Just what are those goofy looking appendages stuck to the back of your throat? They may look funny, but tonsils play a critical role in filtering out unwanted debris and toxins that are ingested through the nose, and mouth and that are harmful to your body.
However, with so many pollutants to deal with the tonsils cannot always perform as they were intended to do. When they don't adequately perform this duty, they can develop an infection, become sore and also form tonsilloliths or what are more commonly known as tonsil stones.
Tonsil stones are pea-sized formations of calcified minerals, caused by the bacteria in your mouth. They reside in the crevices of your tonsils and throat. If they remain small enough, you might not ever notice them. As a matter of fact, it is likely we all have minute stones to some degree, but there is a small number of the population in which the stones have developed into larger calcified tonsil stones.
Symptoms of Tonsil Stones
If you are experiencing difficulties with your throat and think you may have tonsil stones, then be sure to check with your physician first thing. Common symptoms for this fairly uncommon condition are: swelling of the throat area, bad breath, a metallic taste in your mouth, frequent infections and difficulty swallowing. Since the stones are actually a foreign object, the tonsils will try to fight them off causing inflammation.
Methods of Treatment
If you feel medical procedures are best left to the professionals or if the tonsil stones are large, then you should ask your doctor to remove them. This is minor surgery and a very simple procedure.
If your doctor has determined that you do indeed have tonsil stones and you are more of a DIY kind of person, then you can remove them at home. Take into consideration that your tonsils are delicate and extreme care should be taken with any method you choose.
However, you will come up against another one of the bodies automatic functions and that is the gag reflex. If you can get past that urge, then you can remove the offending stones with a non-sharp pick or long wet cotton swab.
If your stones are on the smaller scale and you aren't experiencing any swallowing difficulties, you might also try warm salt water gargling, which will reduce the swelling and may dislodge the stone. The salt will also help reduce the bacteria, as it is a natural antibiotic agent.
Oral irrigation is another method of dislodging the stones, but you must use a low pressure setting in order to keep from hurting delicate tonsil tissue. You do not need to use the fire hose approach here. There are several types of oral irrigation machines and they will all allow you to aim a direct stream of warm water at the base of the stone until it loosens and can be washed away or removed.
If these methods seem a bit much for you, then going to your doctor would be the best solution. There are several ways he or she can remove your stones without much discomfort. They can also give you a local anesthetic to relax your gag reflex.
Since removal is just a temporary solution to the symptoms, you may find that the tonsil stones will come back. After all you have not eliminated the cause. There is no set rule as to if and when they might reappear, so be prepared to start the battle all over again. Finding a more permanent solution may be the wisest course.
However, with so many pollutants to deal with the tonsils cannot always perform as they were intended to do. When they don't adequately perform this duty, they can develop an infection, become sore and also form tonsilloliths or what are more commonly known as tonsil stones.
Tonsil stones are pea-sized formations of calcified minerals, caused by the bacteria in your mouth. They reside in the crevices of your tonsils and throat. If they remain small enough, you might not ever notice them. As a matter of fact, it is likely we all have minute stones to some degree, but there is a small number of the population in which the stones have developed into larger calcified tonsil stones.
Symptoms of Tonsil Stones
If you are experiencing difficulties with your throat and think you may have tonsil stones, then be sure to check with your physician first thing. Common symptoms for this fairly uncommon condition are: swelling of the throat area, bad breath, a metallic taste in your mouth, frequent infections and difficulty swallowing. Since the stones are actually a foreign object, the tonsils will try to fight them off causing inflammation.
Methods of Treatment
If you feel medical procedures are best left to the professionals or if the tonsil stones are large, then you should ask your doctor to remove them. This is minor surgery and a very simple procedure.
If your doctor has determined that you do indeed have tonsil stones and you are more of a DIY kind of person, then you can remove them at home. Take into consideration that your tonsils are delicate and extreme care should be taken with any method you choose.
However, you will come up against another one of the bodies automatic functions and that is the gag reflex. If you can get past that urge, then you can remove the offending stones with a non-sharp pick or long wet cotton swab.
If your stones are on the smaller scale and you aren't experiencing any swallowing difficulties, you might also try warm salt water gargling, which will reduce the swelling and may dislodge the stone. The salt will also help reduce the bacteria, as it is a natural antibiotic agent.
Oral irrigation is another method of dislodging the stones, but you must use a low pressure setting in order to keep from hurting delicate tonsil tissue. You do not need to use the fire hose approach here. There are several types of oral irrigation machines and they will all allow you to aim a direct stream of warm water at the base of the stone until it loosens and can be washed away or removed.
If these methods seem a bit much for you, then going to your doctor would be the best solution. There are several ways he or she can remove your stones without much discomfort. They can also give you a local anesthetic to relax your gag reflex.
Since removal is just a temporary solution to the symptoms, you may find that the tonsil stones will come back. After all you have not eliminated the cause. There is no set rule as to if and when they might reappear, so be prepared to start the battle all over again. Finding a more permanent solution may be the wisest course.
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Want to find out more about tonsil stones, then visit Bella Adari's site on how to choose the best method of tonsil stones removal and stop suffering today.
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