Today I Found Out what those foul smelling, small, white-ish, chunks that you can sometimes feel at the back of your throat when you swallow are. They’re called Tonsilloliths or Tonsil Stones.
Although most people experience these little white balls at the back of the throat that often get coughed up into the mouth, this widespread affliction is rarely talked about and the awareness about it very low. Many suffer in silence believing that their alone or the occurrence is nothing more than dregs of last night’s dinner. Another reason people don’t dispense with their problem of tonsil stones is because they are embarrassingly nasty and foul smelling!
Tonsilloliths, also known as tonsil stones are stinky little globs of mucus, dead cells, debris and bacteria that form in the tonsil crypts which are simply small pockets or divots that appear in everyone’s tonsils. When the trapped dead cells, mucus, and debris harden or calcify, they form white/yellow ball in the tonsil pockets. They usually appear as tiny little chunks in the shape of cauliflower and smell like they could wake up your dead grandma.
The strong unpleasant odor is caused by a build-up of sulfur-producing bacteria that feeds on the tonsil stones collected in the crypts of the tonsils and is a combination of hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and other stinky substances that form in it. Tonsil stones can range from a size of a small peppercorn to a rather large size causing discomfort in the throat and in some cases uncomfortable side effects, including sore throat and ear pain and tonsillitis. It is also believed to be one of the reasons for Halitosis (bad breath).
Tonsil stones are fairly common in adults and children. However, they tend to occur most often in people who suffer from chronic inflammation in their tonsils or repeated bouts of tonsillitis. Studies have shown that people who have had their tonsils removed, under most circumstances, almost never experience tonsil stones.
There are some effective treatments for reducing the occurrence of tonsil stones. Removing one’s tonsils is an option, but not the best solution as tonsils play a role in the immune system and are meant to function like nets, trapping incoming bacteria and virus particles that are passing through your throat. Easy home treatments like gargling salt water, or non-alcohol mouthwash is often advised for getting rid of tonsiloliths. A water pick that emits powerful pulses of water is also a useful tool for clearing the tonsil crypts. The simplest solution is to use a cotton swab or toothbrush so you can push the nasty little things out and rinse your mouth free of them.
Bonus Facts:
- There are about 9,000 taste buds on the surface of the tongue, in the throat, and on the roof of the mouth. Taste buds contain chemoreceptors that respond to chemicals from food and other substances that are dissolved by the saliva in the mouth.
- Your mouth produces 1 liter (1.8 pints) of saliva a day. We each produce about 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime. Saliva is required for taste—until food is dissolved by saliva, we cannot taste it.
- The average American eats 50 tonnes of food and drinks 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of liquid during his life. It also takes food seven seconds to go from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus.
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I’ve had this for years and didn’t realize it was so common. I’ve always called them ‘Throat Pearls’
haha i always thought they were popcorn kernals!!! haha
Glad it normal to an extent and not crazy disease or like your brain is slowly dissolving and seeping through the cracks lol.
I’m only 12 and I’ve been getting these for years… I’m glad it’s normal
I always thought they were little chunks of peanuts.
Glad to know! Just started getting them! There are so many of them that I’ve dug out… I’m surprised my suite-mate hasn’t accused me of being bulimic yet!
I’ve been getting those for years and I’m also very prone to having strep ….. those things stink sooo bad
I have had these for years, my daughter calls me dog breath
oh… That explains a lot…. I’m just glad its normal.
oh thank God I’ve been getting these things for a while now glad its not nothing serious my cousin told me it was dookie Lmaooo that’s how bad it smells
I didn’t know what I was coughing up and when I would smell it to find out, I damn near passed out. They smell terrible but I’m glad it isn’t anything serious.
I’d had these for years , but didn’t know what they were and I’m glad it’s normal. Some of these comments crack me up !(‘:
I get strep throat and ear infections all the time. Then I went to see an ENT doctor and he told me about tonsilloliths and I learn to cough it out every week and for two years I never had another throat infection! Hope this helps!
I have been trying to figure out what these gross little things were for YEARS! They make my breath smell SO bad, but no matter how much I brushed, flossed, or scraped my tongue, I couldn’t get the smell to go away….now I know why! They’re stuck in my tonsils….so now I have to get buy a water pick or try to brush my tonsils….I don’t even know where my tonsils are! LOL!
To remove them, I used to use a cotton swab or a toothpick. But now I just wash my hands and use my index finger to remove it. It is quick and easy for me. I get it like once or twice a year.
I have pains in my stomach I just always thought that was the cause ! I wanna get rid of them for good!
Have dealt with these for years. I just use a dull tarter scraper (the hooked kind – not as scary as it seems) and pop those things out every morning. If I don’t, they will build up and be nasty. Just be real careful. It’s become routine. Have had tonsillitis at least 3-4 times in my life, they should be taken out!
I use to get those as a teenager- but I also got Tonsilitis ALOT too. As soon as I got my tonsils out- no more!
