Table of contents:
- Tonsil stones, can form due to food scraps
- Various symptoms of tonsil stones that you need to pay attention to
- 1. Bad breath
- 2. Sore throat due to swelling
- 3. The presence of a white lump in the throat
- 4. Difficulty swallowing and ear pain
The tonsils (tonsils) are glands that are at the back of the throat and play a role in the immune system. When there are bacteria or viruses that enter through the mouth and through the throat, the tonsils will filter out these foreign substances. Apart from inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis), there are other medical conditions that can interfere with the performance of the tonsils, namely tonsil stone or tonsil stones.
Even though it affects the tonsils, many patients do not realize that they have this disease. For that, learn what are the following tonsil stones.
Tonsil stones, can form due to food scraps
Tonsillolits or also known as tonsil stone are white or yellow rocks attached to the inside of the tonsils. The formation of tonsil stones is caused by dead cells, mucus, saliva, or food clogging the gaps in the tonsils, called crypt tonsils. Gradually, more and more dirt will get stuck, accumulate, form rock and harden.
People who have poor oral hygiene, problematic sinuses, large tonsil sizes or chronic inflammation of the tonsils are at risk for tonsillolits. Unfortunately, this disease often has no symptoms (asymptomatic).
Although rarely causing severe complications, rocks can grow to the size of a grain of rice to a grape. As a result, the tonsils can swell and cause discomfort.
Various symptoms of tonsil stones that you need to pay attention to
Some of the symptoms that may occur if you have tonsil stones are:
1. Bad breath
Bad breath (halitosis) is a common symptom of tonsil stones. A study found that patients who had chronic tonsil stones had sulfur compounds in their mouths. This sulfur substance can cause bad breath.
Of all the patients, 75 percent of people with a high content of sulfur compounds in their mouths have it tonsil stone.Bacteria and mold that feed on rock piles secrete substances that make breath from your mouth smell bad.
2. Sore throat due to swelling
The presence of stones in the tonsils makes the throat feel uncomfortable swallowing or painful swallowing. You will likely experience pain as the rock starts to get bigger.
When tonsil stones and tonsillitis occur together, it can be difficult to determine whether the sore throat is due to infection or inflammation. Fortunately, gallstones that are asymptomatic are usually detected more easily because of inflammation of the tonsils.
3. The presence of a white lump in the throat
Tonsil stones look like solid lumps that are white or yellowish in color. The lump is visible in the back of the throat. However, there are also those that are easily visible, for example, in the folds of the tonsils.
In this case, the tonsil stones will only be visible with the help of non-invasive scanning techniques, such as CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging.
4. Difficulty swallowing and ear pain
Swollen tonsils due to rocks can cause difficulty or pain when swallowing food and drinks. However, the onset of pain depends on the location or size of the tonsil stones.
Apart from difficulty swallowing, the patient can also feel pain in the ear. Although the rock that is formed does not directly touch the ear, throat and ear area have the same nerve pathways so that the pain can spread.
