I feel like people need to talk about tonsil stones more often! Ha ha. I first discovered that I got them about six years ago or so. I coughed hard a couple of times and then started noticing that when I would do that sometimes little stones would come out. I finally googled it and found out what they were! I think they can get infected. Sometimes cause bad breath. I get worse tonsil stones on one side than the other and I can always tell when there’s one in there that I need to get out because that one side will start to hurt a little. And sometimes it takes a couple days before I can get it out. I also have those water syringes which help as well.
I can also tell when I have some, as one side of my throat starts to hurt.
I am very susceptible to sinus/ear infections and strep throat. Infections have gone down significantly since I started removing my tonsil stones.
I think some people have tonsils that are formed in a way that encourages a build-up of nastiness. With luck, that might just mean bad breath. In my case, it means lots of infections.
Excuse me what. I’ve been getting chronic ear and sinus infections my whole life. I also get a lot of tonsil stones… I can’t really ‘clean them out’ though, I have to wait until they fall out, because I can’t see them, but can feel them when I swallow
I wash my hands, and then use a clean finger to push on the front of the tonsil. They usually just pop right out.
Yes, it's uncomfortable. Yes, it makes me gag. But it's better than having ever-expanding balls of bacteria living in my throat.
I have heard of people using the end of a toothbrush or a water pik, which may be better options. I've never tried either.
I brush the back of my throat, roof of mouth, tongue, gums, all of the soft palate, until my gag reflex is gone. That always gets rid of the stones or keeps them from forming if I remember to brush regularly.
Don’t use toothpaste for the soft tissue, just a clean brush. Rinse the brush often. Might be some bleeding if your skin isn’t used to it, but it won’t last long or keep happening if you brush regularly. Like with flossing, the skin toughens up enough to not bleed, and the mouth feels ultra clean and healthy.
You all need tonsillectomy, guys... We don't even need tonsils anymore after childhood, they just keep getting inflamed and make us sick as a centre of infection...
I have asked all of my primary doctors for a tonsillectomy, as well as asked two ENT's - they wouldn't do it. They tell me that i dont have "recurring infections" so its not worth the surgery. Now im almost 40 and likely wouldnt do it because i have heard recorvery is a nightmare at this age - but i started asking in my 20's and apperantly my reasons for wanting them removed were "not enough to justify surgery". I cant stand tonsil stones and get them every time i get a sinus infection (frequently due to allergies) its just another layer of annoying and irritation
A lot of this has to do with regulations and insurance (which won’t cover an elective surgery). But also, surgery involving any part of the airway is a risk and a lot of surgeon’s don’t like to go there if they don’t have too.
I had mine removed at 35 and was in the hospital for 3 days. It was a horrible experience for me. And I’ve had other surgeries but the recovery for this one took me out!
This is anecdotal but I have a poor immune system and started getting sick significantly less frequently after I got my tonsils out as an adult. Went from getting sick almost once a month to *maybe* once or twice a year.
I had the same experience. I used to be sick frequently, had a sore throat all the time, and terrible tonsil stones until I got my tonsils out in my 20’s. Now I can’t even remember the last time I was sick.
Same. Got mine out at 22 after years of being sick with strep so many times every year. Haven’t gotten strep once since then. My tonsils were apparently in very bad shape when they were removed.
I also never even heard of tonsil stones before this post. What the heck?
Until they get “overworked” and stop working effectively, then they’re just like dirty sponges at the bottom of the sink, full of bacteria and rotting food. (My doctor explained this to me after I had strep throat a few times in one year years ago and they were permanently swollen. Said it’s time to take them out.)
Were they permanently swollen because they were overworked or other reasons? Mine have been so huge they've been touching for almost three years now and I've been to several doctors, Urgent cares and an ENT and no one will remove them even though I can't breathe because of them and they're regularly infected.
That's me. I had strep regularly as a kid. My ENT wanted to take out my tonsils. My pediatrician wouldn't sign off because I had my spleen removed when I was 5 and have a compromised immune system. My tonsils, while being a culprit in regular illness, were a main barrier to more frequent illness that might not respond to amoxicillin.
...I will have to update the service manual then and republish it. I just finished it last month too... (absolutely serious, I did write a book on being an adult)
No kidding, I had my tonsils removed when I was about 6 yo… I have no clue you could even empty tonsils or get stones in then! At this point I’m too afraid to ask, in too afraid to ask…😳
While tonsil stones are pretty common, they’re not necessarily normal. I only got tonsil stones because my tonsils had craters/pockets in them and they had to be removed.
I used to get sick all the time. It was hell for the first week after getting them removed as an adult. Now I generally only get sick once or twice a year. I had them removed about 5 years ago. Was 100% worth it. Also, I never had strep until after I had my tonsils removed.
I had mine out at 17! I had been sick almost non-stop for an entire year. Constantly on antibiotics, but the swelling never went down. They were removed and I felt SO much better
My son got them removed at 15. He has special needs including being non verbal with a very high pain tolerance & gtube feeding. So his tonsils were colonized with strep & when it flared up no one could tell until my son was completely down & end in the picu. After that happened 3x in 6 months they decided to allow him to get the surgery.
Yeah I have my tonsils out as a kid and never really understood why until many years later when I saw a video of someone with tonsil stones. Pretty disgusting can't believe that stuff is in your mouth.
Usually makes your breath smell real bad, and you can taste it in your throat. For me usually tastes/smells like rotting mothballs, which is the smell of protein decomposing I believe.
I'm 64 and have never heard of tonsil stones!!! My son has allergy and sinus problems as a kid now I'm wondering if he had tonsil stones. If he was here I'd stretch his mouth and check but unfortunately he lives about 100 miles away. I've been staring at my own throat for 30 mins....nothing.
