What are tonsils?
Your tonsils are gland-like structures in the back of your throat.
You have one located in a pocket on each side. Tonsils are made of
tissue that contains lymphocytes -- cells in your body that
prevent and fight infections. It is believed that the tonsils play
a role in the immune system and are meant to function like nets,
trapping incoming bacteria and virus particles that are passing
through your throat.
Most medical experts agree that the tonsils often do not perform
their job well. In many instances, they become more of a medical
hindrance than a help. It may be that tonsils evolved in an
environment where humans were not exposed to as many germs as we
encounter today as a result of living in areas with relatively
high populations. Evidence suggests that people who have had their
tonsils removed are no more likely to suffer from bacterial or
viral infections than people with intact tonsils.
What causes tonsil stones (tonsilloliths)?
Your tonsils are filled with nooks and crannies where bacteria and
other materials, including dead cells and mucous, can become
trapped. When this occurs, the debris can become concentrated in
white formations that occur in the pockets.
Tonsil stones, or tonsilloliths, are formed when this trapped
debris hardens, or calcifies. This tends to occur most often in
people who suffer from chronic inflammation in their tonsils or
repeated bouts of tonsillitis.
While many people have small tonsilloliths that develop in their
tonsils, it is quite rare to have a large and solidified tonsil
stone.
What are the symptoms of tonsil stones (tonsilloliths)?
Many small tonsil stones do not cause any noticeable symptoms.
Even when they are large, some tonsil stones are only discovered
incidentally on X-rays or CT scans. Some larger tonsilloliths,
however, may have multiple symptoms:
Bad breath . One of the prime indicators of a tonsil stone is
exceedingly bad breath, or halitosis, that accompanies a tonsil
infection.
One study of patients with a form of chronic tonsillitis used a
special test to see if volatile sulfur compounds were contained in
the subjects' breath. The presence of these foul-smelling
compounds provides objective evidence of bad breath. The
researchers found that 75% of the people who had abnormally high
concentrations of these compounds also had tonsilloliths, or
tonsil stones. Other researchers have suggested that tonsil stones
be considered in situations when the cause of bad breath is in
question.
Sore throat . When a tonsil stone and tonsillitis occur
together, it can be difficult to determine whether the pain in
your throat is caused by your infection or the tonsil stone. The
presence of a tonsil stone itself, though, may cause you to feel
pain or discomfort in the area where it is lodged.
White debris. Some tonsil stones are visible in the back of the
throat as a lump of solid white material. This is not always the
case. Often they are hidden in the folds of the tonsils. In these
instances, they may only be detectable with the help of
non-invasive scanning techniques, such as CT scans or magnetic
resonance imaging.
Difficulty swallowing. Depending on the location or size of the
tonsil stone, it may be difficult or painful to swallow foods or
liquids.
Ear pain. Tonsil stones can develop anywhere in the tonsil.
Because of shared nerve pathways, they may cause a person to feel
referred pain in the ear, even though the stone itself is not
touching the ear.
Tonsil swelling. When collected debris hardens and a tonsil
stone forms, inflammation from infection (if present) and the
tonsil stone itself may cause a tonsil to swell or become larger.
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