What Those Nasty White Chunks That Sometimes Come From Your Throat Are
Today I Found Out what those foul smelling, small, white-ish, chunks that you can sometimes feel at the back of your throat when you swallow are. They’re called Tonsilloliths or Tonsil Stones.
Although most people experience these little white balls at the back of the throat that often get coughed up into the mouth, this widespread affliction is rarely talked about and the awareness about it very low. Many suffer in silence believing that they’re alone or the occurrence is nothing more than dregs of last night’s dinner. Another reason people don’t dispense with their problem of tonsil stones is because they are embarrassingly nasty and foul smelling!
Tonsilloliths, also known as tonsil stones are stinky little globs of mucus, dead cells, debris and bacteria that form in the tonsil crypts which are simply small pockets or divots that appear in everyone’s tonsils. When the trapped dead cells, mucus, and debris harden or calcify, they form white/yellow ball in the tonsil pockets. They usually appear as tiny little chunks in the shape of cauliflower and smell like they could wake up your dead grandma.
The strong unpleasant odor is caused by a build-up of sulfur-producing bacteria that feeds on the tonsil stones collected in the crypts of the tonsils and is a combination of hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and other stinky substances that form in it. Tonsil stones can range from a size of a small peppercorn to a rather large size causing discomfort in the throat and in some cases uncomfortable side effects, including sore throat and ear pain and tonsillitis. It is also believed to be one of the reasons for Halitosis (bad breath).
Tonsil stones are fairly common in adults and children. However, they tend to occur most often in people who suffer from chronic inflammation in their tonsils or repeated bouts of tonsillitis. Studies have shown that people who have had their tonsils removed, under most circumstances, almost never experience tonsil stones.
There are some effective treatments for reducing the occurrence of tonsil stones. Removing one’s tonsils is an option, but not the best solution as tonsils play a role in the immune system and are meant to function like nets, trapping incoming bacteria and virus particles that are passing through your throat. Easy home treatments like gargling salt water, or non-alcohol mouthwash is often advised for getting rid of tonsiloliths. A water pick that emits powerful pulses of water is also a useful tool for clearing the tonsil crypts. The simplest solution is to use a cotton swab or toothbrush so you can push the nasty little things out and rinse your mouth free of them.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as:
- Why It is Nearly Impossible to Tickle Yourself
- The Tongue Doesn’t Have Zones for Different Tastes
- What the “Sleep” in Your Eyes Is
- Humans Have a Lot More Than Five Senses
- Myth or Fact: The Human Body Craves Foods That Have Nutrients It is Currently Short On
Bonus Facts:
- There are about 9,000 taste buds on the surface of the tongue, in the throat, and on the roof of the mouth. Taste buds contain chemoreceptors that respond to chemicals from food and other substances that are dissolved by the saliva in the mouth.
- Your mouth produces 1 liter (1.8 pints) of saliva a day. We each produce about 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime. Saliva is required for taste—until food is dissolved by saliva, we cannot taste it.
- The average American eats 50 tonnes of food and drinks 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of liquid during his life. It also takes food seven seconds to go from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus.
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I’ve had this for years and didn’t realize it was so common. I’ve always called them ‘Throat Pearls’
Lol! Throat pearls!
-Umm… no it’s not “lol”, many people have had this problem
i don’t think she meant it as a “Ha ha!.”
otherwise, why would she be reading this article?
She means the sobriquet “throat pearls” is funny, not the actual affliction. Oddly, I’ve never hear of these throat chunks before. huh. Interesting.
I suffered with this issue for 10yrs. I used to brush my teeth 5 or more times a day. Always had my gum ready when around people. Its embrassing. I couldn’t kiss my boyfriends/husband without stopping them so i can brush teeth and rinse with my mouth wash. Went to doctors many times no one could explain why and how to stop. I’ve done everything from every night shoving tooth brush down throat . Qtips to lodged out. Bought $70 water pik. Water pik did help flush them out but very annoying to do every other day . Oral biotics called bliss12 also was very very helpful but again annoying to do everyday Off topic i read an article on how fluoride is poison blah blah. So i decided maybe it might be bad for my mouth. i switched to toms non fluoride tooth paste. I swear in one week i started feeling less n less of those nasty balls of crap. I haven’t felt them in 6months . I now only brush my teeth 3 times. My breath isnt stinky i can get close to my husband and talk. Last week i felt super confident to kiss him without having to stop n brush my teeth . Once a week i gargle with warm water n salt. stop using mouth wash .i also clean out my nose using nose plunger warm water n salt once a week too. Only because ive been doing it for years and it helps break down whatever was lodged in throat. I truly feel toms tooth paste is what made this nightmare go away. Im telling just try the non fluoride tooth paste it doesn’t hurt to try. I hope this helps!!
I have never heard of this before my Dr. Told me that my 9 yr old has this issue. She seems to clear her throat a lot and complains. Dr. Said that she too has this and it can feel like a popcorn kernel stuck on the back of your throat. And all she can offer is warm salt water gargles. Idk, sounds nasty and unhealthy to have this stuff build up until it pops off. She said it happens to ones where their tonsils are “hilly and valley” . lucky I guess it’s only on her right one that has deep hills and valleys. If it causes chronic throat pain associated with infection they remove the tonsils. My child doesn’t get infections, although it is irratating and she has bad breath a lot even after a good brushing. I feel for her! I myself think its nasty and I think it would make me gag! Myself and my eldest have had our tonsils removed so that may explain why we haven’t heard if this and my family well must not have very hilly tonsils idk…..
I have this problem , but I haven’t idea about it, even my ENT dr didn’t know it, thank you all for sharing your problem & solution, especially kryskrys, got me essentials commente, I need to contact her if u can, anyways thank u all.
It’s because no one has told you about it.my sister told me never to swallow something that comes out of my throat. I realized it smelled very bad
How can I clear them away
yea i agree me too that tonsil stone coming out from my mouth and have very unpleasant smell
I’ve been getting them for years. Done all the same things everyone has commented here. Though I started using TheraBreath toothpaste, TheraBreath mouthwash and the TheraBreath (mouth wetting/dry mouth) lozenges (something like a fresh breath mint). These are amazing, not only have I stopped suffering the throat chunks, I also don’t get dry month anymore OR nasty breath! I never tried the Toms but I might sometime if TheraBreath ever stops working. It is also fluoride free.
You should see if you have candida yeast overgrowth
Yeah , it been happening frequently but no time specific reason established. I had it once in a year or two. I been to Kaiser Permanente, meet my doctor tried to explain that I have sore throat, bleeding sometime, having some foreign particles and bad breath but no vain…i so surprised he was not knowing and cud not understood my problem and recommended mouthwash, that’s it…I am trying to figure it out but cannot able to do so…anyone can let me know how I casn get rid of this tonsil stone and escape it forever ….
You people are way too sensitive
Wouldn’t be so sensitive about it if it wasn’t so irritating and embarrassing. It does get painful and quite irritating when it’s lodged in somewhere and if you haven’t experienced this sh*t before, they can smell really bad like poop or something. Have you ever had an abscessed tooth? Yeah…kinda like that. NASTY!!!
it always takes one to know one!
Giggity.
Stink bombs or throat boogers
Thought I had gonorrhea
LOL!!!
Lmao I thought I had cancer when I saw The white brick! I brush my teeth 3 to 4 times a day and I floss and today it was the first time I saw where all the white nasty little rocks where coming from! I almost had a heart attack when I saw it. I did do the water procedure and Im planning yo keep doing to avoid future residuos in my mouth. Thank goddess for the internet and this article!
You may have a point because I have had a problem with calcium absorption since birth and have had these little stinkers for forty years, I dig them out as soon as I feel them.
Haha. More like throat poop..you know…the smell…
Hahaa I swear I’ve had this problem it smells like straight poop if you squeeze it and smell it
I squeeze them too and the smell intensify
How did you make it go away??
TheraBreath products: toothpaste, mouth wash, throat larcenges, throat spray.
Brush, floss, water pick twice a day.
I know. I’ve had this problem as long as I can remember. This is the only thing that will make it go away.
yes, it smelled like poop! It’s disgusting!
Oh I forget to add this to the comment I wrote, replying to chelseaabowen above.
You also need the TheraBreath Nasal Spray.
That’s very important.
You really do need the solution in your nose bc many of the tonsil stones are formed from mucus in the sinuses.
hahaha the whole resign why I searched this form out, I squeezed it and i was instantly mortified that came out of my mouth, honestly people keep saying they uncomfortable but i never feel them, only when they come out and up in my mouth I usually just spit them out, except for this last time I squeezed it and it smelled like strait manure i was like hold up…. WTF is wrong with me.
same here, I also don’t feel them, they just randomly pop out of my mouth every 2-3 weeks!!
The smell is so horrible…I wish I can get it off like right now, is making me feel uncomfortable
Had my tonsils taken out as an adult (35-ish) due to chronic tonsil stones, bad breath. I told my ENT that I had frequent sore throats to help convince him to take them out. After surgery he said I had the largest embedded tonsil stone inside my tonsil that he had ever seen! Best decision of my life!
Dried Snot balls of the throat
I’m so relieved, i found this article. I’m not gonna lie, I was really scared when this started. Had a sore throat, that kept getting worse & more swollen, felt like something was poking me constantly. It started 2 hurt pretty bad, so i used a Q-Tip as a marker, 2 pinpoint the tender spot & tried (not vary easy, lol) 2 look 4 redness, or something, that would be causing the swelling & yes, that constant, NASTY odor. It’s the smell of infection, only way i can describe it.
I barely touched it w/the Q-tip & POP!, these huge chunks started coming out. Scared the hell outta me. I didnt know WHAT it was & it kept coming. The smell is just putrid.
The vary next day, the swelling & pain were gone. I dont like going 2 the Dr., so i told my family, it was a 1x freak thing, but if it happened again, then i would go in. This week, i noticed the bad breath again, so tonight i checked & the chunks are back, but mixed w/a lil blood this time. I freaked out & googled it, bringing me here.
Im greatful the info was here, so i know, im not alone…& im not dying. Still going 2 the Dr., 2 ask 4 tonsils out thou. I think, carrying all that gunk & bacteria, in those pockets, constantly refilling, would cause MORE sickness in ppl, vs. tonsils out.
Does anyone know: Is blood mixed in, normal too? Does this cause the lymph nodes in your neck to be swollen?
Feedback would be nice. 🙂
Anyways, really glad i found this site. Great job, getting the info out there.
Hello, have you been any better. I have a sore throat since January and it doesn’t go away. It is painless and u don’t have any fever. I am really worried. I did throat swabs 3x and i am negative from strep. My doctor said it will go away by itself but until now it is a little swollen
I was told to gargle with warm salt water or mouth wash. I would start doing it once a day and see if it helps.
yes! i couldnt even swallow at one time until i coughed up a huge chunk. after that i felt so much better. Boy do they stink!
Real term for them is tonsilar detritus.
Thanks! I was looking for the right term. I found tonsil stones but it doesn’t seem right because the stones come from my left throat. It is painful after the stones are dislodged. Im looking for solution to ease the pain
Haha I’ve always called them sh*t boogers!
Mine do not smell at all in the least, most of the time I chew it into pieces and spit them out.
omg i just had one and they freakin stink!
Hahaa I always call them doo doo balls
They’re too smelly to be called pearls lol
I had them all my life until I started spraying my throat with Thieves spray.
From now on they shall be referred to as throat pearls ! hahaha
I call them throw up balls. Lol
Lol… At first I also thought was alone dealing with these ‘stinky bombs’. And I was just wrong. This particular article has given me the confidence of a shared problem. Thanks a lot for this exposition. Am better now and know how to go about it once they appear.
haha i always thought they were popcorn kernals!!! haha
HAHA, I did too, like popcorn or pieces of food. Glad I found this and know what is is now
Would you believe even certain doctors i had showed them would either have no idea what they were or say it was particles of food.. shows you how educated our doctors are
That’s not professional. But doctors try, you know? We can’t always rely on them, even though we should since they’re our doctors.
my dr. didn’t know.
Yeah I’ve asked doctors too and they didn’t know what it was!