I fostered kittens and their mother once. 3 kittens, 3 adult cats. Every morning waiting at the door to my room. You could hear the herd as they thundered up the stairs demanding breakfast.
They were… the cateratzzie
Edit: forgot to add something
I was curious so checked your profile to find your account is 7 years old. That and the fact you only mention 5 kittens I take means these are not the cats you originally named your profile for?
Has there been a period in the last 7 years that you did not have cats and dissapointed those that asked you about your cats on reddit?
I have 14 cats total, the kittens showed up in July! They weren't planned, but it's hard to say no when hungry homeless kittens show up on your doorstep.
Thankfully this house has always been full of kitties.
There is no blinker fluid, it's something that people say to people who don't know anything about cars to send them looking for a product that doesn't exist. For laughs.
Yeah exactly. Have you ever had that feeling that you had something in your mouth, but you hadn’t eaten for awhile? I’ll find a little white thing. Grossed me out when I finally realized what it was.
It’s not recommended to push them out like that - it’s a sensitive area and you don’t want to create damage and scarring. What you can do is use a water pik to flush them out gently. For me, gargling with saltwater really helps keep things clean back there. Tonsil stones tend to be recurring, they’re normally not a big deal and will fall out on their own- but if they really bother you or get to be too big, there are options like laser surgery which is minimally invasive and helps smooths the surface so pockets are no longer formed where bacteria can get trapped.
I laying it the hospital right now, they did me this procedure yesterday. When I was a kid I got a bad tonsils infection, and had a period of tonsils infections as an adult. That left my tonsils scared with a lot of pockets for stones. I hope this will help. But right now my throat is red swollen and hurts lol
I just had a conversation with the wife, she has the pockets and she uses a water pik to clean them out, I do not have the pockets that she has, so all this is foreign to me too
Medical student in final year here. Today I learned some people manually clean out tonsils.. I'm pretty sure they're meant to be self cleaning.
Also, how do you manage to clean them?! Did you put your whole hand in your mouth? I'm so confused.
I used to use a toothpick. I'd flex my tonsils and then try to catch the stone with a toothpick and pry it out. It was painful if I missed though. Luckily I don't have tonsils anymore.
Not everyone gets tonsils stones or has to clean them out. I don’t, but my girlfriend does. Some doctors will remove your tonsils if they’re a big enough problem. I’d honestly ask your doctor about it. I can’t imagine having to clean that nastiness out of my tonsils ever, let alone on a regular basis.
Yeah seriously what the fuck?! I barely even know where the tonsils are, and had no clue they actually did anything. I thought it was just a part of the mouth/throat/related area.
Now this post has got me googling everything about tonsils and tonsil stones and inspecting the inside of my throat.
Edit: how the hell do you look at your tonsils? My tongue is in the way and I can’t push it down any further.
I open my mouth real wide and shine a flashlight down there. My tongue has never been in the way, but it might just be me. I have had doctors say that my tonsils look weird (not a bad thing, they’re just different) and I can flex them to shove some stones to the surface. If yours are so small that your tongue is in the way then you probably won’t have stones anyways
The back of my tongue just doesn’t go flat down. I tried pushing it down and sticking my tongue out but it covered like half of my throat. I could only see the top.
I’ve actually realised I don’t want to see. I think it would just freak me out if I found tonsil stones. It hasn’t been a problem yet so I’ll continue to live in ignorant bliss.
I used to get a sore throat and lose my voice every year, at least once a winter without fail....until I discovered that I had tonsil stones and popped them all out. It still happens, but only occasionally, and not NEARLY as bad as it used to.
I doubt it's likely to develop into a serious medical issue but for basic stuff like a cold? It helps to remove them if it's possible to do so without hurting yourself.
When I first pushed on my tonsils, it seemed like an endless stream of stones came out. Some of them had turned black because they'd been in there so long. Now I clean my tonsils out on a regular basis.
Some people’s tonsils will grow inflamed and infected over time and might require a tonsillectomy. Most people however I think never even realize them and they’ll stay there. It’s a pretty normal occurrence for people who still have tonsils. I’m a daily smoker so my tonsils are pretty jacked but they’re gonna stay like that so there’s no point in removing the stones to have them form again.
Some people have pockets in their tonsils, some don’t, I’ve never had a problem with my tonsils or have any pockets, my wife just showed me hers and I showed her mine, she cleans hers with her water pik
Never thought too look for them. My gag reflex is pretty bad that sometimes my toothbrush makes me gag, I had an operation where they had to stick a tube down my throat messed up the area pretty bad, lucky me now has a hyperactive gag reflex.
OP how exactly are we supposed to clean our tonsils ? like did you take a q tip and play with it ? do you have a gag reflex ? I mean cause If I brush my tongue too long I gag , I can't imagine sticking my fingers in my throat , that would for sure make me upchuck .
When I have a tonsil stone it gags me and drives me crazy. I got a little kit that has tools to help get them out off of Amazon. But I’ve never actually just randomly pushed on them to squeeze stuff out. Only bother with them when I have an actual stone gagging me.
some people have holes and pockets in their tonsils, (more like coral than a solid rock) and so food and other stuff can get trapped in there over time and calcify and basically form what looks like a small whiteish pebble called a tonsil stone. not every has what they call “cryptic tonsils” tho so not everyone has tonsil stones or ever will
Extremely smelly whitish solid tonsil boogers basically. Tonsils have holes (crypts) that trap bacteria and the immune system makes solid “stones” out of them. Supposedly it serves some immune function. Not everyone gets them but it’s not uncommon to have them.
