First off, I’m gonna profess a complete lack of biological and medical knowledge here. During the last week or so, I’ve twice coughed up what seem to be small chunks of yellow-greenish phlegm. They’re rather dry and very consistent (read: not gelatinous), but their main characteristic is this god-awful smell, probably something akin to the way Hell smells. I’m wondering why this has suddenly happened twice in the last week, but never ever before in my whole life (I’m 23). Anyone have an idea as to what causes this? Does it have a specific medical name (aside from the highly technical “phlegm”)? Why does it smell so horrible?
If anyone can enlighten me, I’d be very grateful. coughhack
I have an ex boyfriend who used to experience this same odd phenomenon. He would cough them up - it seemed that they were lodged in the back of his throat. They were small and solid, and stunk to high heaven.
His hypothesis was that it was an accumulation of small food particles getting stuck in some sort of nook in the back of his throat, and when they got too big for the nook they would come out. Before they came out it would make his breath rancid.
Yeah, I was thinking some sort of infection as well. I was kinda hoping for something approximating an expert’s or professional’s opinion though, and as you, like me, ANAD, I don’t think my ass is quite enlightened enough yet. It just looks that way 'cause I haven’t sunbathed in a while. But thanks anyway.
They are called tonsilloliths or tonsil stones. They are calcified bits of food, saliva, and sulphuric and lime (I think) compounds, and get stuck in the crypts in your tonsils. They are somewhat different from the little white spots that you get if you have strep throat (those are more pus-y). I woudn’t worry about them. There’s tons of info on the Web if you want to get even more grossed out!
I’m not sure what they are, but at least you can sleep easier knowing that at least a few of us get them from time to time. Now you know that if you’ve got 'em, you’re not on the verge of spontaneous human combustion.
Or are you? :: poof ::
I think the OP is addressing something other than our beloved “Tonsill Turds” we know so well. The tonsill turds originate from the tonsills while the OP seems to be talking about some sort of Lung Biscuit.
I was debating whether or not to open a thread about this subject myself.
My little chuncks originate not arouns my tonsils, but just above
the punching-bag-thingie at the back of the throat, up in the soft pallate. They’re NOT boogers. They’re ecru colored chunks which smell like bad breath, so I thought they were amalgamations of
bacteria.
I’m going to go out on a limb and make a confession. Straight from the heart. I think I need to do this because inquiring minds demand to know.
I will admit to excreting tonsilloliths. I have the peculiar ability of being able to bring my tongue to the back of my mouth and play tonsil hockey with myself (there was a TMI alert on this). There’s a lot that’s pretty fascinating back there, but that’s another story.
The tonsils themselves have two different areas where stuff gets caught in them. One is considerably larger than the other. If you get tonsilloliths from this larger aperture it tends to be cauliflower-shaped and considerably larger than from the smaller aperature.
When I feel one lodged back there, it’s usually a matter of a lot of stress and strain to get it out. Sometimes it takes days or weeks to get out all the little bits of calcified remains. It is a very satisfying feeling to remove one, though, something akin to blowing your nose and being completely clear of all snot.
I have taught one other person to get their tongue to the back of their throat. It basically requires practice and trusting yourself. With your mouth closed, if you place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and slowly begin to slide it back, eventually (if you’re dexterous enough) you’ll come in contact with the uvula. Then, it’s a matter of letting your tongue go behind there. From there, the tonsils are toward the back of the throat on either sides… you can’t miss em (unless you’ve had them removed).
Because I’m so totally grossed out that I’ve opened this thread at least 3 times since this morning to check on its progress, I’m going to give the link to the previous tonsil turds thread. I don’t know if there are any pictures–God help you if there are–but there are some cures advertised. smelly chunks
I used to have these things, years and years ago. I would sort of hack/cough and these off-white BB sized things would pop into my mouth. It only took once or twice, mashing them between my fingers to realize that the smell doesn’t go away very easily.
I always figured they were dried snot or spittle. Interesting.
On the other hand, maybe you have a sinus infection, and the gunk is draining down the back of your throat and caking there. Is it worse in the morning, after you’ve been sleeping with your mouth open all night?
Just a thought…a few days of antibiotics might do you a world of good.
I use metal instruments to pick them out of my throat. I have learned to shut off my gag reflex, and I scoop the little buggers out with a modified, sterilized paperclip contraption I’ve made. I used to bleed, once upon a time, but now I believe that region of my mouth is calloused/rougher and it no longer does so. I have to do this about every 4-5 days. Nothing happens these days if I don’t, but 4 years ago if I didn’t do it, the tonsoliths would grow large enough that they’d cause my tonsils to get sore.
I don’t recommend that anyone else try this. A nurse gave me a serious throat infection in college when she tried (and failed) to do the same thing to me, perforating my tonsil in the process. Only years of practice and minor injury have allowed me to get to this point.
Most people should just spit them out when they come up. They won’t kill you, even if they do make your breath stink. Oddly enough, mine often come up on their own when I jog. Curious.