These nasty stones in our throats due to the scars from strep (sp?) throat.The holes are pockets left behind. Gunk gets trapped in the holes and hardens.That is my theory….I hate this ,so disgusting! I love kissing and can’t.
From strep? Really? Oh man. That could make sense as I used to suffer from chronic strep when I was younger.
I also have had doctors tell me it was food particulates collecting in my cripts.
My doc had no idea what mine was either
Yes. I too believed that they were food.
No way!!!! I just got three of these little things out back if my throat and theyre straight rank, i always thought they were tiny lumps of old crisp or peanut gone off although i havent had this happen in few years i just did and had to look it up so glad this was here for me to read. Such a weird thing but so glad im not the only one. Also i found recently im clearing my throat a lot and thought maybe this was cause but im not completely certain
But popcorn kernels don’t have that stinky stench. I get them probly like two time a year I hate them. Ugh
The first time I experience this was in 4th grade. It just came out and I thought that it was part of my brain that came out -__-
Lol. The mind of a child is adorable!!
Lmao
I also remember having these as a kid and when I showed my older brother what I coughed up and how it smelled he told me it was pieces of my brain.. lol I was so scared. I recently started getting them again along with unwanted bad breath. I’m going to try the fluoride free toothpaste and mouthwash. I’m glad I found this thread.
Did the fluoride free toothpast help?
I Ben using Fluoride free toothpaste for quite awhile now. They haven’t gone away but are less frequent . I too am SO glad I found this article too’
LOL!! A piece of brain… Spoken like a true brother. It goes with ‘Does your face hurt? Because it’s killing ~me~ !
Lmao I couldn’t stop laughing when I read your comment. Im glad im not dying and for this article along with useful comments.
I did realized I had it it literally came out of nowhere
I have had this problem since I was a kid. but for some reason I really thought I was the only one with it. never even knew there was a scientific name to it, but as I got older I learned how to control it by contracting my tongue when this happens your throat tightens I release push it forward the same time. it really does smell but I think the main cause of the bacteria build up is from consuming too much junk foods on a regular basis.
Glad it normal to an extent and not crazy disease or like your brain is slowly dissolving and seeping through the cracks lol.
Lmao same. I’m so glad I know I don’t have some crazy disease now. hahah
lmao…
I’m only 12 and I’ve been getting these for years… I’m glad it’s normal 🙂 I always thought they were little chunks of peanuts.
Hey I’m 12 aswell, I’ve been having these for two months. I have one right now I feel your pain but it’s not serious
You might want to look into having your tonsils removed. just saying…
nah don’t get your tonsils removed you can still get them and tonsils help your immune system just do what the article says
I agree and the ENT DOCTOR told me the tonsil did zero. Talk about trying to sell a surgery! But he did tell me I;d have the most sore throat of my life for 2 weeks if the tonsils were removed.
Yes,dont remove tonsils,I had my tonsils removed and still get them.
This makes me even more happy mine where removed as a four year old due to chronic ear infections. Not done as often today—but may be a good time to return to this old method. No I have not had any more infections than my husband who does still have his . He gets far more colds and other “bugs” than I ever do. My once a year cold–is about it. Other than if I damage my self while working in the yard. Broken bones? Not an infection tho.
Glad to know! Just started getting them! There are so many of them that I’ve dug out… I’m surprised my suite-mate hasn’t accused me of being bulimic yet!
HA, I’m always gaging myself trying to get them out, they are annoying
I get HUGE ones since I have a hoke in my tonsils. What really helped alot on getting them out is the atick you would use on pimples! That have 2 sides. Using the side that is like a baby pin! Or gently using a boby pin to pull them out
i suffer from inflamed/enlarged tonsils so it makes sense that i get these and im so glad I’m not alone! also starting to think that since tonsils trap bacteria and mine are so large could be why i rarely ever get sick! looking forward to getting my tonsils removed so that i no longer have to put up with these. also excited to get rid of the myriad of detrimental things i suffer from due to my tonsils. 🙂
I got one out with a quetip which sounds and probably is less painful
That is exactly what I use. A Bobby pin that my mom straightened for me sincentives she has rhem too.
We both get them for yrs.
I once got one as big as an orange seed. Very disgusting very embarrassing and makes my self esteem shrinks thinking everyone who touches their nose while I’m tlkin is smelling them. Sigh also the reason I always have gum or afraid to kiss my gf like I really would love to.
Dig? When I was young I would wedge my tongue back there and try to get them out, but apparently I made a really strange face and people told me to stop making it. Since then I’ve found that they are pretty easy to suck out.
Using my tongue on the top of my mouth I can suck in are tonsil area on one side or the other and give a hard suck to pull some tonsilloliths out. Often takes me a few to clear it, but that seems a lot nicer than digging. I can also do it every morning so it doesn’t build up.
You can also cough to get them out.
I did and it came out but this article made my day i thought i had many other diseases god i am so glad for all you wonderful people sharing,will try toms toothpaste .
OMG grandson has complained of these for years & his mum said he did not brush his teeth properly, now I have them &have no teeth? Poor little bugger,I feel for him and have to get the message across to her now? Thanks for sharing everybody
Jule’s
I’ve been getting those for years and I’m also very prone to having strep ….. those things stink sooo bad
Try having your tonsils removed, I have and rarely have sore throats anymore…
Oh and don’t believe them about ice cream, you are too sore to eat…But now they have far better ways of removing them…
I have had these for years, my daughter calls me dog breath
Sorry your daughter says that. 🙁
I’ve had mean things said about my breath as well. I’ve learned just to always have breath mints in my purse.
oh… That explains a lot…. I’m just glad its normal. 🙂
oh thank God I’ve been getting these things for a while now glad its not nothing serious my cousin told me it was dookie Lmaooo that’s how bad it smells
I didn’t know what I was coughing up and when I would smell it to find out, I damn near passed out. They smell terrible but I’m glad it isn’t anything serious.
Chronic tonsillitis sufferer every few weeks and tonsil stones all the time. 24 years old, just started last year. Scheduling my tonsillectomy for a few months and I couldn’t be any happier. These things suck, they’re small but cause me to have inflammation and infections and sore throats. My glands become the size of golf balls and I usually always am able to get them out by using a Q tip and pressing the area gently around the stone on my tonsil. Pushes it right out and I have sudden relief. I do have some that are wedged into that deep area of the tonsil that I can see but cannot get out. Those ones I usually just cough out eventually over time. The older you get, the more painful and sucky the recovery is but I’m relieved to finally get my tonsils out. You cannot develop tonsil stones if your tonsils are gone. You might get a little sore throat around allergy season, which is normal. Sore throats are nowhere near the same as tonsillitis or swollen tonsils. That will be gone once the tonsillectomy is performed. The tonsil stones form inside of holes and craters of your tonsils. I’m in the medical field and have been for the last four years, I know all about them. My boyfriend will be my little care taker for the two week recovery 🙂 Good luck to anyone that has them and has tonsillitis or to anyone that is getting a tonsillectomy to get rid of the problem!
My wife has these stones and she had hrr tonsils and adenoids removed when she was a kid, so ur advice to remove them may be based upon similar medical professionals ignorance of if u don’t understand why they are there, yank em!
I had my tonsils remove when I was 13 and now im almost 55 and have this smelling things hanging in my throat
These ‘tonsiliths’ are apparently practically entirely due (source-cause) to starch consumption, especially refined grain starch consumption. Homogenized milk is another high potential source-cause, but refined grain-starches are king. Starch-gunking of the body, the human body, or any body, is the main cause of disease, in general.
No, they are caused by bacteria. I wanted my tonsils out & the dr said no because they protect your ears.
These things do smell awful, butbard not hard to get rid of. You have to “clean” your tonsils periodically. Use a cotton swab or some such thing to squeeze the tonsillitis out.
It’s true. I experimented with little to no starch and gluten and barely get them. I’m a bread guy so it will be hard for me to stick to that type of diet.
I’m a coeliac and so eat no gluten at all. I still get them
I’d had these for years , but didn’t know what they were and I’m glad it’s normal. Some of these comments crack me up !(‘:
Same here. . Some comments crack me up
thats for me toooooooo……………
I get strep throat and ear infections all the time. Then I went to see an ENT doctor and he told me about tonsilloliths and I learn to cough it out every week and for two years I never had another throat infection! Hope this helps!
I have been trying to figure out what these gross little things were for YEARS! They make my breath smell SO bad, but no matter how much I brushed, flossed, or scraped my tongue, I couldn’t get the smell to go away….now I know why! They’re stuck in my tonsils….so now I have to get buy a water pick or try to brush my tonsils….I don’t even know where my tonsils are! LOL!
To remove them, I used to use a cotton swab or a toothpick. But now I just wash my hands and use my index finger to remove it. It is quick and easy for me. I get it like once or twice a year.
I have pains in my stomach I just always thought that was the cause ! I wanna get rid of them for good!
Have dealt with these for years. I just use a dull tarter scraper (the hooked kind – not as scary as it seems) and pop those things out every morning. If I don’t, they will build up and be nasty. Just be real careful. It’s become routine. Have had tonsillitis at least 3-4 times in my life, they should be taken out!
My mom uses that to clean out her ears of earwax.
I use to get those as a teenager- but I also got Tonsilitis ALOT too. As soon as I got my tonsils out- no more!
I’ve had these since I was 10 years old. I am now 21. And I just stick my finger against my tonsils and push them out. They do stink. Luckily they don’t effect my breath. I just knew when I was younger that it had something to do with cancer. Lol. Luckily I’m not the only one. Hello fellow peers who share the same weird nuisance I do..lol.
I always use to get these from an early age followed by endless bouts of tonsilitis until the age of 14 when i had them removed. And yes i agree they were foul smelling and mine use to get so large that i could actually feel them when i swallowed as though there was food trapped in my throat…i’m now in my 40’s and i suffer from throat infections, but nothing as bad as what i suffered for about 10yrs as a child..that was the best thing ever to get rid of those pesky smelly lumps..lol
I always get them. They are usually white. They are usually the size of a nerd (nerd is a piece of candy) but recently I had one, it was brownish and it was the size of a popcorn. GROSS!!! When I sneezed it came out. YUCK!! While I was at work.. EMBARRISING!
So, I always thought maybe I was the only one this happened to lol. Glad I’m not the only one. They smell awful and I feel like I have to cough them up and it’s a task sometimes. I’ve been getting them since I was about 18 (I’m 20 now) and have no clue why I started to get them out of nowhere.
I gave up taking vitamin supplements, mine went away (once out) and have not come back. I guess it maybe the body’s way of purging unwanted minerals/vitamins whether from food or supplements. I hope it helps some of you.
I had them for years. Had my gall bladder removed because of gall stones and they went away.
i allll ways get them and like i take a bobby pin a take them out or us salt water and they come out when i wake up in the morning
I had them all my life and finally figured out how to get them out, so I squashed the crap out of my tonsils with anything I could get back there and could litteraly fill a small container with them. I guess I got them all out cause I didn’t have them for about three years and then out of nowhere they came back, they are so disgusting and they even keep me up at night because I can taste the fowlness on my breath and I can even feel them in the back of my throat. You would think I’m talking about something living back there but it’s like some yucky creature in your throat that won’t come out, I quests I’m gonna have to get the tools out and go ape crazy on my tonsills again cause I really don’t want to get a tonsillectomy at 30 but it looks to be that way. Any suggestions?
Drink water with your meals – they are symptomatic of dehydration.
You are terribly wrong about them being caused by dehydration. I only drink water, roughly two gallons a day (due to other health reasons as I have three kidneys and MS). I AM so glad I know what these damn chunks are though. I have suffered with these since I was 15: am now 30. My family doctor told me they were calcium particles. Relieved that its nothing more serious. Also Ive never suffered from tonsilitis or throat infections and now I see that this issue is to thank. Super greatful for this article. It is a nuisance but so many other health issues are worse, trust me.