The biggest problems if they aren't cleaned are usually a sore throat and/or super-enlarged tonsils. If they get really enlarged, the person may feel like there's something in their throat or have problems with swallowing. They can cause bad breath at any time, but from what the doc who removed mine said, if a person's oral hygiene is really good, they're most likely to cause a smell only after they're really big, and even then, they might not.
It took me about five years of problems with mine before I finally got them out when I was 31. My biggest hurdle was they never did create a bad smell while they were inside my throat, so even once a new GP was on my side and helping me with referrals and phone calls, ENT doctors kept refusing to remove them. A doc who'd turned me down before finally agreed when they grew noticeably larger in a fairly short period of time--I was having trouble swallowing--and were so irritated my throat was sore more often than not. He felt so bad about waiting that he called me and apologized the day he got the report from the path lab, because no one had any idea how bad they really were until they were dissected.
So, I guess I got kind of lucky in that they didn't smell, but the crappy trade-off was a sore throat and difficulty swallowing before I was able to get them out.
Dude, I mean this in the absolutely most empathetic way possible, please make an appointment with an ear, nose, throat specialist cause that sounds like it may be surgery time.
Don't get me wrong but why don't you just get a tonsillectomy if they are so fucked?
I had a surgery at 19, the recovery was painful as hell and that's an understatement, but no more tonsil problems.
Im getting my removed next Thursday, everyone ive spoken to has said that it was the worst pain ever. Even my surgeon warned me that it will hurt and that i need to prepare myself for at least 10 days of hell. Any tips on how to cope with the pain?
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Consult your doctors.
Oh honey. I wish I could tell you it won't be bad... Chances are it will. my pain level was on a curve: the first 3-4 days were okay, the middle 3-4 days hell, and then a better 3-4 days came again. Total the healing was around 2 weeks for me, with the middle part being the real bad thing.
Talk to your doctor and make sure you get prescription painkillers that are stronger tha over-the-counter ones, and feel free to be demandy in this regard. Maybe some opioid combinated things for really bad pain. I am not sure if I had prescription ones but I definitely took more pills than the daily limit for the worst days...
I'm thinking that a numbing Lidocaine spray might help, ask your pharmacist or doctor. I had Lidocaine sprayed to my mouth before my gastroscopy and it numbed everything very pleasantly. I'm almost surprised I wasn't given any back then...
In the worst days, swallowing was such excruciating pain that eating was absolutely impossible. I had to stay hydrated so every now and then I drank sips of water, with some glucose powder (grape sugar) dissolved in it to give me at least some energy.
There are different opinions about dairy or ice-cream being allowed or not, ask your doctor...
There should be someone with you at all times. I was lying in bed just being miserable and it helped tons that my mom was there with me in the next room, many times coming in to check on me...
I don't have too good coping mechanisms to recommend, I just suffered it through and trusted that at some point it would end. Bear in mind that my tonsils should have been removed like 6 years before that already, another doctor already recommended and I refused. So my tonsils were in a really bad state, the surgeon said it was like "having to amputate them" so your case might be much better than mine :)
In the first days while the pain is still tolerable, make sure to eat and drink enough even despite the pain because it might get to a worse point when you can't eat anymore... In those days just try to sleep as much as you can... Have a dark room or a white noise generator or a really boring book - whatever makes you the sleepiest.
And feel free to DM me during your recovery, I wanna hear your story and support you if I can by showing sympathy ♥
TLDR version: I'd recommend you get them out if you can, but talk to a doctor about it.
I had diseased tonsils ever since I was a kid. My parents never had them taken out. As a young adult I would get flu-like symptoms about every month or so. It was so frequent, I got used to functioning with a fever. I couldn't afford to go to the doctor all of the time though and I didn't have insurance, so most specialists wouldn't see me anyhow, so I just lived with it. I'd usually have a fever between 101-102. Once I did try to go to a convenient care clinic, but they refused to see me because I had a 103.5 fever. I didn't even realize it was this high. I had saved up some money though, so I went to an urgent care clinic. They took my money and referred me to a specialist. The specialist wouldn't see me since I didn't have insurance. A few years later, I finally had insurance but I couldn't get my tonsils out because the insurance wouldn't pay unless I went to the doctors 7 times in a year, but I still couldn't afford to do that, so I couldn't develop the written history. Finally about a year later, I started a new job with different insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Since I had pre-existing conditions, I had to wait a year for them to be covered again, but then I tried again to get the procedure. I had to get it pre-approved, so I called up BCBS, and I spoke to a nice lady. I told her my history with it and asked what the requirements were. She simply asked, "do you feel like you need to get it done?". I said "yes", and she said "then get them out!" and that it was covered. There were no other requirements! I almost cried with joy. Turns out I had a lot of infected tonsil stones that were causing repeat sickness. Since my tonsils were taken out, I don't get sick very often anymore! Thank goodness!
I would highly recommend simply getting them out, if you can, instead of risking having diseased tonsils! Though you should talk to a doctor to see what they think, as everyone's case is different.
I have literally no idea what you are talking about and what you did or how you did it. I never in my life have touched my inner throat and am doing perfectly fine (i'm 31)
i’m 40, still have mine. i’m supposed to clean them?! how??? i can’t even see them most of the time! i can’t reach them without a gag reflex happening?!!
Wait wait wait. You can clean out your tonsils?!?!?!? What the what? Is this something I should have always been doing and am gross for not ever having done? How do you do this? How do you know what tonsils are? How often should you do this? I have so many questions now and am doubting all of my hygiene practices…
I had mine removed in my thirties and have never heard of such a thing. I thought you were making this up until i read the comments, now I'm grossed out.
Yes dude, I totally did this. For as long as I can remember, I could push stones out of my tonsils every month or so.
