# Let's talk about tonsil stones (yes, TMI) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738 "2011-06-08T13:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/41 "2011-06-10T03:05:11Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I get those things when I’ve been congested or had cold/allergy issues. Usually they feel like something that shouldn’t be there rubbing around when you swallow. > > Typically, mine come out the most often when I’m brushing my teeth, and switch to brush my tongue, and gag a little. Out they pop, and I spit them out and rinse. > > They’re pretty nasty smelling, although they look mostly like a little chunk of peanut. I only get them after my nose if stuffy or I had a cold. I just feel them in my throat and cough them out. I haven’t gotten any in like two years. They do stink. This is why I love the dope. I never knew the name. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/42 "2011-06-10T04:40:45Z")
I used to get them periodically and was able to expel them by contortions of my throat. I haven’t gotten them in many years now. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/43 "2011-06-10T08:48:02Z")
On investigation, I still get them, found a very small one in the back of my throat that was easily dislodged. It’s been many years since I had a large one, they must have been falling out without me noticeing. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/44 "2011-06-10T12:34:34Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Same here…I’m hoping an ENT will also go “hey, deviated septum/other weird thing causing post-nasal drip and blocked tubes, let’s fix that too!” I have an ENT willing to do it. But, I don’t think I get more infections or anything. I would just do it as a convenience and because I’m always worried that my breath stinks. He told me that it was 48 hours of pain, but it sounds like from above, it’s a considerably longer recovery if I’d be laid up from work for two weeks! That’s not an option for me. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/45 "2011-06-10T13:39:16Z")
> [@TurningJapanese](#): > > The youtube videos literally kept me up last night thinking about it. Never occurred to me that there would be a Youtube vid on this. Therefore, I spent an hour last night looking at these videos. :smack: Holy cow that was something else. One was of a 12 year old girl removing tons of these. Now I worry about my kids’ tonsils… ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/46 "2011-06-10T13:44:35Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I use a drinking straw, open wide and try to target around the lith. If I get really lucky I can pop it directly into the straw =) Straws are long enough to see around as I manipulate it, my hand is not too close to my mouth. Brilliant! I’ve been using the non-business-end of a toothbrush (and a tiny flashlight) and it’s not always very effective. I think I’d prefer a delicate stone removal procedure than my current method of crudely bludgeoning my tonsils. ---
**Author:** ![Tracyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f14d63/32.png) [@Tracyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracyfish)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/47 "2011-06-10T16:17:54Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Never occurred to me that there would be a Youtube vid on this. Therefore, I spent an hour last night looking at these videos. :smack: > > Holy cow that was something else. One was of a 12 year old girl removing tons of these. Now I worry about my kids’ tonsils… The video of the 12-year old girl was one of the first links that came up in my google search. I’d never heard of them before this thread and almost gagged just watching that video! ---
**Author:** ![geneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e4f/32.png) [@geneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geneb)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/48 "2011-06-10T20:08:30Z")
I gargle with an alcohol based mouthwash a couple of times a week and stopped having tonsil stones. May want to give it a try if you’re bothered by them. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/49 "2011-06-10T20:52:21Z")
I just got another one out. It’s like my tonsils heard me talking about them and decided to punish me. Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Crackrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Crackrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crackrat)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738/50 "2011-06-11T02:11:49Z")
I get them occasionally. Usually I notice them when it starts to feel like I have something stuck in the back of my throat when I swallow. My gag reflex isn’t too bad, so I usually just stick my finger in and push from behind/beside to squeeze them out, then cough hard to keep from swallowing them. I have managed to expel them just from coughing in the past, but it wasn’t easy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-tonsil-stones-yes-tmi/584738.md?page=2)