I am going through this right now at 58. I have learned to express them, or most of them. I was given the advice to have my tonsils taken out by my ENT DOC. I am still deciding to have surgery or not. Water and dehydration has zero to do with this. The white particles are old skin cells and food and produce a terrible breath and I can smell this. General anesthesia is a risk every time you are put under. The doctor told me that tonsils are not part of the Body defense, I do not agree. I feel that it is better to trap bacteria there than possibly inhale into ones lungs. Also the Dr said that I would have the most sore throat ever for two weeks I have ever had. My only problem is taste and the smell I can smell and if you do not express these crypts you WILL HAVE BREATH that smells like feces. So, also smokers naturally develop bad breath. I never could stand to kiss a girl in High School that smoked. If you can suppress the gag reflex, use a tooth brush handle and get them out. caution again, the 10th cranial nerve goes from your mouth to your anus. Don’t Vagal yourself out of this world!
omg..I’m tearing up over these comments!! Like so many here, I too thought I had cancer or something..lol. I even went to my doctor with one in a little plastic “pee cup” she told me it was probably food particles..I felt unsettled..I could take no comfort in her answer. I would be so horrified at the sight and smell of these little “stink balls” I had to google and even so, was so embarrassed. What a relief to find this article..now I know. Thanks for posting. I feel so connected with you all. I laughed and I cried.
Thank you so so much! I am 13 and I have had these horrible things for more than two years now. I, like most other people here, thought I was the only one with these white monsters living in the back of my throat. I never mentioned it to anybody because I was too grossed out about it myself. For a while I was certain that I had a disease, but thank goodness it isn’t!
I cried and laughed after reading this article and the comments. lol! Feels so good to know I’m not alone!
Thank for the information , this is great since I didn’t know what they were!!!
I just starting having these annoying things last year. My twin sister got them then I suddenly got them too. I was thinking it was some mind of disease i got with her cuz we’re twins. XD I just had ot again a few minutes ago but i managed 2 swallow them (no i didnt want 2, its horrible but its the only way i can get rid of them. My sister can get them out with a toothpick though) at least my breath isnt really bad. Im glad 2 see im not the only one ^-^
I’ve had those really bothering me all my life until I found the solution: I quit all dairy from cows (milk, ice cream, butter) and NEVER EVER had a tonsil stone since then!!!! I can have goat’s milk or goat cheese without getting a tonsil stone; I believe it’s a malabsorption caused by the casein in cow’s dairy that is the source of this problem.
It’s worth a try.
Me too. Dairy free and tonsil stone free. It is the Cassein in milk that seems to cause the stones to form.
I am at work and i am laughing soooooo hard at these comments. I get them too and they are foul smelling. I asked my doctor just today what are they called because when i get them, my throat is sore on the side.
So I googled “what is that nasty smelling yellowish thing that comes out my tonsils?” And came to this page. I am still laughing at the comments! I have had this for years but today was the first time I noticed it came from my tonsils and got a sore throat with it. I thought it was tartar before, LOL! I’m so glad it’s normal because I was dredding having to go to my doctor with one of those “crap nuggets” in a baggie.
im so happy that people have them i thought i was the only one getting them i use to think it was because i didnt brush my teeth enough …
LMBO! my husband jumped out bed looking at me crazy. i can’t stop laughing at these comments! i started getting those annoying horrible “stinkoids” about four years ago right after i had my baby. i never knew what they were. I am sooo relieved it’s not cancer! it is so embarassing, especially when out of nowhere, one comes up in you mouth while in the middle of a conversation lol. i’m getting my tonsils removed. i want this gone
thank you all for the comments. i didn’t have a clue what in the hell those little white maggots in my throat were. i just always thought i was a freak alien or something and golly those things stink, they smell like a pigs a$$. The first time i coughed one out in my sink i inspected it closely and the smell just about made me vomit. i squeeze those gross pearls out with my index finger kinda like popping a pimple, and after i get them out i no longer have dragons breath.
A pig’s a$$. That cracked me up! I’ve been getting these every few months since I was in my early 20s. Perfect oral hygiene will not stop tonsil stones, no matter how often people tell you that. There are a couple of things that us “stinky tonsil-hole” sufferers usually have in common. We have post-nasal drip, usually due to allergies and we usually sleep with our mouths open, which again, is usually due to allergies because we can’t easily breathe through stuffy noses.
I feel like you know me so well. Allergies, post nasal drip, sleeping with open mouth. When I clear my throat I get them. Usually first thing in the morning. I take my thumb and finger and mash it together and smell it. It’s awful. But I’m not alone. Well I might be the only one who plays with them. Used to think it was the tiny peanuts in chunky peanut butter getting stuck. May still be but it happens as well when I’m off the peanut butter scoop before bed diet. We need our own little support group
Hahahahaaa… I am new to this, I have experience it twice in my life all in 2018 within May and July. First time I didn’t worry coz I thought it is brain servicing stuff. Today in the morning when two came out instantly ( I arrested the second one and for the first time realized how nasty they smell) I was so scared and I thought it could a sign of a deadly stage of ashma maturing into some type of cancer (I was never a biology student). I typed a search this morning and it brought to this page, I am still reading them and my stress has really gone. I am free of cancer, free of fear for ealy death.
Just tonsil stones,
I agree we need a support group, at least to pass information and make it a publicly known symptom, otherwise can commit suicide thinking they have cancer or they are biwitched (especially in Africa), others may think their brain is rotten and ripping off, @dead
Like all of you, these comments are cracking my ass UP. My husband just had to ask me what was so funny. I pulled up and started reading this article after I pulled several of those disgusting chunks out of one of my right tonsil crypts about half an hour ago. My husband just about damn-near divorced me when he heard me gagging and talking about pulling them out on *his* side of the sink earlier (“Babe, seriously!!! Stop!!! I brush my teeth over there! Go do that on your side, or better yet, downstairs!!!”). Lol!
I’ll be 35 in a few weeks and I’ve been getting these since I was a teen. I’ve always used q-tips to express them out of my tonsils. They smell like hot garbage, and they actually do look cauliflower-ish, as stated in the article. I always know that I have one (or more) when I feel that reminiscent tickle in the back of my throat and I can literally taste the nastiness on my breath (when I normally do not HAVE Dragon-Lady breath). I wanted to reply to the poster above because I don’t get them often, but when I do, I notice that my allergies have been acting up and that post-nasal drip has kicked in, causing me to want to “tickle” the back of my throat (i.e. tonsils) with my tongue. That in turn causes my throat to become raw and inflamed – and my tonsils seemingly more susceptible to tonsilliths (sp?). So, yeah, I do see the connection.
I also want to note that no doc that I’ve ever asked has known what they were, either. Ah, good ol’ Google.
I coughed one this morning, yes you Will know when you have one. I just do a very HARD cough and it flys out! Don’t stink until you squeeze it! I DON’T! but I am conscious of Bad Breath my ENT doctor gave me an Oral Rinse for when I have this issue, which is a large bottle of 3Rx, Far better than store brought MouthWash, I will post the name of this once back home!
My uncle has this I’m sure, he’s had bad breath since woo FOREVER! don’t have a road trip with Windows up, boy! car will fill up with BAD breath order, until you’d rather roll the Windows down and ride in the Hot Air from outside! No Joke!, but he will NOT go to the doctor! When I first saw this fly out my mouth, I Ran to the ENT doctor!
“You will know when you have it” thank you for that precious information, because I’m being paranoid!
Your comment made my day haha !
I’ve had these for the best part of 15 years, I was prone to tonsillitis when I was younger but put it down to being tired and smoking occasionally as they would get worse after smoking. Now they seem to occur when I am tired or run down , they used to be a lot bigger but are now the size of a large grain of sand or smaller and more dispersed, I think they give me stomach ache as it tends to go hand in hand when I swallow saliva just after picking them out with my tounge. I’ve tried salt water but to be honest never kept up the routine of gargling day & night as it was a royal pain in the a*se. Had tonsillitis for the first time in 20 years a few months ago and thought the antibiotics would cure it but it’s still there. I guess I’ll just have to live with it, but occasionally it does make me a bit paranoid about potentially smelly breath. Glad to know I am not alone in this.
I always wondered what they were, my mom said “eww” and said she never had it happen to her, but they come out when I cough and have a cold.
Good explanation Noreen , thanks.
huh. I always just thought I had cancer or something.
Bahahaha, first of all if you guys thought you had cancer why wouldn’t you go to a doctor… just sayin
My brother and I have had these for years, we call them “throat munchies” and now I know why the smell like a pile of cow-manure. thnx for all the comments
I wonder do you even know how cow poop smells like? I live in a farm with cows and their poop does not smell bad, its a dog’s poop that smells bad.
I have found using a *new nose sucker aka booger sucker with hot water and spraying the tonsils a couple of times it takes care of the problem for a time. Enjoyed the descriptive nicknames…I have always called it throat cheese. This is the stuff that keeps one humble.
I am 34 and started getting these about 4 years ago after having severe case of tonsillitis. One of my tonsils swelled up pretty badly, even scabbed over… and after I healed I guess it formed a pocket and now and then a small piece of food can get caught in it and will bother the crap outta. I have to do a lot just to get it out
This article is brilliant, Noreen! Also, these comments are fun and interesting to read! It is good that we’re all communicating about this over the faceless inter-webs… because I’m sure this has been an affliction of many many more people than just us whom have discovered this article!
I’m also sure most people don’t just go around talking about this aloud to all people.
I have discovered these things off and on over many years. They come and go… and we all agree, they ARE disgusting. I don’t like when I can feel one in my mouth. Need to spit it out immediately! Being so sensitive to smell… I hate knowing that something that foul can come from my very own throat! That is spends even a second in my mouth…Creepy! YUCK!
I’ve got a sore throat and have had some cold symptoms for a couple days… and I just spit out one of the largest ones I’ve ever had.
I remember thinking…years ago “I have impeccable oral hygiene…what is this? Why do I have it?” I knew they were coming from my throat. Told mom and she couldn’t relate. Bad breath disgusts me more than most things to do with the body… so I don’t like the idea that I could have it!
I figured I was alone. I went to my doctor… I think I did bring one in a bag years ago. She had no idea what it was or how to help me. That is scary! I’m bringing her this article!
I can’t believe this! The last time I was sick with fever &sore throat ,I went to Dr.he examined me and asked me when my tonsils were removed……here’s the kicker…..like I told my doctor ……my tonsils have never been removed…….he looked again said they are not there…….I am 61yrs young I have had those gross stones seems like forever,I actually thought they were coming from my brain……LOL ! So glad to find out what they are……I hate those Gross stones!.
So glad I finally looked this up.I’ve called them stink bombs they are horrid.they are very annoying.I hope that the non alcohol listerine works.I would love to get rid of these tonsil stones.
I have them now 🙁 I’ve always called then “curds” So gross! I can’t seem to get them out this time though!! Ugh! I’m going to try salt water or may the booger sucker thing, great idea Hun73.
So glad I finally know what the heck these things are! I get them too often and they stink soo bad that it made me feel bad for my BF poor guy cause I know it makes my breath smell bad lol Im at work and coughed and one flew out! Nasty I know…not happy about having to fish them out but damn it I sure will to get them out! Any one know how we can avoid getting them!?? I use mouth wash every night…should I step it up?
Gald Im not alone:)
Um wow! I’ve had this for years! I thought the weird taste in my mouth was from my filling. My doctors looked at me like I was crazy. And when I have coughed them up I thought it was old food stuck in my throat or teeth. Like the white film stuff you brush off. I floss, mouth wash and brush twice a day . I sometimes barely kiss my boyfriend because I’m so self conscious about the smell. I’ve tried EVERYTHING!!! These past three days I’ve had the itchy throat ears and yesterday morning my boyfriend said my breath smelled like death . I’m so self conscious about it and have been for years! 20 minutes ago I coughed them up and smelled and seriously ran to the bathroom to wash my hands omg disgusting!!!!! I’m beyond happy I just found this !! I don’t care I want these things removed! And why did my doctor NEVER tell Em about this!!!!!!?!?!?!?
P.s I too thought it was peanut pieces at one time :/
I get them too pretty often (about once a month), little tiny ones up to about the size of a pea. Mine don’t smell that bad though…they have a slight odor, but nothing compared to what you all are describing. I always thought it was old food or something coming out of my lungs!! I’ve been getting them for about 5 years now I guess.