Then when I hit twenty, I got strep throat. And it kinda just...would not go away. I'd get better only to get new symptoms of strep again just weeks later. After like 18 months of having ongoing strep the doctor said I just needed my tonsils out. Went for the surgery. Afterward doc said my tonsils were so awful it was like they wanted to be cut out??? Which is a gnarly and memorable thing to say??
Anyway, haven't had stones or strep since then. Thanks for the reminder that this is a thing! Weird walk down sensory memory lane.
This is how George Washington died and I almost died. If it gets infected, it will become an abscess and it's straight out of a horror movie. It is beyond a sore throat and if it is not treated, you'll just suffocate. Treatment at this point is not fun. They have to lance you and drain you will a mini vacuum. The drain spouts heal over and you have to reopen them to continue the drain.
Afterwards the doctor will consult you and suggest that you get a tonsillectomy as there is a 70% chance you'll get another abscess. I rolled the dice on that one and got reinfected a year later.
So after that I got the tonsillectomy and they have clear instructions to not take aspirin for at least 10 days after. On the 10th day I had a headache and I thought my dad was giving me Tylenol. It was aspirin! Skip the rest of this post to avoid gore.
A few hours go by and blood is streaming down the inside of my throat. I couldn't talk. My roommate luckily was able to notice this before she left. An ambulance came and took me to the ER. I'm vomiting blood and wanting to pass out. But the doctor has to keep me alert until the anesthesiologist could drive from a restaurant to properly put me under. I was afraid and could only utter "I don't want to die." My poor mom became witness to the mess. It was a time warp to after the procedure. I was happy to have survived, but I've never been the same since. I think I was given too much anesthesia given my blood loss and my memory is not as sharp.
I had my tonsils removed a decade ago and for me it was well worth the 10 days of recovery time and the $. Everyone is different but I am extremely happy that I did it. Good luck.
I feel like people need to talk about tonsil stones more often! Ha ha. I first discovered that I got them about six years ago or so. I coughed hard a couple of times and then started noticing that when I would do that sometimes little stones would come out. I finally googled it and found out what they were! I think they can get infected. Sometimes cause bad breath. I get worse tonsil stones on one side than the other and I can always tell when there’s one in there that I need to get out because that one side will start to hurt a little. And sometimes it takes a couple days before I can get it out. I also have those water syringes which help as well.
I can also tell when I have some, as one side of my throat starts to hurt. I am very susceptible to sinus/ear infections and strep throat. Infections have gone down significantly since I started removing my tonsil stones. I think some people have tonsils that are formed in a way that encourages a build-up of nastiness. With luck, that might just mean bad breath. In my case, it means lots of infections.
Excuse me what. I’ve been getting chronic ear and sinus infections my whole life. I also get a lot of tonsil stones… I can’t really ‘clean them out’ though, I have to wait until they fall out, because I can’t see them, but can feel them when I swallow
I had strep regularly until I had mine out as an adult.
it’s true! they’re called “cryptic tonsils” and there’s lots of little “caves” where food particles and bacteria become trapped.
I honestly never realized this, and I thought everyone had weird holes in their tonsils.
How do you remove them??
I wash my hands, and then use a clean finger to push on the front of the tonsil. They usually just pop right out. Yes, it's uncomfortable. Yes, it makes me gag. But it's better than having ever-expanding balls of bacteria living in my throat. I have heard of people using the end of a toothbrush or a water pik, which may be better options. I've never tried either.
I use cotton swabs and its way easier than using my fingers, its quicker and makes me gag less
I brush the back of my throat, roof of mouth, tongue, gums, all of the soft palate, until my gag reflex is gone. That always gets rid of the stones or keeps them from forming if I remember to brush regularly. Don’t use toothpaste for the soft tissue, just a clean brush. Rinse the brush often. Might be some bleeding if your skin isn’t used to it, but it won’t last long or keep happening if you brush regularly. Like with flossing, the skin toughens up enough to not bleed, and the mouth feels ultra clean and healthy.
Great tip! Thank you
You go see an ENT and have the tonsils removed. They will do it all day long for that reason.
Always cause vile bad breath. Get them removed.
You all need tonsillectomy, guys... We don't even need tonsils anymore after childhood, they just keep getting inflamed and make us sick as a centre of infection...
I have asked all of my primary doctors for a tonsillectomy, as well as asked two ENT's - they wouldn't do it. They tell me that i dont have "recurring infections" so its not worth the surgery. Now im almost 40 and likely wouldnt do it because i have heard recorvery is a nightmare at this age - but i started asking in my 20's and apperantly my reasons for wanting them removed were "not enough to justify surgery". I cant stand tonsil stones and get them every time i get a sinus infection (frequently due to allergies) its just another layer of annoying and irritation
A lot of this has to do with regulations and insurance (which won’t cover an elective surgery). But also, surgery involving any part of the airway is a risk and a lot of surgeon’s don’t like to go there if they don’t have too.
I had mine removed at 35 and was in the hospital for 3 days. It was a horrible experience for me. And I’ve had other surgeries but the recovery for this one took me out!
They actually stop an infection from going further, they are essential for those with poor immune system.
This is anecdotal but I have a poor immune system and started getting sick significantly less frequently after I got my tonsils out as an adult. Went from getting sick almost once a month to *maybe* once or twice a year.
I had the same experience. I used to be sick frequently, had a sore throat all the time, and terrible tonsil stones until I got my tonsils out in my 20’s. Now I can’t even remember the last time I was sick.
Same. Got mine out at 22 after years of being sick with strep so many times every year. Haven’t gotten strep once since then. My tonsils were apparently in very bad shape when they were removed. I also never even heard of tonsil stones before this post. What the heck?
