Our tonsils are a form of a way for the body to naturally filter bacteria from infiltrating the body – anything that goes in from our mouth passes through the two tonsils that acts as a strain for bacteria. Tonsils are great but sometimes they could actually do more harm than good – why? The reason is tonsil stones. Tonsil stones are actually bacteria, dead cells, mucous and other debris that calcify into white materials around the tonsils.
Oftentimes, tonsil stones are harmless but there are symptoms that may get in the way of our daily lives. Tonsil stones, also called tonsillolith could bring about chronic bad breath (halitosis). This has been the cause of many cases of bad breath that tonsil stones are sometimes even referred to as “stink balls”. There are other symptoms that are brought about tonsil stones including a strange metallic taste in the mouth, sore throat, swelling on the tonsils and painful or difficulty in swallowing.
Since these symptoms are straight annoying, there should be no reason why anyone would want to leave it be. Tonsil stones may be solid but they could actually be removed using picks or cotton swabs which is why sometimes at-home removal procedures can be done. The pain associated with tonsil stones can also be easily alleviated using salt water gargles – just mix some salt with warm water and gargle for immediate relief – do this several times a day for best results.
There are also professionals that could help you with tonsil stones treatment but will most likely cost a good amount of money to achieve. Antibiotics can be used to treat tonsil stones but is not really recommended as they could have side effects and they’re not as effective since they do not really address the root cause of tonsil stones. Surgical removal can also be done – this is actually safer than at-home removal as it will be performed by a professional but would cost you.
Prevention is always better than cure – as they say but how do you exactly prevent tonsil stones? Easy – just keep a good dental health. There are products you can get such as mouthwash solutions and toothpastes that help prevent the accumulation of bacteria on our tonsils. The tonsils can also be completely removed and there should be no further issues regarding tonsil stones but this is quite costly so only a few people could afford this method.