I have had them since i was 15 (now 35). They are nasty. Asked my dentist about the problem but she did not know what i was talking about, i sure am glad i found this site
I thought I have lung cancer pharngeal cancer since the stones became red. I didn’t know this is common for people. I’ve had this for many years and didn’t know until I googled in ‘coughing up small pieces of white’ (I have no clue what you call them). I always thought it was food residuals. It would get stuck in my throat and I have to cough it out. It has a foul smell to it. I think my breath starts to smell like this tonsil crypt! Good to know that I don’t have cancer!
Haha they smell terrible, and if you think otherwise, you don’t have what we’re describing. I hate these things but can get them out relatively easy. I literally just wash my hands and push the sides of my tonsils and they pop right out. It’s really nasty…
I ALWAYS thought they were circumvallate papillae (the larger taste buds at the very back of the tongue) shedding due to infection or something. I am so glad this page exists! Tried to ask my husband if he’d ever had them and he just looked at me like I was nuts.
I’m here because I coughed one up tonight and MY DOG ATE IT!! I was horrified. She’s definitely not getting any kisses any time soon, ewww.
Just an idea- you don’t need to buy a water pick, you can use a syringe like they give you for cleaning after wisdom tooth removal… I’m gonna go clean out my tonsils now, yay!
I was drinking Pomegranate Cherry Juice today and for some reason it helped me to get rid of some that had been bothering me for a good while. Give it a try if you’re having trouble getting rid of them.
Cherry juice helped me pass one today, I’d been drinking it for a few days and it seemed to help. I tend to get these when I’m feeling fatigued with a sore throat. Once they come out I feel much better. I’ve suffered from strep, tonsillitis my whole life.
I googled n got this page and so glad i did, answered my questions and give me a hell of a gud laugh. got my first one today- got it out wasnt nasty r bad but have now got a hole on the back of my throat- fun times. i was bit woried now im extreamly entertained readin the comments. nyt
That hole that it came out of will hold more foul-smelling pearls of unpleasantness in the future…Be on the lookout for them as they seem to regrow faster than you can evict them, almost like they are waiting in line…one after another…Like sh*tty smelling pez candy in a tonsil shaped dispenser.
Lmfao!!! That is EXACTLY right. Most perfect (and witty) description I’ve read so far.
Just had this thought it was strep. Kept picking and got it out looked like a small bit of flem. Going to keep an eye on it from now on.
I thank you all because I have felt alone with this for sooo long. It tickles me to finally google it and read all of your responses. I was at work one day having a conversation and was kind of keeping my mouth tight because of the odor that i didn’t want anyone else to smell. I went to laugh at a joke and 3 small pieces flew out of my mouth. I wanted to cry but nobody actually saw it. I used paper to retrieve them and later investigated. How can something so small, stink so bad. I thought something was wrong in my stomach or something really bad was happening. THANK you all for helping me relieve the tension and worries.
I can’t stop laughing. I’ve had the same problem for years along with my sister, but these comments are hilarious. I will let my sister know about this website. I am crying with laughter at these posts. I love the term “crap nuggets”.
So tonight while I was trying to dig one of those horrible chunks out of my throat, I gagged so hard from the q-tip that I vomited totally out of control. Sprayed across my mirror and all over me, as I was running for the bathroom I almost fell..*this has NEVER happened to me ever..so be careful digging folks. Its funny as can be now that I look back, but I will now forever have a phobia about digging into my throat again. Geez I didn’t even press that hard.
I start getting excited as I get more and more of them out and I too, start gagging uncontrollably. It only stops me long enough for me to catch my breath and for my eyes to stop watering, though. I feel so good knowing I’m getting all of them out – it’s worth knowing that you’re not going to have that horrible taste in your mouth from them, as well as the thought that it might actually heal your busted-ass tonsil. The crypts that mine come from actually bleed after I’ve dug a crapload of them out.
My family has been aware of these little nuggets for years. We call them “exactlies.” Because they smell exactly like your butt.
Thank you so much for this post. I have been noticing a nasty taste in the back of my mouth and my ears have been bothering me, Lately my husband has been saying my breathe smells bad so I was thinking maybe I have a cavity or something. Tonight I sneezed and one of those stink bombs came flying out of my mouth. I continued to cough and a couple more came out. I was horrified and distusted all at same time! Thanks again for the info and for the laughs that I got from other post.
OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE. I always assumed they were chunks of old food, but the past year I’ve been getting them almost every other day, and the past few days a really large amount have been stuck in the back of my throat, leaving me with a reeeally uncomfortable feeling. I’ve been trying to dig them all out for two days but god it’s tricky.
I’m really relieved to hear they’re not harmful or rare, just really annoying and gross. Phew.
yea it smells like the develop in the asshole and somehow travel all the way to your mouth
Phew!! I thought I was just a gross individual! the smell of the first one i ever braved sniffing has haunted me, im petrified im going to cough one up when im teaching and be forced to swallow it *shudders*
Thanks so much for this article! I’m now aware its not just me, im not going to die and it also gave me a laugh 🙂
Yeah..I had one of those bad smelling collie flower that s*** was gross
Omg, these comments are cracking me up. Hope I don’t wake my wife up laughing so hard. I started getting these when I was a teenager and asked my dad about them once. He called them “sneeze kernels” because a lot of times they show up when you sneeze. I figured no big deal and assumed they were fairly common since he knew about them, but since that day I’ve never met another person who said they experienced them (not like it comes up in casual conversation anyway). Coughed one up tonight and googled “what are those nasty smelling things from the back of my throat” and here I found myself. Glad to know there are others afflicted with this problem and theirs smell just as bad as mine I’m sure. I will admit though I’m probably a little nastier than your average bear. I’ll sometimes put one or two on my finger and try to trick my kids into smelling them. MUAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, I’m crazy, I know.
lol!!!
I did this to my ex-wife she was giving me a hard time about it embarrassing me ridiculing me about trying to get the nasty stuff coming out of my throat.
one day I needed one out smashed it between my fingers and held it there for a few minutes. When she wasn’t looking, I swiped it underneath her nose she instantly started gagging, and cussing at me. She ran to the bathroom and threw up. I laughed said now you see why dig my throat so much!!! Thise things taste as bad as they smell! Thy are disgusting she said, she was so pissed off she said she couldn’t get the smell from out of her nose, all I can do was laugh maybe that’s why she’s my ex-wife.
I call them death’s dingleberries….So glad I’m not alone.
I thought I was Alone
I get them to in the back of my throat from time to time.. I never tried to take them out. Once in awhile if i sneeze or kind of cough they will come out! Does anyones tonsils hurt like underneath their jaw on a throw it sore to touch?? And if you look in the back of my throat it looks disgusting. Just curious 😉
Yes, my under jaw area was sore to the touch. My ears hurt a bit and I had a sore throat. Coughed two up this morning and bam, all pain eased up.
WHAT DID YOU COUGH UP
This has just started to happen to me much more frequently and others are saying similiar things. It could be increasing because of stuff in the air, for example possibly chemtrails.
O.M.G.(!) I’m reading this thread at work and can’t stop laughing. It’s an absolutely disgusting thing but yet funny to read others are experiencing the same drama – I guess misery really does love company. I am seriously considering consulting with an ENT about getting tonsils removed. It is embarassing. I don’t even feel comfortable talking to my own children in fear they’re going to say my breath smells. I’ll tell you this much, the gum industry is doing very well these days. :-/
So glad it’s not just me. Luckily, I haven’t had the perpetual bad breath (I make my friends smell my breath all the time. Is that normal? Lol) But those chunks smell like the inside of a dead skunk’s ass when they come up. I’ve never been able to pick them out with any kind of utensil, but when I feel them back there, I can usually work them out by sorta sucking at the back of my throat, if that makes any sense.
BUT…. The best part of this thread for me is the fact that all of us at some point coughed up something strange and immediately smelled it. Hahaha!!!
HAHAH! I find your comment hilarious because I’ve been like ..sucking in my throat all day trying to get it out of there! And my mom just thought it’s only a feeling from previously being sick until I showed her the big white chunk hiding in my throat. I haven’t really noticed bad breath along with it or bothered to wonder about the smell until I read these comments! 😛
Thank goodness for this article, now I can tell everyone I know it’s an actual thing!!!
So much yes. Lololol I totally had to smell it.
Dude, you can’t HELP but want to smell them! You smell them as you’re pulling them out, and I think we (as the curious humans that we are) naturally WANT to smell them to see if that is indeed what is causing that horrific smell – and it is, of course. Our brains are wired to know that smells like that are indicative that something is wrong, and I think that is why an overwhelming percentage of us that get these automatically assume that we have cancer, tumors, etc., when we smell these little crap nuggets of death. It’s okay, people – I assure you that there is nothing wrong with you for wanting to smell something foreign that comes out of such a sensitive and important area of your body.
Let me also note that it is normal for you to want others to experience this unpleasantness (to the guys that made their ex-wife and kids smell theirs) as well. Misery loves company…LOL!
I googled this and by fluke found this article and comments I have a stitch I am laying on the couch laughing that hard, thought I had some sort of throat cancer!! Hahahaa
I usually get these if I’ve had allergies or a cold where there’s a lot of mucus drainage. It’s gross to think all that nasty stuff collects in the back of your throat. The first time I had one of these I thought I had strep (white dots in the back of the throat being one of the symptoms of strep) and got so freaked out and almost called the doctor. Then I felt the urge to touch the white spot… The thing came off of my throat and I was like “what the hell?” The thing smelled like a mixture of butthole and really bad breath. Ick! Every once in awhile I check back there with a flashlight and push on my tonsils a little bit to see if I’ve got anything in there. I could see how this could cause bad breath!… Probably smells like you munched on a terd or something! Ewww!
I’m going through this now, i can’t seem to cough them up. so I decided to look up what they were called and how to get rid of them. but I also thought I was alone in this matter. it’s funny to know I’m not the only one. lol…lol…lol! they stink like a can of shark ish and i can’t stand them!
I first noticed I had this issue when I was about 17 years old. I was scared something was wrong with me. I popped a big one out and saved it in a plastic bag to take to the doctor. I told my mom about it and she acted all weird and said that was nothing and it wasn’t worth going to the doctor about. I immediately became terribly ashamed and thinking I was alone. For years I would try to force those things out terrified someone would find out, especially a boyfriend! When I was in my late 20s I was talking to a coworker about dental stuff when she told me her dentist told her she had deep crypts where “dead things” grew. I suspected I wasn’t alone. Since the Internet I have been able to learn more about them and even how to keep my tonsils free of these things. I have learned where all my crypts are and where they lead and I flush them with a syringe with salt water. I always know when I am needing to because I get a taste of something weird sometimes then I clean them out the next chance I get. To this day, my BF of 15 years doesn’t know. It’s not sexy conversation to say the least!
Omg I just had a big one that smelled like a fat man’s ass crack on a sunny day ugghh I am so disgusted is it a wonder way the human mouth is so disgusting
Okay, and you know the smell of a “fat man’s ass crack on a sunny day,” how? That’s the worst analogy I’ve every read!
Haha I love the comments. I asked my younger brothers about them once they had no idea what I was going on about so I left it. I’ve had them for a while however this morning had an almost black one :/ I think now it’s time to go to the doctors. I always had inflammed tonsils growing up. Has anyone been to the doctors?
Thank God I’m not the only one! I’ve been getting these since I was thirteen and I’m sixteen now. Today, I felt what I always called ‘stinky throat bombs’ and literally wanted to die since I was hanging out with my boyfriend. I was honest with him though and he told me he had the same problem, but not so often. So I decided to Google it and stumbled upon this very post. Honestly, I’m literally dying with everyone’s comments. I’m supposed to be studying and I’ll probably wake up my whole family at this rate. Thanks for the reliable info and for giving me a good laugh everyone!
By the way, sorry if my English isn’t good. It isn’t my native language. 🙂
As an aside: You certainly don’t need to apologize for your use of the English language. There are citizens of the USA that don’t use it as well as you do.
Correction: “…that don’t use it” should be “who don’t use it…”.
Americans don’t speak English they speak American ! Different alphabet, different spelling rulkes, different pronunciation rules, and in many cases different words.(jail,gaol etc )
I do concede that some of the words are archaic English which means that they are obsolete in modern usage.
American is not a language. You speak English.