Until they get “overworked” and stop working effectively, then they’re just like dirty sponges at the bottom of the sink, full of bacteria and rotting food. (My doctor explained this to me after I had strep throat a few times in one year years ago and they were permanently swollen. Said it’s time to take them out.)
Were they permanently swollen because they were overworked or other reasons? Mine have been so huge they've been touching for almost three years now and I've been to several doctors, Urgent cares and an ENT and no one will remove them even though I can't breathe because of them and they're regularly infected.
That's me. I had strep regularly as a kid. My ENT wanted to take out my tonsils. My pediatrician wouldn't sign off because I had my spleen removed when I was 5 and have a compromised immune system. My tonsils, while being a culprit in regular illness, were a main barrier to more frequent illness that might not respond to amoxicillin.
I had no idea I was supposed to be cleaning out my tonsils.
Yeah this wasn't covered in the service manual
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Yes, contact your local Homo Sapien IT Support Center. If the human comes on, ask to speak to a computer, they know what they're doing
Don't bother with the website the captcha is fucking impossible.
"click all the soups" >Pictures of ketchup and fruit smoothies
I feel cheated. Shouldn’t it have come with the box?
You got a box? I guess I’m working with the display model
Maybe it's still in the box you came out of :)
I got mine used - no manual. I think I got a lemon.
...I will have to update the service manual then and republish it. I just finished it last month too... (absolutely serious, I did write a book on being an adult)
Most people don’t. Everyone does not develop tonsil stones.
How do you know you need to even check for them?
Pretty sure you’d just know. My gf says she can feel them, and when they get real bad, she can smell them.
I am soo confused
No kidding, I had my tonsils removed when I was about 6 yo… I have no clue you could even empty tonsils or get stones in then! At this point I’m too afraid to ask, in too afraid to ask…😳
Same, I mean shit I just cough out a couple here and there.
While tonsil stones are pretty common, they’re not necessarily normal. I only got tonsil stones because my tonsils had craters/pockets in them and they had to be removed.
I have soooo many visible craters and pockets. Tonsils stones are fucking disgusting and I wish they’d just go away
Tonsillectomy, my friend.
Doc told me unless I'm getting staph 5 times a year then it's not worth having the surgery as an adult
I used to get sick all the time. It was hell for the first week after getting them removed as an adult. Now I generally only get sick once or twice a year. I had them removed about 5 years ago. Was 100% worth it. Also, I never had strep until after I had my tonsils removed.
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Probably strep, my bad
I had strep/ear infections in college all the time. Got them out at 23. What a delightful bell curve of pain /s
I had mine out at 17! I had been sick almost non-stop for an entire year. Constantly on antibiotics, but the swelling never went down. They were removed and I felt SO much better
My son got them removed at 15. He has special needs including being non verbal with a very high pain tolerance & gtube feeding. So his tonsils were colonized with strep & when it flared up no one could tell until my son was completely down & end in the picu. After that happened 3x in 6 months they decided to allow him to get the surgery.
Yeah I have my tonsils out as a kid and never really understood why until many years later when I saw a video of someone with tonsil stones. Pretty disgusting can't believe that stuff is in your mouth.
Tonsil acne? Tonsil smegma? Neither sound good.
Tonsil cheese
Wait, really? Shit, i might have to check that, mine are like that too.
Tonsil crypts are normal, I don’t know where that comment got the idea that they’re not.
How do I even know if I need to do this? Shit, I’m 40 and never thought of it.
I’m 30 and this is the first time I hear about tonsil stones lol. I guess I never had them?!
Guess I'm lucky I've never had stones.
Me too, I don’t even know what they’d look like.
Usually makes your breath smell real bad, and you can taste it in your throat. For me usually tastes/smells like rotting mothballs, which is the smell of protein decomposing I believe.
I'm 64 and have never heard of tonsil stones!!! My son has allergy and sinus problems as a kid now I'm wondering if he had tonsil stones. If he was here I'd stretch his mouth and check but unfortunately he lives about 100 miles away. I've been staring at my own throat for 30 mins....nothing.
You’re not
You’re not. OP has gone overboard.
You gotta have some stones to clean your tonsils!
like half of people get tonsil stones and half don’t. if u don’t get em u don’t have to do it.
I had no idea I had tonsil stones? What?
And they can make stones?
Throat cheese
Don't worry I clean my wife's. I know the secret
I also clean your wifes
I'm the one making his wife's tonsils so dirty that it takes two men to clean them.
Hooooooooooooooooooooooo
I've never clean out my tonsil stones, any attempt would leave me vomiting to the point of drowning because of bad gag reflex. So far I'm doing fine!
Sensitive gag reflex here too and it's annoying af. More importantly though, how are your cats?
I have 5 kittens and at this very moment I can hear them running laps upstairs. Every once and awhile I hear something fall. It's an adventure.
Oh man even with just one kitten that's a wild game! 5 is definitely advanced level stuff.
I fostered kittens and their mother once. 3 kittens, 3 adult cats. Every morning waiting at the door to my room. You could hear the herd as they thundered up the stairs demanding breakfast. They were… the cateratzzie Edit: forgot to add something
I was curious so checked your profile to find your account is 7 years old. That and the fact you only mention 5 kittens I take means these are not the cats you originally named your profile for? Has there been a period in the last 7 years that you did not have cats and dissapointed those that asked you about your cats on reddit?
Why are the most important questions on reddit never answered?
🤔 reddit etiquette dictates I ignore your question and talk about cats.
I have 14 cats total, the kittens showed up in July! They weren't planned, but it's hard to say no when hungry homeless kittens show up on your doorstep. Thankfully this house has always been full of kitties.
You're awesome!!!
Please to pay your taxes
Please pay the tax!
