back of your throat and around your tonsils. It stinks because it has been back there with bacteria on it, and it's not like the human mouth is a clean place.

Answer 5

You cousin has what are called pitted tonsils. This means that there are holes or pitts in her tonsils that catch food. When the food decomposes it smells really badly.

Have your cousin open her mouth wide and look at her tonsils with a flashlight. She may be able to see these food deposits.

My doctor told me that it's okay to try and clean them out with a Q-tip, but if they become irritated or start bleeding to leave them alone. They will cause bad breath, and they can even cause very slight discomfort(I can feel mine when they get big), but they are not harmfull.

I have this problem as does one of my brothers.
I use Listerine about twice a week and that seems to keep them at bay. If that fails, I use Q-tips. But be careful, as this can cause you to gag.

Answer 6

They are called tonsilloliths. A tonsillolith (also called tonsil stone or calculi of the tonsil) is a piece or a cluster of calcareous matter which forms in the rear of the mouth.

Tonsil stones are the result of a combination of any of the following:

food particles
dead white blood cells (a.k.a. "leukocytes")
oral bacteria, possibly from mouth breathing
overactive salivary glands


Hope that helps

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

probably a bit of food that got lodged in a crevice near your tonsils - will start to rot if its been there a couple of days.

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Answer 9

yes, i get that from time to time and so have other people i have asked. They are quite common and are called tonsil stones, they are bits of plaque, saliva and dead skin cells that get stuck to the tonsils and cant be reached by brushing.

Answer 10

I had these too. I had tonsillitis but now I don't have it any more but I still have those things