I’ve had these since I was 10 years old. I am now 21. And I just stick my finger against my tonsils and push them out. They do stink. Luckily they don’t effect my breath. I just knew when I was younger that it had something to do with cancer. Lol. Luckily I’m not the only one. Hello fellow peers who share the same weird nuisance I do..lol.
I always use to get these from an early age followed by endless bouts of tonsilitis until the age of 14 when i had them removed. And yes i agree they were foul smelling and mine use to get so large that i could actually feel them when i swallowed as though there was food trapped in my throat…i’m now in my 40′s and i suffer from throat infections, but nothing as bad as what i suffered for about 10yrs as a child..that was the best thing ever to get rid of those pesky smelly lumps..lol
I always get them. They are usually white. They are usually the size of a nerd (nerd is a piece of candy) but recently I had one, it was brownish and it was the size of a popcorn. GROSS!!! When I sneezed it came out. YUCK!! While I was at work.. EMBARRISING!
So, I always thought maybe I was the only one this happened to lol. Glad I’m not the only one. They smell awful and I feel like I have to cough them up and it’s a task sometimes. I’ve been getting them since I was about 18 (I’m 20 now) and have no clue why I started to get them out of nowhere.
I gave up taking vitamin supplements, mine went away (once out) and have not come back. I guess it maybe the body’s way of purging unwanted minerals/vitamins whether from food or supplements. I hope it helps some of you.
I had them for years. Had my gall bladder removed because of gall stones and they went away.
i allll ways get them and like i take a bobby pin a take them out or us salt water and they come out when i wake up in the morning
I had them all my life and finally figured out how to get them out, so I squashed the crap out of my tonsils with anything I could get back there and could litteraly fill a small container with them. I guess I got them all out cause I didn’t have them for about three years and then out of nowhere they came back, they are so disgusting and they even keep me up at night because I can taste the fowlness on my breath and I can even feel them in the back of my throat. You would think I’m talking about something living back there but it’s like some yucky creature in your throat that won’t come out, I quests I’m gonna have to get the tools out and go ape crazy on my tonsills again cause I really don’t want to get a tonsillectomy at 30 but it looks to be that way. Any suggestions?
I am at work and i am laughing soooooo hard at these comments. I get them too and they are foul smelling. I asked my doctor just today what are they called because when i get them, my throat is sore on the side.
So I googled “what is that nasty smelling yellowish thing that comes out my tonsils?” And came to this page. I am still laughing at the comments! I have had this for years but today was the first time I noticed it came from my tonsils and got a sore throat with it. I thought it was tartar before, LOL! I’m so glad it’s normal because I was dredding having to go to my doctor with one of those “crap nuggets” in a baggie.
im so happy that people have them i thought i was the only one getting them i use to think it was because i didnt brush my teeth enough …
LMBO! my husband jumped out bed looking at me crazy. i can’t stop laughing at these comments! i started getting those annoying horrible “stinkoids” about four years ago right after i had my baby. i never knew what they were. I am sooo relieved it’s not cancer! it is so embarassing, especially when out of nowhere, one comes up in you mouth while in the middle of a conversation lol. i’m getting my tonsils removed. i want this gone
thank you all for the comments. i didn’t have a clue what in the hell those little white maggots in my throat were. i just always thought i was a freak alien or something and golly those things stink, they smell like a pigs a$$. The first time i coughed one out in my sink i inspected it closely and the smell just about made me vomit. i squeeze those gross pearls out with my index finger kinda like popping a pimple, and after i get them out i no longer have dragons breath.
I’ve had these for the best part of 15 years, I was prone to tonsillitis when I was younger but put it down to being tired and smoking occasionally as they would get worse after smoking. Now they seem to occur when I am tired or run down , they used to be a lot bigger but are now the size of a large grain of sand or smaller and more dispersed, I think they give me stomach ache as it tends to go hand in hand when I swallow saliva just after picking them out with my tounge. I’ve tried salt water but to be honest never kept up the routine of gargling day & night as it was a royal pain in the a*se. Had tonsillitis for the first time in 20 years a few months ago and thought the antibiotics would cure it but it’s still there. I guess I’ll just have to live with it, but occasionally it does make me a bit paranoid about potentially smelly breath. Glad to know I am not alone in this.
I always wondered what they were, my mom said “eww” and said she never had it happen to her, but they come out when I cough and have a cold.
Good explanation Noreen , thanks.
huh. I always just thought I had cancer or something.
Bahahaha, first of all if you guys thought you had cancer why wouldn’t you go to a doctor… just sayin
My brother and I have had these for years, we call them “throat munchies” and now I know why the smell like a pile of cow-manure. thnx for all the comments
I have found using a *new nose sucker aka booger sucker with hot water and spraying the tonsils a couple of times it takes care of the problem for a time. Enjoyed the descriptive nicknames…I have always called it throat cheese. This is the stuff that keeps one humble.
I am 34 and started getting these about 4 years ago after having severe case of tonsillitis. One of my tonsils swelled up pretty badly, even scabbed over… and after I healed I guess it formed a pocket and now and then a small piece of food can get caught in it and will bother the crap outta. I have to do a lot just to get it out
This article is brilliant, Noreen! Also, these comments are fun and interesting to read! It is good that we’re all communicating about this over the faceless inter-webs… because I’m sure this has been an affliction of many many more people than just us whom have discovered this article!
