Tonsil stones harmless, annoying

January 23, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My 16-year-old son gets little almost hard balls in his throat. Yellowish in color, they are usually a little larger than a grain of sand. They are not hard but not soft, either. Today, he choked up one that was larger than usual and pink. Any idea what they could be?

DEAR READER: Your son may be experiencing tonsil stones. These are compressed particles of bacteria, food and other debris that get caught in the tonsils. His latest one was pink, suggesting that there was some irritation and mild bleeding into the tonsillar stone. Make an appointment for him with his physician to discuss the situation. Perhaps a referral to an ear-nose-and-throat specialist is in order, especially if he has other symptoms such as a sore throat, swollen tonsils, bad breath or difficulty swallowing. [Read more...]

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Bad-breath problem solved

December 2, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: For many years, I suffered with horrible breath, despite having had only one cavity in 40-plus years and brushing/flossing/tongue scraping/gargling constantly. I read every article I could find on bad breath but not one ever mentioned cryptic tonsils. I finally ended up with a doctor who figured out what those occasional smelly lumps were and had my tonsils removed. End of problem.

Please inform your readers who might be wearing out the enamel on their teeth, like me, trying to get rid of their bad breath that there may be another reason for it.
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Treatment for tonsil stones

June 25, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 60-year-old female in good health. For the past four years, I have developed tonsil stones that are frustrating. I don’t have them all the time, but when I do, they remain for days to weeks. The only way I can dislodge them is if I happen to sneeze really hard. When they do come out, they are shaped like tiny cauliflowers and have a really bad odor to them.

What causes them? What can I do to avoid getting them? How can I get rid of them for good?

DEAR READER: The tonsils, while appearing smooth, are filled with crevices where bacteria and other debris can become trapped. This matter can concentrate, harden and calcify, causing stones. The process tends to occur in people with chronic bouts of tonsillitis or who have chronic inflammation of the tonsils.
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