Tonsil stones, also called tonsilloliths, are usually harmless white, cream, or yellow deposits that form when food particles, bacteria, mucus, dead cells, and minerals become trapped and hardened inside the natural folds and crypts of the tonsils. They can cause persistent bad breath, throat irritation, coughing, an unpleasant taste, ear discomfort, or the feeling that something is stuck in the throat, although some cause no symptoms at all. People with deeper tonsil crypts, repeated tonsil infections, dry mouth, or certain oral conditions may be more prone to them. Small stones often loosen naturally, while warm saltwater gargles, good oral hygiene, hydration, and very gentle care may help; sharp tools or forceful scraping should be avoided because they can injure the tonsils. Most cases are minor, but severe pain, swelling, bleeding, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or rapidly worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional……<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tonsil stones, also called tonsilloliths, are usually harmless white, cream, or yellow deposits that form when food particles, bacteria, mucus, dead cells, and minerals become trapped and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n