Let's talk about tonsil stones (yes, TMI)

[YaraMateo]

@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.

[T.Slothrop]

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.

[Alka_Seltzer]

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.

[Fiveyearlurker]

@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.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

@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…

[Antigen]

@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.

[Tracyfish]

@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!

[geneb]

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.

[StuffLikeThatThere]

I just got another one out. It’s like my tonsils heard me talking about them and decided to punish me. Disgusting.

[Crackrat]

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.