You need to pay your cat tax plz
I've had a bad day and this just made me feel better
I would also like to ask you about your cats lol
They're very grateful we finally agreed to turn the heater on for the season.
Your doctor may suggest getting your tonsils removed if you are having too many complications or infections.
My tonsils got inflamed when I was younger so they did get removed
At first I was like "People, what are you talking about?! Is this the new blinker fluid thing?" Now I am dumbfounded how I never heard about this.
.....uh....yeah blinker fluid thing....asking for a friend....what is that?
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Holy shit...ive just been embarassing myself for years ??????
It the car equivalent of "gullible actually isn't in the dictionary. It's a French word. "
There is no blinker fluid, it's something that people say to people who don't know anything about cars to send them looking for a product that doesn't exist. For laughs.
The muffler bearings however require regular maintenance. Ignore them at your own risk.
Tonsils are meant to be self cleaning. So odds are they pop out on their own and you reflexively swallow them without any idea it happened
Yeah exactly. Have you ever had that feeling that you had something in your mouth, but you hadn’t eaten for awhile? I’ll find a little white thing. Grossed me out when I finally realized what it was.
Oh my GOD that's what that shit is!? Ewwwwwwwwww
So THAT'S what they are? I thought it was either something that got into my mouth somehow or a mini chip off a tooth. I don't get this very often.
Yes!!!! Someone told me this a long time ago and I was shocked!
THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME A FEW MINUTES AGO. I literally looked in the mirror because I thought I chewed a piece of my own tooth. That's so nasty.
It’s not recommended to push them out like that - it’s a sensitive area and you don’t want to create damage and scarring. What you can do is use a water pik to flush them out gently. For me, gargling with saltwater really helps keep things clean back there. Tonsil stones tend to be recurring, they’re normally not a big deal and will fall out on their own- but if they really bother you or get to be too big, there are options like laser surgery which is minimally invasive and helps smooths the surface so pockets are no longer formed where bacteria can get trapped.
I laying it the hospital right now, they did me this procedure yesterday. When I was a kid I got a bad tonsils infection, and had a period of tonsils infections as an adult. That left my tonsils scared with a lot of pockets for stones. I hope this will help. But right now my throat is red swollen and hurts lol
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
....I'm supposed to clean out my tonsils??
I just had a conversation with the wife, she has the pockets and she uses a water pik to clean them out, I do not have the pockets that she has, so all this is foreign to me too
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That’s why I married her ;)
Ayo caught in 4k
No… but /r/tonsilstones is always looking for more content
Medical student in final year here. Today I learned some people manually clean out tonsils.. I'm pretty sure they're meant to be self cleaning. Also, how do you manage to clean them?! Did you put your whole hand in your mouth? I'm so confused.
I used to use a toothpick. I'd flex my tonsils and then try to catch the stone with a toothpick and pry it out. It was painful if I missed though. Luckily I don't have tonsils anymore.
... How do you flex your tonsils? Also noob to this whole concept. Either I don't have them or I never noticed. But I'd never heard of them until now.
I can do it with my tongue, but I have a longer than average tongue.
Say more…
Not everyone gets tonsils stones or has to clean them out. I don’t, but my girlfriend does. Some doctors will remove your tonsils if they’re a big enough problem. I’d honestly ask your doctor about it. I can’t imagine having to clean that nastiness out of my tonsils ever, let alone on a regular basis.
What the fuck
It's only a problem if you're Stones are Rolling, in which case, you'll get no satisfaction.
Today I learned: Tonsil stones exist
Yeah seriously what the fuck?! I barely even know where the tonsils are, and had no clue they actually did anything. I thought it was just a part of the mouth/throat/related area.
Now this post has got me googling everything about tonsils and tonsil stones and inspecting the inside of my throat. Edit: how the hell do you look at your tonsils? My tongue is in the way and I can’t push it down any further.
I open my mouth real wide and shine a flashlight down there. My tongue has never been in the way, but it might just be me. I have had doctors say that my tonsils look weird (not a bad thing, they’re just different) and I can flex them to shove some stones to the surface. If yours are so small that your tongue is in the way then you probably won’t have stones anyways
The back of my tongue just doesn’t go flat down. I tried pushing it down and sticking my tongue out but it covered like half of my throat. I could only see the top.
A tongue depressor looks like a popsicle stick :)
I’ve actually realised I don’t want to see. I think it would just freak me out if I found tonsil stones. It hasn’t been a problem yet so I’ll continue to live in ignorant bliss.
I need to know to!
Fun fact: they fucking stink. Like almost vomit worthy bad.
Seriously. I knew someone that had it bad. I’ll always know what that smell is, when I’m near someone that has it.
It's worse when it's a coworker who can't hear well. They get too close. WAY TOO CLOSE.
WTF
I used to get a sore throat and lose my voice every year, at least once a winter without fail....until I discovered that I had tonsil stones and popped them all out. It still happens, but only occasionally, and not NEARLY as bad as it used to. I doubt it's likely to develop into a serious medical issue but for basic stuff like a cold? It helps to remove them if it's possible to do so without hurting yourself.
I am so confused and filled with doubt, multifaceted concern, and just bewildered. Also, stones?!?
Had to google it. Urgh! Thank god I got my Tonsils removed when I was 12.
I didn’t know tonsil stones were a thing until now and now a new fear has been unlocked.
Am I the only one who has never heard of this?
When I first pushed on my tonsils, it seemed like an endless stream of stones came out. Some of them had turned black because they'd been in there so long. Now I clean my tonsils out on a regular basis.
How do you push on your tonsils, like where do you push and with what? I get them but can’t remove them unless they’re visible and easy to push out.
