How Do You Get Rid of the Embarrassment of Bad Breath? Tonsil Stones – Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment
One of the most common, yet often misdiagnosed causes of the embarrassing halitosis -common bad breath experienced by people who attend their dentist regularly and have no symptoms of the digestive system to justify it – can be the accumulation of tonsil stones.
What Are in Fact Tonsil Stones?
Tonsils are part of the human body’s immune system and are known to have the function of stopping the bacteria and other harmful substances from entering deeper into the throat area. However, tonsils themselves may cause a set of problems, the most frequent of which being tonsillitis and the accumulation of the often disregarded, misrecognised tonsil stones. These irregularly shaped, foul-smelling, whitish formations are practically globs of mucus and bacteria on the surface of the tonsils. These small lumps tend to accumulate in the small pockets of the tonsils. They can appear as the result of improperly eliminated nasal drip, tiny food residues and sulphur compounds released by anaerobic bacteria in the throat.
Symptoms of Tonsil Stones
All this debris trapped in the tonsil crypts causes a number of health problems. The most embarrassing of them may be bad breath, but the condition can just as well cause a large number of other symptoms. Patients can experience soreness in the throat, tonsil swelling, even difficulties in swallowing. The mouth, the nose and the ears are interconnected by common nerve paths, so the material lodged in the tonsil area may also cause ear pain.
People who have developed sensitivity or an allergy to dairy products may be more susceptible to the formation of these stones, as the trapped dairy particles start fermenting after they leave the oral cavity and cause the swelling of the throat. People with overactive salivary glands also tend to develop these structures, because abundant saliva carries the food residues into the throat, causing infections.
Prevention – As Easy as Breathing
The easiest way to prevent the formation of tonsiloliths is, of course, by practicing proper oral hygiene. The use of oxygenating tablets, nasal drops, an oxygenating toothpaste and mouthwash will remove the bacteria accumulated in the oral cavity, while a tongue scrapper can keep the back of the tongue clean. If there are no bacteria and food debris in the mouth, they cannot travel deeper into the throat. Drinking a lot of water and avoiding sugary beverages may also be worth considering.
The Treatment of Tonsil Stones – Getting Rid of Tonsiloliths in a few Easy Steps
These tiny stones produce embarrassment and discomfort, but they are really harmless and they can be treated and cured by following a few easy steps. Larger structures can be removed at home using cotton swabs and warm water. The removal of smaller ones is more easily done by the dentist.
People who have no tonsils do not suffer from tonsil stones either, so the most radical solution can be the eventual surgical removal of the tonsil glands themselves.