I’m also sure most people don’t just go around talking about this aloud to all people.
I have discovered these things off and on over many years. They come and go… and we all agree, they ARE disgusting. I don’t like when I can feel one in my mouth. Need to spit it out immediately! Being so sensitive to smell… I hate knowing that something that foul can come from my very own throat! That is spends even a second in my mouth…Creepy! YUCK!
I’ve got a sore throat and have had some cold symptoms for a couple days… and I just spit out one of the largest ones I’ve ever had.
I remember thinking…years ago “I have impeccable oral hygiene…what is this? Why do I have it?” I knew they were coming from my throat. Told mom and she couldn’t relate. Bad breath disgusts me more than most things to do with the body… so I don’t like the idea that I could have it!
I figured I was alone. I went to my doctor… I think I did bring one in a bag years ago. She had no idea what it was or how to help me. That is scary! I’m bringing her this article!
So glad I finally looked this up.I’ve called them stink bombs they are horrid.they are very annoying.I hope that the non alcohol listerine works.I would love to get rid of these tonsil stones.
I have them now
I’ve always called then “curds” So gross! I can’t seem to get them out this time though!! Ugh! I’m going to try salt water or may the booger sucker thing, great idea Hun73.
So glad I finally know what the heck these things are! I get them too often and they stink soo bad that it made me feel bad for my BF poor guy cause I know it makes my breath smell bad lol Im at work and coughed and one flew out! Nasty I know…not happy about having to fish them out but damn it I sure will to get them out! Any one know how we can avoid getting them!?? I use mouth wash every night…should I step it up?
Gald Im not alone:)
Um wow! I’ve had this for years! I thought the weird taste in my mouth was from my filling. My doctors looked at me like I was crazy. And when I have coughed them up I thought it was old food stuck in my throat or teeth. Like the white film stuff you brush off. I floss, mouth wash and brush twice a day . I sometimes barely kiss my boyfriend because I’m so self conscious about the smell. I’ve tried EVERYTHING!!! These past three days I’ve had the itchy throat ears and yesterday morning my boyfriend said my breath smelled like death . I’m so self conscious about it and have been for years! 20 minutes ago I coughed them up and smelled and seriously ran to the bathroom to wash my hands omg disgusting!!!!! I’m beyond happy I just found this !! I don’t care I want these things removed! And why did my doctor NEVER tell Em about this!!!!!!?!?!?!?
P.s I too thought it was peanut pieces at one time :/
I get them too pretty often (about once a month), little tiny ones up to about the size of a pea. Mine don’t smell that bad though…they have a slight odor, but nothing compared to what you all are describing. I always thought it was old food or something coming out of my lungs!! I’ve been getting them for about 5 years now I guess.
I have had them since i was 15 (now 35). They are nasty. Asked my dentist about the problem but she did not know what i was talking about, i sure am glad i found this site
I thought I have lung cancer pharngeal cancer since the stones became red. I didn’t know this is common for people. I’ve had this for many years and didn’t know until I googled in ‘coughing up small pieces of white’ (I have no clue what you call them). I always thought it was food residuals. It would get stuck in my throat and I have to cough it out. It has a foul smell to it. I think my breath starts to smell like this tonsil crypt! Good to know that I don’t have cancer!
Haha they smell terrible, and if you think otherwise, you don’t have what we’re describing. I hate these things but can get them out relatively easy. I literally just wash my hands and push the sides of my tonsils and they pop right out. It’s really nasty…
I ALWAYS thought they were circumvallate papillae (the larger taste buds at the very back of the tongue) shedding due to infection or something. I am so glad this page exists! Tried to ask my husband if he’d ever had them and he just looked at me like I was nuts.
I’m here because I coughed one up tonight and MY DOG ATE IT!! I was horrified. She’s definitely not getting any kisses any time soon, ewww.
Just an idea- you don’t need to buy a water pick, you can use a syringe like they give you for cleaning after wisdom tooth removal… I’m gonna go clean out my tonsils now, yay!
I was drinking Pomegranate Cherry Juice today and for some reason it helped me to get rid of some that had been bothering me for a good while. Give it a try if you’re having trouble getting rid of them.
I googled n got this page and so glad i did, answered my questions and give me a hell of a gud laugh. got my first one today- got it out wasnt nasty r bad but have now got a hole on the back of my throat- fun times. i was bit woried now im extreamly entertained readin the comments. nyt
I thank you all because I have felt alone with this for sooo long. It tickles me to finally google it and read all of your responses. I was at work one day having a conversation and was kind of keeping my mouth tight because of the odor that i didn’t want anyone else to smell. I went to laugh at a joke and 3 small pieces flew out of my mouth. I wanted to cry but nobody actually saw it. I used paper to retrieve them and later investigated. How can something so small, stink so bad. I thought something was wrong in my stomach or something really bad was happening. THANK you all for helping me relieve the tension and worries.