Yum! One more anatomical fact that you need to know: The surface of your tonsils is pockmarked with deep pits, appropriately called "crypts" (since dead stuff accumulates in these pits). The dead cells become incorporated in your saliva and then you swallow them. Like your skin, oral mucosa sheds continuously. The tissue lining the tonsils (called oral mucosa) is fairly sensitive, so people with this problem often report that they feel an irritation in the back of the throat and are able to pick these critters out of their tonsils.
They are typically white or whitish-yellow, irregularly shaped, foul-smelling and usually smaller than a pea. These things are called tonsilloliths ("tonsil stones"). Keep posting if anyone else has any experience with tonsilloliths! yuck.can't believe i have them.Ī posting from, by no means the standard of med/dent lit.but interesting anyhow.Īnd btw, a lot of dentists do come across this problem, so perhaps, Griffiin04, you should read up. Thanks to everyone for your comments - i really appreciate it. i'll keep you up to date on what the ENT says.Īnd to aphistis - i was NOT asking for medical advice. but i'd rather discuss it with a doctor now and make sure its not serious. I think a lot of people may have this strange problem but don't talk about it because it's embarassing and hence, many docs don't know about it. Its just nice to know that these are benign (i was afraid of having a zenker's diverticulum - which is clearly very different, but i freaked out, being in med school and all.) but again, after reading the med literature and seeing those forums, i think i'm pretty convinced these nasties are tonsil stones. but i just wanted to see what the medical forums had to say and its so surprising to see many of you guys have it too! yay! i'm not a freak all by myself. then i searched it on the internet yesterday and had a pretty hard time finding info.but finally came across two forums in which a ton of people described having it. Wow! this is awesome! i honestly thought i was the only person with this freakish problem. So there.and yes, i am seeing an ENT next week.so we'll see what happens. i do NOT have dysphagia, coughing, tonsillitis (although i get colds often and had horrible tonsillitis as a child). have you guys heard about it or had a pt with it? my symptoms seem to pretty much match this rather than zenker's. Its disturbing and to say the least, not very attractive to my boyfriend when i told him about it.Īt first, i was convinced it was zenker's diverticulum - but i've researched it a bit and i've come across the term "tonsillolith" or tonsil stones. then a few days later, it comes up on its own. i try to cough or bring it up with the back of my tongue (like you're about to vomit or bring up phlegm), but it usually stays there. i now get this funny sensation in the back of my throat (the best description i can give is like popcorn kernel stuck to the back of my throat) and i cannot see it, just feel it.
then it happened again a few weeks later and now its been happening every few weeks. at first, i thought it was old food that somehow got stuck and forgot about it. I'm 28 and about 6 months ago, randomly produced this white, spongy, extremely foul-smelling, tooth-sized "glob" from my throat.
i am seeing an ENT doc next week but wanted to see what your thoughts were on this. I'm a 4th year med student and i'm not sure if you guys or the ENT forum would be able to answer this question.
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