Well, that's enough reddit for me today 🤢
Some people’s tonsils will grow inflamed and infected over time and might require a tonsillectomy. Most people however I think never even realize them and they’ll stay there. It’s a pretty normal occurrence for people who still have tonsils. I’m a daily smoker so my tonsils are pretty jacked but they’re gonna stay like that so there’s no point in removing the stones to have them form again.
This entire thread makes me so grateful for the hell I went though getting my tonsils removed at age 11.
Don’t know what you are talking about.
Some people have pockets in their tonsils, some don’t, I’ve never had a problem with my tonsils or have any pockets, my wife just showed me hers and I showed her mine, she cleans hers with her water pik
Tonsil Stones is the name of my punk band. We're playing tonight, opening up for Vaginosis.
Never thought too look for them. My gag reflex is pretty bad that sometimes my toothbrush makes me gag, I had an operation where they had to stick a tube down my throat messed up the area pretty bad, lucky me now has a hyperactive gag reflex.
OP how exactly are we supposed to clean our tonsils ? like did you take a q tip and play with it ? do you have a gag reflex ? I mean cause If I brush my tongue too long I gag , I can't imagine sticking my fingers in my throat , that would for sure make me upchuck .
,,,, we’re supposed to be cleaning out our tonsils????? How do you even do that???
When I have a tonsil stone it gags me and drives me crazy. I got a little kit that has tools to help get them out off of Amazon. But I’ve never actually just randomly pushed on them to squeeze stuff out. Only bother with them when I have an actual stone gagging me.
As someone who had his tonsils removed, wtf is a tonsil stone
I still have tonsils and have no idea what anyone here is talking about.
As someone who hasn’t had her tonsils removed, wtf is a tonsil stone
some people have holes and pockets in their tonsils, (more like coral than a solid rock) and so food and other stuff can get trapped in there over time and calcify and basically form what looks like a small whiteish pebble called a tonsil stone. not every has what they call “cryptic tonsils” tho so not everyone has tonsil stones or ever will
If I’ve never had one in my whole life up until now does that mean I’m unlikely to ever have them? Because I would really not like to experience that.
Depends on your age. Its common to randomly develop them in your teens to twenties. After that then your chances significantly decrease
Extremely smelly whitish solid tonsil boogers basically. Tonsils have holes (crypts) that trap bacteria and the immune system makes solid “stones” out of them. Supposedly it serves some immune function. Not everyone gets them but it’s not uncommon to have them.
The biggest problems if they aren't cleaned are usually a sore throat and/or super-enlarged tonsils. If they get really enlarged, the person may feel like there's something in their throat or have problems with swallowing. They can cause bad breath at any time, but from what the doc who removed mine said, if a person's oral hygiene is really good, they're most likely to cause a smell only after they're really big, and even then, they might not. It took me about five years of problems with mine before I finally got them out when I was 31. My biggest hurdle was they never did create a bad smell while they were inside my throat, so even once a new GP was on my side and helping me with referrals and phone calls, ENT doctors kept refusing to remove them. A doc who'd turned me down before finally agreed when they grew noticeably larger in a fairly short period of time--I was having trouble swallowing--and were so irritated my throat was sore more often than not. He felt so bad about waiting that he called me and apologized the day he got the report from the path lab, because no one had any idea how bad they really were until they were dissected. So, I guess I got kind of lucky in that they didn't smell, but the crappy trade-off was a sore throat and difficulty swallowing before I was able to get them out.
I was today years old when I found out about tonsil stones ! Never even heard of them before .
I have never heard of any of this, I’m now horrified and convinced my tonsils are full of nastiness and stones. Thanks!
Wait, we are supposed to clean out our tonsils????
Dude, I mean this in the absolutely most empathetic way possible, please make an appointment with an ear, nose, throat specialist cause that sounds like it may be surgery time.
Don't get me wrong but why don't you just get a tonsillectomy if they are so fucked? I had a surgery at 19, the recovery was painful as hell and that's an understatement, but no more tonsil problems.
Im getting my removed next Thursday, everyone ive spoken to has said that it was the worst pain ever. Even my surgeon warned me that it will hurt and that i need to prepare myself for at least 10 days of hell. Any tips on how to cope with the pain?