I always thought it was chunks of tortilla that got stuck in the back of my throat. (I am Mexican & eat a lot of tortillas) I am glad I am not alone and they do smell like dog poo.
Omg every time I asked my mom about them she laughed at me and said I’m making a big fuss about it. I am happy that I’m not alone. I asked my doctor and he had no idea what I was talking about. It’s so disgusting and I hate them with a passion. I desperately want to dig them out and sometimes get sore throat as I mess around with my tensile. anyway good lock digging them out !!!!! and thx for the info
They first started for me when I was in college and took up smoking; I thought they would go away when I quit, but they didn’t. They’re absolutely disgusting. Fortunately I only get them every couple of weeks or so.
I hate these things…. My girlfriend and i have always called them ‘Breath Balls’. Usually they come out when I use listerine. It somehow just lifts them out of my mouth. Magic.
Ive been picking this out of my throat with a pencil for years. Deadly scared of being caught in this compomised position. Glad Im not alone and digging isnt THAT weid after all.
I was about 8 years old when these little b*****ds started popping up every so often. For some reason they disappeared for years, and only started again at around 16. I’m now 20 and they still pop up every now and again. Might get my hands on a syringe and do the salt water cleaning thing. Although, a little part of me wants tonsilitis so that I wouldn’t have to deal with them anymore. Nice to not be alone though. 🙂
Fun fact; Pirates didn’t wear eye-patches because they had missing eyes. They wore them so that when they went from sunshine above deck to darkness below deck, they could switch the patch over, and the eye that was then exposed would then have better night vision, and they wouldn’t have to pause to let their vision adjust.
I had those white smelly stuff from the time I was small now I am a woman.My mother took me to the doctor and he give me antibiotics and that cleared it up for a while.I really hate them and the very first time it came out and ya squeeze it and smell that scent alone is very deadly.Thank God for being alive after smelling those white stink bombs.
they are evil.. the only way to get rid of them is to gargle hydrogen peroxide mixed with water and it kills them.. when i eat sugars and sweets thats when they are bad.. i just do the gargle twice a day and i dont have a problem anymore.. its safe enough.. GPs recommend it.. its the only thing that kills the bacteria, as mouth wash is crap.. doesnt do anything..
My throat was hurting just are the right side along with my right ear.. so I looked in the mirror and saw the white… the tonsil part was really hard and it scared me so I looked it up and found this website.. I just pushed it all out and yes it is nasty there were 3 big ones and 2 small ones… I gagged and threw up… but my throat and ear instantly felt so much better when it was all out and over…
I have had these for months. my breath has been really bad. I had no idea what it was. thanks so much for the info. I had gone to the dentist thinking i had cavity but found none. went to see the doctor bout it but could not find the cause. I am so glad I am not alone. I can imagine what my husband has gone through with my bad breath. thanks again for the info.
wooowww, im so glad I found this. I have been getting them for awhile now, but had no idea what they were. I was soooo self conscious to even kiss my boyfriend. but ive learned how to pop them out when i feel one. its pretty simple. i open my mouth to make sure i can see them, if i can see them, i usually just take my two index fingers and gently squeeze the area they are in. and they pop right out.
Oh I’m so glad I’m not the only one!, I usually don’t comment on blogs but this topic is worth commenting to say thanks and for all the ec comments !,
I’m also terrified that someone gets to see me takingg them off, specially cuz’ dad says I’m loosingg some weight(I’m exercising) but I don’t want him tto see me with a toothbrush on my throat, it may look like I wanna throw up or I suffer from bulimia or something Lol!
Btw, those who wrote the anecdotes for the cancer thing, and the pencil really made me laugh out loud, maybe if I keep laughing that hard, the stones will come out! LOL!!
I first experienced these a the age of 11, and they seemed to show up from time to time after that.
I always wondered what they were, as one time I squeezed one and it smelled so bad I exclaimed-son of a “f@#ck stick!”. The smell was so putrid that one would conclude that I had dined on an a$$ roast.
I always new that they were a normal occurrence, but just didn’t know the cause of their presence. But thanks to this blog, I do now. And knowing is is half the battle.
I never thought to look inside my mouth to see where these were coming from, and today I discovered a large one that was attributing to my ear ache. It all makes sense now. These death smell balls were causing my bad breath and ear aches!! I always thought the three were separate problems but now I can place all the blame on the stinky balls of death!!
After reading these comments, I strapped my camping headlamp and got to poking. It wasn’t long until I coughed up a few stink bombs and voila, my ear instantly feels better. Great to know the source and love reading all the hilarious comments. Beats doing calculus homework.
Yeah I’ve been getting these for years. Some months I don’t get any then out of the blue they’ll start popping out every second day. I hate them. They make me feel like I’m dirty. . And I had no idea they’re the cause of halitosis. Now I’m freakin out that I have terribly bad breath and the whole office talks about it ! The other day I was discussing some work stuff with a colleague and one must have dislodged and was sitting in my mouth. I ran off and spat in the bin, she was horrified and was like “WTF is wrong with you”. First world problems but still, that shit is RANK.
“Many suffer in silence believing that their alone…”
they’re
For anyone that suffers from these, go to a drug store and buy some Biotene. It’s a mouth wash that gets rid if them quickly, while improving your breathe. I use it every night just to prevent bad breathe and these “satan stones”. Good luck
Well…I’ve never tried to actually smell mine cuz my first thought when I pull little white balls out my throat is not to sniff it. And also how would I know what my a** hole smells like? My nose can’t reach it…unless if I were flexible as crap.
Just about the only time I ever get these is right about when I realize I’m getting sick with a bad cold/sore throat/flu kind of thing and then they continue off and on about a week after being sick! I never knew they had a name, thanks for the interesting article!
Ok i have had thse little nasty buggers since i was a little kid i would ask my parants about them they would look at me funny i always get these big ones stuck in the back of my throat and would start makeing a growling type noise like i was trying to get a lougie out my throut and get yelled at being told the noise aind proper and to go blow my nose thought about asking my doc but never had to hack one up when at the docs just glad its not some thing i realy need to b fearful off
omg i am a highschooler and some times i will be siting in class talking to someone and the chunks come up and i can taste it and it smells and i have to excuse my self and go spit it out then ask for a peice of gum so that my breath will stop smelling bad gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is literally the nastiest thing ever. I googled this to figure out what it was and I wish I didn’t. I can’t get them out because my gag reflex is too sensitive and the thought of these things just chillin in my throat is so vile that I’ve just been walking around gagging every 2 seconds. This is horrible.
I read the word methane so I decided to do an experiment. If you light them on fire they crackle and pop.
ps. don’t do it in your room with the windows shut if unless you want the stench of burning shit 🙁
I can’t stop laughing!!!
I’m so glad I decided to google this. Just was woken up by coughing up the biggest on I’ve ever had. I noticed these things about 2006 and nobody knew what I was talking about I get them from time to time and you can always know when they there. Cause your breathe smells horrible like even after you brush your teeth. IF ANYBODY can help me with ways to get rid of them please let me know
Thank you all for your stomach turning story’s lOl, Maybe it is a tonsil stone, I also have a whitish thing on my left tonsil right now, an its annoying feels like a piece of popcorn kernel is stuck back their , I don’t want to poke it out thou because I’m a big ass baby an I don’t wanna do something that can damage my mouth, So now I sit an wait with this “circus folk shit” in my mouth until I sneeze I’m just waiting for it to get out, I use warm salt water almost everyday now an keep teeth brushed daily an It still wont go away, I’ve had it for about a week now….??? kinda freaked out about it. anyone have any other kind of remedies to help it out.
A couple of people mentioned drinking Pomegranate / cherry juice for some reason it helps, another said to gargle with hydrogen peroxide mixed with some water kills the bacteria because mouth wash doesn’t. Another person mentioned if you get an earache you may find it could be because of these tonsil lumps, if you can cough them up, your earache should be much improved. (ear, nose & throat are all connected ) Some other people mentioned staying away from dairy because of the casein in milk (goats milk & goats cheese are ok though) they also mentioned staying away from foods containing sulphite preservatives, such as bacon & other deli goods.
Even some soft drinks contain added sulphites.
Some hilarious comments on here but i was scared too thought i had some sort of mouth cancer. Definetly gunna get some kick ass mouth wash next payday these things smell like satans vagina
These comments are hilarious. I have gotten these since I was a kid. Only one friend of mine I knew got them also. We called them “Dog Balls” because of their scent being so akin to dog shit. So glad other people get them. My boyfriend thought I was an anomaly. I’m sure digging “dog balls” out of your throat is wicked attractive anyways. Ha!
Gosh now I can tell my family that I’m not MAD!! And I’m so glad I decide to google this now I know I’m not alone..
The first time I’ve ever experienced one of these was in highschool. A friend and I were sitting in my room and I coughed one up into my hand. We were both grossed out and I immediately threw it into my older brother’s room. I’m in my thirties and that friend and I still laugh about it. I’ve forwarded this article to her and we are both having a good laugh.
That you and your friend still laugh over something from back in the day cracks me up. Fave comment so far.
I’m 33 and still laugh really hard about the shit I did to my baby brother when I was a kid. Fun times.
🙂 I am happy..I thought my brain was over growing and is coming out via mouth.. Thought was a tumor and was sad, I didn’t want to get it checked up and confirm a tumor.. Just thought to give it a search in Google, when it came out just now and alaas..this site came to my joy!!!
The article said, “Studies have shown that people who have had their tonsils removed, under most circumstances, almost never experience tonsil stones.”
Well, it would seem that without the tonsils, and the crevices in which these things form, there could not be any of them, doesn’t it? So the quoted statement above seems a bit odd.
I wondered the same thing
I have had my tonsils removed and I am still getting these
I had my tonsils out in first grade, I’m 34 and only started getting these around last year. I have no idea how I can get them without tonsils, but it’s definitely what they are, death stench and all. I don’t get them very often, but sometimes I’ll have a sore throat for a day or two before coughing one up. I can always taste it right before I cough it out, so I guess they’re working their way up from somewhere. Maybe they grow in some scar tissue in my throat? I really want to know how I can have them without tonsils.
OMG I was wondering what that horrible smell was in the back of my throat! I looked back there and noticed a white chunk on the side of my right throat. So I decided to take a q tip and poke at it and it came out. Along with a bunch of other little white pieces. They smelled like butt so I decided to look it up and here I am!
Finally some answers, those things are so irritating. They happen so often for me, and in a big amount ugh.. This article was very useful.
I have had these since a kid. Back then they were small and I would spit them out. One day in college it felt like there was something in my throat and I couldn’t get it out. I finally took a look and noticed something white. I pulled it out and it was HUGE! Ever since then i have been forming ones not that big, but rather large. I just stick my finger in and push them out. I wish there was a way to stop these or shrink them without mutilation.
This cure worked for me and was suggested by a doctor who recommended *against* removing tonsils:
*
Gargle with warm salt water morning and night for 2 weeks.
*
That’s it. Nothing magical. I didn’t believe him, but it costs nothing. Sure enough, after pushing out the biggest suckers with a Q-tip, I did it for a little over a week, the folds in my tonsils shrunk, and these nasty bastards have almost never shown up again. I’d had these all my life and am finally free. Stick with the program for 2 weeks. It will work.
*
Add’l note: to maintain this, be sure to brush your tongue and gargle with regular, clean water at the very end.
The earliest memory I have getting these was in high school , and I remember asking my doctor about it. His response still makes me shake my head today. He said “just try not eating bread?” Okay?.. No thanks?
In any case, I still get them often. I am soo self concious about having bad breath! I have even visited an ear nose throat doc. His only recommendation was to remove tonsils.
Okay?.. No Thanks Again?
I find more support and informtion by reading comments from others who actually deal with these things. So felt the need to share?
My goal was to find the right tool to get these nasty fowl things out of my throat!
What I use is a tool for pimples! Double yuk I know! But I do not use it for pimples, I use it only for my throat and clean it after each use with rubbing alcohol or peroxide. The tool is called a Black head/ White’ head Extractor. It has two ends. Oneend is flat. But I only use the other end which is a round loop slighty curved. After I remove the tonsil thing I clean the tool and gargle with diluted peroxide!
