smelly tonsil stones
warning: images and videos of tonsil stones may cause discomfort
tonsil basics

tonsils are lumps of lymphatic tissue located in the upper digestive tract
they educate the body’s immune system and speed up an immune response in case of infection in the early years of life
tonsils grow from birth to puberty then gradually shrink and are less active by adulthood

palatine tonsils are the visible tonsils at each side of the back of the mouth
the pharyngeal (adenoid) tonsil is located on the back wall of the sinus cavity
tubal tonsils are found at the entrance of the eustachian tubes to the ears
the lingual tonsil lies behind / below the tongue
palatine and lingual tonsils have crevices or crypts which traps substances that pass by
these crypts help the immune system to identify germs early and build antibodies quickly
the adenoid tonsil has folds which work in the same way as crypts
tubal tonsils are covered by a membrane and don’t typically collect substances
adult tonsils and their crypts and folds come in different shapes and sizes
tonsil stones are a foul smelling buildup of solid white, brown or green substance in tonsil crypts
they are caused by a combination of diet, lifestyle, health and tonsil anatomy
tonsil stones

tonsilloliths are another name for tonsil stones
they are most commonly found in the palatine tonsils, located on each side of the back of the mouth
however stones can also less commonly form in lingual tonsil crypts and adenoid tonsil folds
the size of tonsil stones range from tiny pinheads to thumb-sized behemoths and colors vary from white to shades of brown and green
the substance is made up of food debris, proteins, bacteria and mineral deposits
tonsil stones always smell horrific with a high sulfur and mercaptan content
the odor will often resemble the putrefied protein of the sufferers diet
for example a beef eaters tonsil stones might include a rotting beef odor
while a dairy consumers tonsil stones might carry an overtone of very soured milk

diagnosing and removing tonsil stones
CT scan showing two tonsilloliths in the left lingual tonsil tissue CT scan showing two tonsilloliths in the lingual tonsil
diagnosing palatine tonsil stones can often be done by inspecting and prodding tonsils with a strong light and thin long blunt sterile tool
an LED tonsil stone pick, commonly marketed as an ear pick, is an ideal tool to perform this
radiography (xray) can occasionally (less than a third of cases) identify tonsil stones
however computer topography (CT) scan is the most reliable method for tonsil stone diagnosis
palatine tonsil stones can most often be removed by physically coaxing and flushing them from the tonsil crypts
adenoid tonsil stones (adenoliths) can only be diagnosed by CT scan and would need to be removed by an ear nose and throat (ENT) specialist

lingual tonsil stones would also need to be diagnosed by CT scan
but massage and activating nearby muscles can help to loosen and dislodge some lingual stones

the tubal tonsils are covered by a membrane and are not prone to tonsil stones
removing tonsil stones yourself

tonsils are sensitive and can be very ticklish
they are also in a position that can cause a gag reflex when prodded
otherwise removing tonsil stones yourself is safe and reasonably simple
it is important to sterilize the mouth and tools before, during and after the process
this will help to prevent infection and decreases the likelihood of new tonsil stones forming
videos of at-home tonsil stone extractions
tonsil stone man has generously filmed himself picking out his tonsil stones
rudey p also helped out with some of his own tonsil stone removals before he eventually got his actual tonsils taken out
tonsil stone removal by a specialist
many ear nose and throat (ENT) specialists are surprisingly unfamiliar with tonsil and salivary stones
I’ve had quite a few clients present with bad breath and even body odor caused by tonsil stones
one of them had no other tonsil stone symptoms while others had post nasal drip, sore throat, swollen glands and other symptoms
a few clients had been to ENT specialists and come away with a sinus flush, tongue scraper, dental floss and/or antibiotics
unsurprisingly none of these helped
however not all ENT’s are ignorant of tonsil stones and a few have shared some GIANT tonsil stone extractions
videos of ENT tonsil stone extractions
do I need to remove my tonsil stones?
tonsil stones should definitely be removed if possible
they can be full of bacteria and can cause infection, post nasal drip and may even contribute to SIBO, reflux and other gastric disorders
if left in place tonsil stones can keep growing in size and cause permanent stretching of crypts and folds
large crypts are more likely to accumulate debris and form new tonsil stones in the future
should I remove my tonsils?
surgical tonsil removal is a traumatic and painful procedure
removing tonsils doesn’t necessarily prevent tonsil stones forming again in the future
this tonsils and their crypts can sometimes grow back
laser or coblation cryptolysis is another possible procedure
tonsil crypts are sealed during cryptolysis to prevent substances entering and stones forming
however it is critical the crypts are thoroughly sterilized before sealing to avoid potentially trapping a very smelly problem
salivary stones are another source of bad breath and body odor but that is a topic for another day
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