This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 and is filed under Blog by AENT Associates
Unless you have experienced them in the past, you probably don’t even know that frequent tonsil stones exist. In fact, many people are confused and surprised when they experience tonsil stones for the first time. This is because they can be strange, uncomfortable, and for some people embarrassing, but ultimately tonsil stones are relatively harmless and nothing to worry about. If you have ever looked at the back of your throat and noticed any hard white or yellowish balls in the tonsils, or if you have ever coughed or choked up these small white or yellow balls, then you have a history with tonsil stones. And you’re not alone – a relatively high percentage of the population has at some point had these stones.
There is no clear indication as of yet as to how tonsil stones form, or why they form. Additionally, there is still no known factor that causes them to form in one individual and not another, although it has been shown that a history of tonsillitis can lead to an increased risk of tonsil stones. This is because chronic infection of the tonsils causes them to become pitted, and it is in these pits that frequent tonsil stones can form.
For most people, the worst thing about tonsil stones is the fact that they can be malodorous. In some rare cases, the malodorous nature of tonsil stones can contribute to bad breath. In the very worst cases, tonsil stones can cause the tonsils and throat to become sore and can lead to a large amount of discomfort. They can even contribute to problems swallowing in some cases, or to a feeling of something being caught in the throat. In circumstances such as these, a patient may consider contacting an ENT doctor in Houston to discuss their options, which may include the removal of the tonsils. For those who have tonsil stones in addition to continuing tonsillitis, the tonsillectomy procedure can be effective in treating both problems at once. So if you find that you have tonsil stones, and that they are a persistent problem, go ahead and contact a Houston ENT to see what may be done. While not harmful, frequent tonsil stones can be a nuisance – and one that has a few irritating side effects that you may want to deal with if they become too much of a problem.
Tags: ENT doctor in Houston, Houston ENT, Tonsil Stones Treatment