Its annoying to have to deal with this. But the alternative is worse. My friend just had his tonsils out. He was in pain for two weeks after.
This is one of my first experiences with one of these. I can’t get them out thanks to my good old friend the gag reflex. They are pretty much behind the tonsil but I can see them. Any suggestions of how to avoid the gag reflex?
Use all finger but your thumb on your left hand. Take the tips of them an push into your palm. Almost squeeze really tight while creating pressure on your palm. The “Pain” (not really) distracts your brain and then you can lose your gag reflex temporarily! Hope this helps.
I finally found an easier way to get rid of the stones than having to push them out with a Q-tip. Search Amazon.com for the “Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser”. It is $45, but it is worth it and gets rid of the stones easily. It also works great as a floss alternative. Basically this thing shoots a targeted stream of water out the tip at varying pressure. At the highest setting it can be extremely powerful so I recommend setting it at 2 or 3 at the highest for the delicate tonsil. Just fill up the reservoir with warm water (add a little crest pro-health 50+ for even better results). Then look in the mirror and squirt the little suckers out. You will be amazed at how easily they come out into the sink and it is so much more gentle on the tonsil and for those that have a bad gag reflex. Hope this helps.
I just found that using a wash rag wet or dry works GREAT you take the rag and rub it against the white part. Hope this helps me like its help yall
Oh my freakn gosh I thought I had mono ! I was really gonna kill myself, my mom would kill me !
I have a small white one on my tonsil.I it hurts when I swallow.and it feels like it’s just a sore throught.and I can’t wait for it to go away!!!
“The average American […] drinks 11,000 gallons of liquid during his life.”
“We each produce about 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime.”
So… we drink 11,000 gallons of liquid, produce 10,000 gallons out of our mouths, and… never pee?
Seems legit.
@Critical Thinking: Do you spit all your saliva or swallow?
WIN.
Never thought about sweating?
Well it all depends on how big your bladder is and how long a lifetime is !!
But I think I manage about a pint a day approx. so 1 x 365 x (your age minus 18)/8
For me that is 2053 gallons – Can you tell my age from that ?
Thank you, I went to any ears, nose and troat Doctor and asked him what they were a couple months ago and he said it was food.
I have had them since I was a Child. This makes me feel much better. I had asked by family and no one else had them.
I have had my tonsils removed but I’ still getting tonsil stones…
Drin more water – they are a symptom of dehydration . Just a small glass of water with your meals will do it. It doesn’t cost much and it it very effective.
Same. Haven’t had tonsils since I was a little kid, but only started getting these recently. I’m guessing they can grow in scar tissue or something. Just a guess.
I am so glad to finally know what these little things are, I like a lot of others was scared to ask the Dr about them thinking it was something really bad. I have had them since I was achild.
Ugh! Something I didn’t know about and many people have. Only when I have a real bad sore throat do I see whitish areas on the tonsils. Otherwise I don’t see these things. Cough them up? I have lost my appetite for good. I have been blessed. Thank you GOD.
PLEASE, do NOT use a Waterpik or any similar oral cleansing device on your tonsils!!
The high pressure water could do damage to the soft tissue causing severe injuries to the tonsils.
I wish the author would do a better job researching before posting bad advice.
It is however, good to spread information about this condition. However disgusting it may seem we are can all be affected by similar afflictions!
I get those nasty things often. I believe I usually get them from soft tortillas…so gross!!! I blame most of mine on Taco bell. :~) but continue eating there anyway lol
i spat one for the 1st time when i was 10 yrs old…funny back then i thought they were mushroom bits from my meal….need to admit the smell is kinda addictive.i don’t want to say i like it but i don’t want to say i don’t like it either….when i bring it close to my nose,smell makes me hold near my nose for a rather long time…
SAME.
Thanks for your info.I was scared I had Cancer of the Lungs. I have COPD real bad. May GOD BLESS.
Get your dentist to give you a syringe with a curved tip on it. You can use insert the tip behind the stone/inside the crypt, and gently flush the crud out.
They are actually called grembinis. Stinky things.
My son started getting tonsil stones about a year ago at the age 17. They made his breath stink and every morning he had to dislodge these things from his throat. I took him to a ETN specialist who recommended a tonsillectomy. Son was in pain for weeks afterwards but he is 100% healed now and free of tonsil stones. He does not regret he surgery.
Wow! Tort I was d only one to get these! Lol! Ive been getin them for years and nevr thought to go to the doctor. I use to try n poke dem out a toothpick!! Crazy! But they use to irritate me so much I had to get them out. I stopped getting them for a while but recently started to get them again. Now im sitting here suffering frm tonsillitis. Doc prescribed me with antibiotics n today there are like millions of dese little things. Im itching to get them out wiv my toothpick (but it sometimes hurts) but I dnt wanna irritate my already very sore toncils! Im glad its nothing serious but its not very pleasant. Nasty smelling too ewww but luckily dont have bad breath!
Have had them for a while I was youn when I first got them started to get them often when I smoked marijuana the. I stopped smoking for about 12years then now have started again cause of my cronic asma cause smoking makes my lung function more now I’m getting them again now more often do you think it’s from smoking marijuana anyone exsperiance this or just I?
@Tennille: “cause of my cronic asma cause smoking makings my lun function more…” Have you talked to a doctor about that? While elements of the Marijuana may help with your breathing, smoking anything is not good for the lungs.
Try switching to vaporizing and see if that helps. There will less carcinogens and no smoke to inhale. While the THC, CBD and other therapeutic substances will be intact.
Ah! Yes, this could be a contributing factor somehow. (Do you eat really fast when you get the munchies? Maybe particles get stuck? I don’t even have tonsils, so I don’t know.) I’ve suspected this before, I get them not too long after I smoke a lot of pot usually.
I had this problem all through my late teens until I was about 25. I’d brush my teeth at least 5 or 6 times a day. I thought I was going crazy. My mouth alway felt like I needed to brush my teeth, even after I had just brushed my teeth! But I never saw anything, It was always just a bad taste. Finally a white chunck came up one nite and I thought ‘What the hell?”…But I’d Never heard Anything about a problem like this, so I didn’t look into it . But it was always on my mind after the 5th time I’d brush my teeth in a day! About a year later I got a white chunck out into the palm of my hand. I wrapped it up in some paper and went to the Dr’s. I was freaking out. The Doc was very Ho-hum, no big deal…this stuff gets caught in your tonsils etc. Well, I’d been scraping the enamel of my teeth, brushing a zillion times a day for the previous 5 or 6 years, maybe longer…I was about 25yrs old at this time…Well, right then I lied to him and said I got sore throuts all the time. I wanted those tonsils GONE. The following week, I had my tonsils out and it was like Nite and Day! Immediatly! I wish I’d known about this problem and that it wasn’t just my imagination. I would’ve had my tonsils yanked Years earlier!
i have just recently started to get these. My bf would tell me about my bad breath and i’d just go brush my teeth, but then I noticed what seemed like a head of something white form on my throat. I was so scared because I am a smoker and I thought it was a sure sign of cancer. Then I tried to feel it and when I rubbed my nail against it it popped out and smelled awful!!! Since about a week ago when it happened I have now had many and I think its the smoking that’s doing it. But I would love to know a suggestion on how to slow them down or make them stop besides getting my tonsils removed!
You guys aren’t going to like my response but I think this happens when you are eating foods that are building up in your system and not getting flushed out. I had recently decreased my sugar intake and while I’m gluten and dairy intolerant a week after eating some dairy products, I’ve noticed these in my throat and hadn’t seen them for years. I notice its happened after eating dairy and/or decreased immune system. They seem to go hand in hand for me.some people call this an overgrowth of candida or “yeast.” A few friends of mine who have halitosis eat dairy but are prob lactose intolerant too. If you want to figure it out, keep a food diary and see if cutting out certain foods helps. I recommend dairy first. Good luck!
And by the way, most doctors won’t talk about diet they’ll just try to remove what’s perceived as the problem. Oh, it’s growing on your tonsils? Lets remove them instead of figuring out what’s causing it.
I am 49, I never had them until last month. I kept feeling like something was in my throat, and all I would do was try to clear my throat. I didn’t have bad breath though. Anyway I noticed I all of a sudden have a lot of sneezing, runny nose, type symtoms. I sneezed so hard it came flying out. I was amazed at the most foul smelling thing ever. Yet curious. A few minutes later as I was clearing my throat, little pieces started coming out. Now, A month later the same thing the sneezing, ect. Feeling of something stuck in my throat. I started trying to cough it up, all of a sudden I saw something on the bathroom floor the size of a marble. I thought it was a big piece of lint, I picked it up and again it was one of those NASTY stones. I felt better. But now today I feel that something stuck again, not as bad, but annoying. going to get the mirrior and a flashlight, to see if there are more. I hope this is allergy related and not a new thing to stay.
I get them once every few months, but I am never sick and I also have never had tonsillitis. Glad to know what they are though.
Due to my experiencing copious throat infections, my parents had my tonsils removed when I was nearly 5 years old. As this article notes, I’ve never or virtually ever endured the awful scourge of tonsil stones. I am forever grateful for the attention and wonderful care my parents bestowed upon me.
I get them solemnly, but I usually swallow them. When I actually got one, I smelled it and I almost passed out.
They are very small, and stinky!
For real ive been killing myself laughing here at these comments. . But this is serious.. my boyfriend thought id farted in bed. He said it was rotten. And that was me with my back to him haha. .. be picking em bad boys out now that I know you all do. Soooooo funny.
To add to this. Im also a bit intolerant to milk.. and had a glass yhe other day and the stones are back… its dairy intolerance. … thankyou to whoever posted that
I have been getting these since having Mono when I was 10, b/c the Mono caused inflammation of my tonsils, causing them to enlarge. For some reason it’s only my right tonosil… that has remained enlarged with about 3 different “pits” that these gross things form in. They’re usually off-whitish/grayish but when I’ve been sick with like a sinus infection, they are sometimes greenish! I always thought it was just me and the other couple of people I knew that said they got them. God… I have been embarrassed for years and asked my doctor, who said that it was normal, what they are. And he said the same thing this article said. I routinely check my tonsil to see if there’s anything there… even though if there is I can usuallly feel it rubbing on the back of my tongue. I get a Q-tip and just pop them out. A couple of the pits are tight so when I press on the side of it the stuff “bursts” out, a little like a zit… lol. I sometimes have messed with it so much it bleeds.
Think what a weapon of mass destruction these things can be. Like, if you work as a food server, and have a particularly rude, hateful customer… pop one of these things out and hide in their food
Has anyone actually looked at these white bumps under a microscope because the image is bothersome.
I want to look at them under a microscope! It’s so weird how some people have them and some dont. Mine come and go over the years. I wonder if it does have to do with vitamins/supplements as I’ve been on extra lately because I’m pregnant and here these little white things are back. I also told my doctor a few years ago and she said it was just food stuck in my throat. I never believed it.
I thought I am the only person who is having it.Thought it was hardened food particales.
Omg you guys I finally know what this ugly horrible stinky things are I was so scared I just got one today & I scratched it of & it left a big hole inside of my mouth this whole week I’ve been feeling like I was going to have an ear infection :'( thank God I finally know what this is 🙂
Oh holy crap… you people are funny! I think it is amazing to read your comments. I “lol’ed” at work…
I also thought they were some sort of nuts stuck in the throat.
I have never had bad breath from it, luckily.
I think the person who mentioned something about vitimins might be on to something. It seems to happen more if I use something high in vitimins… EX. I had an Emergen-C this morning, and then this happened out of the blue. It doesn’t happen very often… unless I’m on vitimins or something, it seems!
I think I’ve only had these nasty little stink balls a hand full of times but I thought they were some kind of mutated bugger. Last time I had one I could feel it in the back of my throught.
Jeez this crappy smelling substance keeps on coming back and when I get rid of them its just so painstaking to scrape them off. I think 4 weeks on the process… Men the smell was terrible but you get used to them… But its so embrassing and kissing my bf is way too not to go..