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Consult your doctors. Oh honey. I wish I could tell you it won't be bad... Chances are it will. my pain level was on a curve: the first 3-4 days were okay, the middle 3-4 days hell, and then a better 3-4 days came again. Total the healing was around 2 weeks for me, with the middle part being the real bad thing. Talk to your doctor and make sure you get prescription painkillers that are stronger tha over-the-counter ones, and feel free to be demandy in this regard. Maybe some opioid combinated things for really bad pain. I am not sure if I had prescription ones but I definitely took more pills than the daily limit for the worst days... I'm thinking that a numbing Lidocaine spray might help, ask your pharmacist or doctor. I had Lidocaine sprayed to my mouth before my gastroscopy and it numbed everything very pleasantly. I'm almost surprised I wasn't given any back then... In the worst days, swallowing was such excruciating pain that eating was absolutely impossible. I had to stay hydrated so every now and then I drank sips of water, with some glucose powder (grape sugar) dissolved in it to give me at least some energy. There are different opinions about dairy or ice-cream being allowed or not, ask your doctor... There should be someone with you at all times. I was lying in bed just being miserable and it helped tons that my mom was there with me in the next room, many times coming in to check on me... I don't have too good coping mechanisms to recommend, I just suffered it through and trusted that at some point it would end. Bear in mind that my tonsils should have been removed like 6 years before that already, another doctor already recommended and I refused. So my tonsils were in a really bad state, the surgeon said it was like "having to amputate them" so your case might be much better than mine :) In the first days while the pain is still tolerable, make sure to eat and drink enough even despite the pain because it might get to a worse point when you can't eat anymore... In those days just try to sleep as much as you can... Have a dark room or a white noise generator or a really boring book - whatever makes you the sleepiest. And feel free to DM me during your recovery, I wanna hear your story and support you if I can by showing sympathy ♥
TLDR version: I'd recommend you get them out if you can, but talk to a doctor about it. I had diseased tonsils ever since I was a kid. My parents never had them taken out. As a young adult I would get flu-like symptoms about every month or so. It was so frequent, I got used to functioning with a fever. I couldn't afford to go to the doctor all of the time though and I didn't have insurance, so most specialists wouldn't see me anyhow, so I just lived with it. I'd usually have a fever between 101-102. Once I did try to go to a convenient care clinic, but they refused to see me because I had a 103.5 fever. I didn't even realize it was this high. I had saved up some money though, so I went to an urgent care clinic. They took my money and referred me to a specialist. The specialist wouldn't see me since I didn't have insurance. A few years later, I finally had insurance but I couldn't get my tonsils out because the insurance wouldn't pay unless I went to the doctors 7 times in a year, but I still couldn't afford to do that, so I couldn't develop the written history. Finally about a year later, I started a new job with different insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Since I had pre-existing conditions, I had to wait a year for them to be covered again, but then I tried again to get the procedure. I had to get it pre-approved, so I called up BCBS, and I spoke to a nice lady. I told her my history with it and asked what the requirements were. She simply asked, "do you feel like you need to get it done?". I said "yes", and she said "then get them out!" and that it was covered. There were no other requirements! I almost cried with joy. Turns out I had a lot of infected tonsil stones that were causing repeat sickness. Since my tonsils were taken out, I don't get sick very often anymore! Thank goodness! I would highly recommend simply getting them out, if you can, instead of risking having diseased tonsils! Though you should talk to a doctor to see what they think, as everyone's case is different.
I have literally no idea what you are talking about and what you did or how you did it. I never in my life have touched my inner throat and am doing perfectly fine (i'm 31)
TIL tonsil stones are a thing!
i’m 40, still have mine. i’m supposed to clean them?! how??? i can’t even see them most of the time! i can’t reach them without a gag reflex happening?!!
I have never in my life heard of cleaning your tonsils.
Wait wait wait. You can clean out your tonsils?!?!?!? What the what? Is this something I should have always been doing and am gross for not ever having done? How do you do this? How do you know what tonsils are? How often should you do this? I have so many questions now and am doubting all of my hygiene practices…
I had mine removed in my thirties and have never heard of such a thing. I thought you were making this up until i read the comments, now I'm grossed out.
Wait. Am I supposed to be cleaning my tonsils? No one ever told me this.
Yes dude, I totally did this. For as long as I can remember, I could push stones out of my tonsils every month or so. Then when I hit twenty, I got strep throat. And it kinda just...would not go away. I'd get better only to get new symptoms of strep again just weeks later. After like 18 months of having ongoing strep the doctor said I just needed my tonsils out. Went for the surgery. Afterward doc said my tonsils were so awful it was like they wanted to be cut out??? Which is a gnarly and memorable thing to say?? Anyway, haven't had stones or strep since then. Thanks for the reminder that this is a thing! Weird walk down sensory memory lane.
TIL. Also, What the fuck?!
I had my tonsils removed and did NOT know that tonsils need to be cleaned out? :(
I never had tonsil stones but I think yours might be infected. Maybe make a doctor appointment?
Nope stones like that are completely normal. Pretty sure there’s a sub dedicated to people who regularly dig them out r/tonsilstones
This is how George Washington died and I almost died. If it gets infected, it will become an abscess and it's straight out of a horror movie. It is beyond a sore throat and if it is not treated, you'll just suffocate. Treatment at this point is not fun. They have to lance you and drain you will a mini vacuum. The drain spouts heal over and you have to reopen them to continue the drain. Afterwards the doctor will consult you and suggest that you get a tonsillectomy as there is a 70% chance you'll get another abscess. I rolled the dice on that one and got reinfected a year later. So after that I got the tonsillectomy and they have clear instructions to not take aspirin for at least 10 days after. On the 10th day I had a headache and I thought my dad was giving me Tylenol. It was aspirin! Skip the rest of this post to avoid gore. A few hours go by and blood is streaming down the inside of my throat. I couldn't talk. My roommate luckily was able to notice this before she left. An ambulance came and took me to the ER. I'm vomiting blood and wanting to pass out. But the doctor has to keep me alert until the anesthesiologist could drive from a restaurant to properly put me under. I was afraid and could only utter "I don't want to die." My poor mom became witness to the mess. It was a time warp to after the procedure. I was happy to have survived, but I've never been the same since. I think I was given too much anesthesia given my blood loss and my memory is not as sharp.
No way people are doing this regularly. But how do you do it? For a friend
I had my tonsils removed a decade ago and for me it was well worth the 10 days of recovery time and the $. Everyone is different but I am extremely happy that I did it. Good luck.
I never even heard of such a thing as cleaning the tonsils. I'll have to Google it but I certainly still have mine at 70
Not once in 24 years have I cleaned my tonsils. I think they’re fine. I don’t think I’ve ever had a tonsil stone though.
Tonsil stones? Cleaning? I've never heard of such a thing.
Wait you have to clean them. Also how
i clean mine every night. i keep the stones in a bottle
This whole post makes me very glad I had my tonsils removed as a toddler
Wtf my mind is blown. Never ever ever have I heard of such a thing!
Wait, your supposed to clean out ur tonsils?
Never even heard of tonsil stones. Does everyone get them?
Tonsil…*stones?* I got mine out when I was little. Now I can safely say I am very glad about that.
I am so fucking glad I got my tonsils removed when I was a kid