Now I am just pissed off to the MAX. I have had this issue all my LIFE! I am 39 yrs old just now learning of this. OMG I AM PISSED off at my mother!! Bad breath for 39yrs THANKS MOM!! When I was a young child a doctor suggested that she have my oral balls FROM HELL removed. Guess what I will be setting up an appointment for…. 😉 I don’t give a flying $%!* what good they do for me. All the ear infections, strep, just sickly for all these years over my tonsils. TIME TO GO U LITTLE FUCKERS!!!!
I have been coughing up these things forever the gag me for like a good half hr before I finally cough them up and they smell horrible! And then when I bring bring them up to people o just get a weird look but now I know they are normal. I used to get strep throat I don’t anymore though so I thought they were gone. Its been bothering me for about 2 days now.
I’ve had this since about 12 years old. I never had bad breath problems but mouth wash did help them from resurfacing.
omg i thought i had that shit dont mind me i never heard if it and was about to loose my fucking mind lol thanks.
I totally thought I was the only one getting these & finally asked the doctor about them. My doctor said they were mainly caused by dehydration! Surprised the article doesn’t mention this. When I started drinking a lot more water every day they completely quit & my breath is way better! I haven’t had them for years! Water people! WATER!
Omg these comments are HILARIOUS! I had really bad tonsillitis when I was about 12 had to miss my school
Christmas party! & since that my tonsils have always been BIG with crypts! I’ve had tonsillitis so I thought after this about twice! Im now 21, But now I’m thinking was it tonsillitis my tonsils were inflamed with the stones but I didn’t get sick & it was nothing like when I was 12, For about 5 months on & off I’ve been getting tonsils stones is what I called them & mild bad breath I went to 2 different docs & a nurse, the nurse was right she said it was the mucus/debris & bacteria build up she recommended a non alcohol mouthwash with chlorhexidine which is an antiseptic ( Corsdoyl) I used it religiously untill the bottle finished about 3 weeks & it went but now it’s back now that I feel a little run down with a cold and I’m going to try the salt water but if that doesn’t work I’m getting them removed! It sounds like most of you have it really bad, but mine isn’t that bad but I’m not living with this I brush my teeth twice & floss I have good oral health I’m not suffering with this , especially if it can get worse like how some of you are saying they just come out, I’d rather save the embarrassment , I don’t want to live in fear, & I apologise if I’m making it sound like its the end if the world but it is for me, if I don’t like something I fix it! I suggest use should too 🙂
Pretty sure that’s the longest single sentence I’ve ever seen. Periods, my friend, periods. Here’s a few to get you started:
………………………………………………………….
oh my pooer son..he has had this for a few years…he’s only 10…His breath smells like a rotting fish tank!.. Went to docs with a sample and all he said was it was nothing..now we know it is something, but nothing to worry about…I will try to stress on him the importance of water even more now and see how that goes…surely there must be more that can be done apart from removing his tonsils?
lol, i used to think (since I was really little, I’m 34 now) that these nasty crap nuggets were from food that didn’t quite make it all the way through the intestines to be evacuated (if u know what i mean)..but somehow they were some extra before-crap crap that had to be evacuated another way. It was always gross when i used to see these little crap things..i haven’t seen them for some time now, but they show up from time to time, so now, thanks to sites like this, I will be more alert and knowledgeable about the crap nuggets. Thanks all for the funny funny comments. This made my day at work..I spent my whole lunch hour reading and laughing at this stuff…
I too have had these since a teenager–always thought I was nuts. Over the last 3-4 years I got so sick of them, so I let some dry and when dried up they look like dried mucous.
I am able to cough them up but my husband and daughter are sick of hearing me “hack”
When I take allergy medicine they don’t seem be a problem.
I get sick frequently (bronchitis, pneumonia, colds, etc) and wonder if these nasty things are contributing to it?? Anyone else tend to get sick frequently?
a Dr. told my mom I had enlarged adenoids as a child–wonder if getting rid of them and tonsils would improve my health??
Hello im 23 years old just started getting this shiet some months ago. I really hate them. I just want to remove them to fried them (cook) and eat those suckers. At first I thought it was oatmeal eaten from the day before.
these are in no way normal. i never heard of these things before today. good grief they sound terrible.
well it’s good to know what these dreadful things are…it’s been almost 6 months since i last had them. This week my throat has been so sore despite drinking lots of water…it’s annoying. I can never tell if it’s those white gross things or just my allergies acting up.
i have gone as far as using a toothpick to get them out. it works….im sure doctors would recommend not to, but i couldn’t take that feeling in the back of my throat
Those narrow wooden coffee stirrers are the best for tonsilith removal .
I get them during the Winter and these god awful little chunks are funkyyyyy! So glad I stumbled on this article..
I bearly got them,but I pushed them out with my finger tip,after that you can use hydrogen peroxide as mouth wash.
I have always felt so ashamed of these since it is really quite disgusting and anytime I tell anyone of my problem they all say the same thing “EW gross” and It sucks because I really can’t help it! i have been coughing these things up since I was a kid my dad used to pick them out for me when I was young since he suffers from them too, and being queezy I could never do it myself. Now they just come up at random times and I feel it while I’m laying in bed and I always have to get up and run to cough it up (just happened to me) it’s really gross and I’m ALWAYS so conscious of my breathe because my mouth always tastes bad. it really sucks for all of us suffering from these pain in the asses!
Omg I just can’t stop laughing at these comments, i really thought i was alone, i wonder if my friends got it too. Thank God for this website
Yes! I am not alone….
But thank God this is not a serious issue.
I’ve had these since i was a kid. Over the years of battering to get them out found out the best was is to get a flat-head precision screwdriver and scoop them out. Sounds nasty but it works!
The first time I saw this big chunky white balls dropping out my throat I ran to the ER I was sooo freakin scared. Now I know I am not lone in my struggles
My son and I alway get these things. He’s 5 yrs old and it’s hard for me to take them out. I only get them when I smoke. And my son gets them when he drinks milk. If he doesn’t drink a lot of milk he won’t get them. If I don’t smoke (working on quitting) I won’t get them. You have to find out what it is that your eating drinking smoking or doing that causes the stinkers to come.
Whew! I thought it was a lung tissue that’s why I went to the doctor to do medical analysis on my lungs because I was scared that I might have a tuberculosis xD I’m 15
I’m 14 and I got them a few years back, I told my mom and she said it probably just porridge oats stuck in my throat but she was wrong… I found out what they are!
So glad to find this out. I thought I had some holes or pockets in my teeth that were creating these white balls. Due to its foul odor I thought it was just food.
Haha my brother and I call these things “puffys” . I’ve been getting them for years and I have gag-reflex problems where I gag with everything even if I cough wrong, so coughing these things up is such a hassle for me . Sometimes they get stuck too , it’s like a workout for me ! I honestly hate them and I can’t stick anything down my throat to get them out either , I just wish they would go away on their own and never come back!
The reason I Googled this cos I have suffered for years from these small lumps,often coughing them up in the night…… But I had my tonsils out many years ago, which it says rarely happens
We call them Asshole Balls…lol
OMG I’m sooooo glad that I finally found out what these nasty blasting things are!! they would randomly come up & my mom would say “eww that’s disgusting” & I had no idea there were other people suffering along with me!! thank god I found this article!
and btw I was laughing sooo hard at you guy’s comments. my sister was staring at me like I went rabid
Guys im pretty sure its milk. . After coming in here n reading I thought maybe milk. Ive an intolerance to milk.. and so eliminate it from my diet but take in tea… and so stopped the tea altogether. No more balls.. then after few weeks tried a cuppa again just to see… and sure as hell they came back!!!!! Defo milk guys.
OMG i thought i was going out of my mind, forever brushing and eating mints or gums. thank god its not that serious and how exactly do you use a cotton swap to take ’em out ……………at least without choking yourself to death
OMG!! I’ve had these for years and have worried its throat cancer!! First time I found one I was working out and I caughed really hard and passed gas at the same time. I thought I tasted the gas in my mouth and then I felt the pea sized particle in my mouth. I almost Puked instantly and spit It into my hand. I inspected it and showed my buddy and he almost puked too! I had to leave my workout and really did think something was horribly wrong! So glad I finally found out after years!!
The way to tell one is there is when you feel like you have a corn kernel stuck in your throat when moving your tongue in the in/out motion. I’d run to a mirror and immediately dig it out. Haven’t had any in about a year. Dr’s need to talk about this more. The smell is horrendous and that’s putting it mildly…yuck!
I am so glad I stayed up to read all of these responses……I can so relate to all of this….I had them for years, and dealt with the unbelievable stench that these things would emit….well, after years of chronic tonsillitis, I finally bit the bullit and had my tonsils out…..that was over 10 years ago, and I can sincerely say I no longer have to live with “those little white things” as I used to call them!
I’ve had this since i was a little kid i was so scared cause the first time it happened to me which i will never forget i was walking and lost breath and shot out like 7 – 10 when blowing out hard and been getting them ever sines but slowed down to like 2 – 3 at a time and thankfully doesn’t happen often anymore. after all these years thinking i had some sort of problem i now can put it to rest. Oh yeah and attempting to chew it to figure out what food it was was the worst idea ever!
I just finished reading all the comments and literally have tears streaming down my face… So funny! I started getting them in college after getting mono. My bf noticed he had then and then soon after, i coughed one up. I thought I caught the “chunks” from him or from mono! Now 15 years later I still get them. I can’t really see my tonsils so I’m not quite sure how to push them out… I always gag or squeeze them out. They are quite large every time like a marble. They smell horrific! I also have bad breath and blame these chunks. And those claiming not to have bad breath with this problem, I’m guessing you do!
I’ve had these since I was about 6 and I’m fifteen now it’s gotten to the point I have to get my tonsils takin out bc the hole is so large and bothers me really bad. The small ones are about the size of a pencil eraser and are very hard to get out. The hole is so large I can literally stick my middle finger in it.
I read through some of this comments and I was seriously cracking up, at work. Like many I am glad I am not the only one. Those little things stink like poop mixed with more poop…I will try some of the suggestions here.
Pheeeew I am not the only one…hahaha thank you all for the input.
I thought it was food that didn’t make it out the other way…hahahaha sorry…
Ha! I use to get these when i was little around 6 or 7, and i called them “vomit balls”. After many bouts with ear and throat infections, i had my tonsils removed at 17 yrs old, and have never had another one since. Im 40 now.
i saw them in my throat when i was a teenager and had a sore throat but didn’t know they could come out… thought they came and went with sore throats. until one day in my late 20’s? i was gargling with salt water and i felt one in my mouth as i was spitting out the water. i picked it up and moushed the hard white/yellowish kernel with my fingertips… it smelled geeeeross without even putting it to my nose… and when i did to verify the stench… whoa ~ i was mortified that i had had these in my throat and never realized their smell ~ but was so relieved that they could me made to come out! i looked in the mirror and saw one on the other side and made it my mission to get it out too. after trying several things like a qtip that snapped under the pressure to no avail… and everything else made me gag… i hunted for a particular slim, long appliance i could use (like the flat handled screwdriver suggestion). i looked in our silverware drawer and found a long handled silver baby spoon, and adopted it at my personal hygiene tool. i hold on to the curved spoon and put it my mouth along the inside of my cheek and when i get to the rim of my skin where the nasty curd is nestled all cozy like, i gently press the skin toward my throat and out pops the kernel! not wanting to swallow it, i quickly spit it out while i rinse the spoon. then use the curved end to go over the vacant hole to make sure i got it all and gently scrape it flat so it won’t gather more food or milk or whatever so fast! then i rinse with warm salt water to cleanse and seal the hole. i don’t get them very often anymore… but i eat better, less sugar, milk, don’t smoke, growing up… older…
since no one ever talked about this, i thought i was the only one plagued with this nuisance. thanks everyone for their suggestions and making me laugh and feel like a normal person! course now i don’t want to kiss anyone cause i don’t know if THEY have ’em and don’t pluck ’em out!!! ewwww, super yuck!
thanks TIFO! i was reading The Woman Who Survived All 3 ship disasters and stumbled on to this article!
I am amazed at how many had these and suffered with dread not knowing what it was! I am also amazed that I never heard of this and don’t seem to cough these up.
I had an issue with the gross smell in my throat, and a few times when id cough or sneeze, one of those stinky things came flying out, heres the catch… had my tonsils out at 3.
I use to get these got my tonsils removed, and poof never had them again!!! I was 26 when I had my tonsils removed it was very painful but it was worth it now because no more sore throat or tonsilitis!!!
Ohh!! i am glad at last there are people a lot like me :P. i have this since a long time. When i feel my breath stinks i press my tonsils and let that thing out , and i feel my breath doesn’t smell nasty. Try this 😛
I AM IN TEARS!!!!! It literally took me 2 days to finish reading all these comments haha. I’ve had these off and on for about 6 months now and I too thought I was dying of some sort of disease. I always thought it was some leftover food but 2 nights ago I was laying in bed and felt the same discomfort in the back of my throat. I starter hacking away and this huge chunck came out flying. Since this was my first big one, I thought for sure I was getting closer to death so I did what any normal person would do in my situation to self diagnose and Googled it. I think people are on to something when they say that milk and sugar makes it worse. I’ve also been drinking way more water to see if it helps! Good luck to everyone on their quest to rid themselves of these balls from hell!
This white stinky popcorn, the smell is so bad; i don’t know how i can talk freely i have it for four years.
I’ve also experienced these extremely ratchet smelling “ALIEN” balls from hell, lol. I recall my first one coming up during class when I was in elementary. It was about as big as pinky nail. I was freaked but to embarrassed to tell my teacher. So I wrapped it in some Kleenex but when I got home it was brownish n dried out. On many occasions growing up I would try to preserve one long enough for a doctor to examine it, but no luck. Im 39 now n eat things that i didnt for over 30 years, vegetables in particular.Nowaday’s I very rarely get them. I wonder if wat we eat plays any role in their forming. Oan im sooooo excited to know that I now have fellow “ALIEN” ballers! Lol
Well interestingly enough, I’ve had my tonsils removed (when I was 35) and thought that would be the end of these disgusting things but it is not! I still get them all the time.
Dang, up until now I thought they were boogers making their way down my throat.
My daughter had stones and she had a tonsillectomy and doesn’t have them anymore.
Now I know. I enjoy pushing it out with a cotton swab since I was 12. Now I am 28. I sometimes use it to annoy my elder sister. 🙂
Those little bad boys smell worse than a hobo’s scrotum. I imagine. Just wanted to chime in here… Seems like significantly reducing dairy also minimized these tonsil stones for me. Looks like dairy is to blame for a heck of a lot of weird health maladies. Reduce your dairy intake for a period and see if that helps you. Good luck!
I first noticed one of those when I was about 8 years old. I suddenly found that I had to swallow something right at the back of my throut, yet I had not eaten anything. So I thought no, I want to know what this thing is. With a herculean effort I managed not to swallow it and spit it out instead. It was a cream colour on the outside and darker towards the inside. Words fail me for the stink that came off that tiny thing. The worst bit about it is that I was convinced there was more because you could see where it had cracked off from another piece. I have too much gag reflex to ever to much about it, but a sure fire way to get them out is to take a really fast hike up a really high mountain with a heavy back pack. Just about when you think you are about to die and you are breathing so heavy that your throat sticks to itseft in pain from all the wheezing, they pop out.
I’ve had my tonsils removed and i just got these “tonsil stones” tonight, how is that possible?
I’ve had this for about three months now and ever since then I’ve been thinking that it was a dead cell from my brain…. so glad to know its normal and its not just me !! =D
lmao.. I’ve been getting these a lot, i thought i had a nasty mouth infection, yuck
I didn’t know what they were i though they were something coughed up from my stomach.
I know how you can get rid of them!!!! I had those too for several years and I was convinced that something in my diet had something to to with those white chunks, because at some point I had more than other times. The inconsistency in my diet matched the random burst of that crap. I started to experiment with different things and sure enough when I went of caffeine(coffee, tea and energy drinks) for 2 months and they went away. I cheated a few time with coffee and they came back of course I quit coffee for good. So I would encourage you either try quitting the caffeine for a while and see where that takes you or experiment with your diet. Also try to spread the word because I know its a HUGE inconvenience, and its easy and chip to get rid of it.
I thought it was rice. I started diggin’ them out with q-tips and saving them in alcohol. It was my intention to take them to a doctor to show, because I was disturbed by it. The smell is unbelievable, and really wretched like something had curled up in my throat and died. I aint lyin’! I regularly check my tonsils with a flashlight to make sure there aren’t any lingering back there. So glad I’m not the only one.
wow i’m glad i don’t have my tonsils and have never had to deal with this. these things sound so disgusting!
i actually have had my tonsils removed (about 47 years ago, when i was 5) and still get these things on occasion. not very often, but it does happen.
I’m not alone bros…..wow.
lolzzzzzzzz cant stop laughing, i noticed this nasty chunk when i was about 8 year old, i had an irritation on my throat and that get cleared off when this nasty thing came out , i went to my aunt and asked her about it, she get pissed of and scold me to throw it away, then on wards i will be getting it once in a month or sometimes once in 3 months , today morning i smelled it and it was like hell , i felt like vomiting and came to know its because of this i have very bad smell in my mouth and my mother used to tell me often that i have bad smell in my mouth, thank god after reading all of ur comments i am glad to know that i dont have any symptoms of throat cancer 🙂 and how i can get rid of that nasty mass of bomb
My son came out after school today rolling one of these stink balls in his fingers after coughing it up asking me to take it and check out how it feels and how bad it smelt..eww I told him that I thought it was a vomit ball and to throw it away, (I didn’t touch it) I’m so glad I looked this up now so I can properly inform him about what it is 🙂
I’m 67 and had these little buggers since I was a teenager. I find they are worse when I eat dairy products. I press the side of my neck just below my ear and they pop out. Yuk. They do give me a terrible soar throat.
Been panicking as just finished 10 days of antibiotics and white spot has come back. Waa gettig worried that it was ssomething major 🙁 reading this makes sense and think that is what it is :-).
I felt really alone with this I thought eventually I would die from it and no one would know the cause of death lol happy to know im not alone thank god.
Glad to know. I’ve only seen it a couple times though. Tiny little pebble like substance. Seems hard but breaks up easily enough under a thumbnail. When I first encountered this, it seemed as likely to be a chunk of a lung tumor I coughed up.
Ive had these things on and off for several years now and they are very annoying, speaking of which I have one right now that’s at the back of my throat behind my tongue and I can just feel it there, I’ve tried everything to get it out such an annoying feeling, I gurgled 2 cups of salt water and it still in there and my gag reflex is sensitive so I almost keep making myself sick, I’m not winning the battle right now
I know your pain. Try scraping the area with a dry toothbrush. You’ll either catch the stone and drag it out or make yourself gag so hard you’ll eject it.
I have these& I am glad to have found this site. I see I’m not alone. Well, I have been constantly brushing, flossing& drinking water. It is AWFUL, It makes me gag& stay awake sometimes at night. I need to get my tonsil removed bad. I am at work& I googled this. Thankful for the site.#TeamTonsilStones 🙂
Just removed large mutant curd from my tonsil pocket….smells like “Iny” belly button jam…pretty foul.
glad to find this site. Helped calm me down, from thinking was something worse…1st time this ever happened to me. I thought I was turning like my friend we call “diesel breath”…hmm he probably has it too
I always called them throat chunks. Ever since i had mono when i was in high school, it left deep pockets in my tonsils and fill with the chunks periodically. I find its usually the worst right around the time when I’m about to get sick (usually bronchitis) and once i remove the chunks i usually feel much better or if it’s removed too late then i get majorly sick. Or else I get the small chunks about once a month for no reason. I remove by opening my mouth wide, pushing my tonsils as forward as i can, then use my index finger to push them out. I never smelled them up close till i read these comments. .. Omg it’s like a dumpster! So gross! I wish there was a product to reduce these from building up! So annoying!
I freaked out tonight after checking my sore throat with a flashlight and found a white chunk the size of my fingernail, my mom even told me last night that my breath smelled like death, so embarrassing. it’s nice to know that I’m not alone in this admittedly stinky and gross situation. Some of these comments have actually helped me to better address dealing with death breath. Thanks guys!
I am 73 and have got them since childhood. Both parents also had them. The doctor I consulted also had them!! He thought it was a fungus, and a throat specialist said it was food which attracted the same bacteria as tooth decay. The solution is a tonsillectomy or deal with the problem for a lifetime. I always “treat”the problem weekly by pressing the tonsil with the end of a smooth toothbrush while pressing outside the throat. Gargle with something after. They seem to go away after a course of antibiotics or Transfer Factor Plus.
I am so glad i googled this info. I have been getting it for years, randomly, but lately a lot more than usual. The smell is disgusting!!
I’m glad that I dont have to get them removed
I notice them this yeas as i though its particles of food stuck on my throat but im wondering what this are as its smell awful! So i do search and found this article. Thanks to this i have an info now.
The comment section is “heelarious”!!! I’ve had these disgusting “do-do balls”(name respectfully assigned) since I was a child. I only get them when I’m catching a cold. They are the foulest things I’ve ever smelled in my life. The different names they are given is pure comedy. Asshole balls, is the BEST!!
I thought it was part of my dead brain cell when I sneezed it out. It did look like tiny little brain. Am I the only one who loves the smell? I smelled it many times. Did you?
I get them frequently; however, I have NEVER smelled one before. I either spit it out immediately or accidentally swallow it. Now I’m going to have to smell the next one I dredge up, haha!
People are ridiculous. These don’t hurt or cause any discomfort. People talking about getting their tonsils removed because of them are so dumb.
They make me gag and sometimes throw up a little in my mouth. But please carry on about how you know exactly what causes everyone else discomfort.
Clearly written by somebody who has never experienced them. There be dumbness here, yes, and it’s coming from your direction, lol.
Omg! I thought I was the only one who had these?! I have always kept Respiratory infections like Strep Throat, upper respiratory and tonsillitis. That may be a reason! And yes! They smell HORRIBLE! JUST LIKE $h!+ haha!! However, my breath does not smell like them! Thank God! Thanks for all the information and all the laughs!
Another glad to know faceless man that has always had them but ashamed and disgusted to talk about them. Know only to myself as “rice crispy treats”. Brought together and freed by the all powerful internet & Google via our smart phones.
So glad I found this website! I’m 23 and I’ve had these a few times throughout the years, maybe once a year? I always thought they looked like white tic-tacs stuck in the back of my throat. It happened again this week and my whole left side of my throat got really sore and my ear hurt. I was able to get it out with my finger, but they are puke-atrocious. PUKE-ATROCIOUS. Laughed my butt off at all the names people had for these barf-bits.
Surprised people are still commenting on this thread. Well I went to the doctors today but to be honest they’re not interested. Didn’t even give me anything like mouthwash or that so I went and bought CB12 which was £13 but it doesn’t seem to work. Doc has referred me to a throat doctor at the hospital. Hope that helps to improve. I think there’s one of these demon balls stuck somewhere in my mouth to the point that I’m grogging all the time to get it out but it’s probably not even there and I’ve damaged something.
I have suffered these awful things for a long time and thought they were trapped peanut peices from peanut butter. But aswell as this I also suffered a strange sound/sensation of water going down the back of my neck !! I have spoken to the doctors who’s university degree could only come up with ( it must be in your mind !) HOWEVER when I remove these “godforsaken ” stink from hell lumps the watery trinkly sound at the back of my neck goes away . A definite link !!
I have had these for years, i find gargling lessens them, i had like a sore throat, so with the back of a toothbrush, i started kinda low where it was sore and pushed with an upward stroke and wow 2 about the size of Corn Kernels popped out! i do this once a week (though most are small) I call them Shit balls!
Damm. this Makes me sick just now i found out what it is.after 30years and just 2 days ago i saw the hole at the back of my tongue.Very informative on this site.hahaha thank you
Me and my brother call it “white stuff”. He told me how to take them out using the back of a pen, but I can’t make it work 🙁 have been suffering with halitosis for years and constantly chew gum… 🙁
I remove mine with a toothpick and before i start i say to myself “time for the operation”….these comments bwhahaahahahahaha i must admit i let my dog smell it just too see what he thinks lol
I have had these since I can remember. Always called them “White Things”
You feel a chunk in your throat, you try to swallow but it climbs further towards your teeth, I think its because your body knows it has to go, so you hack a bit to get it out and it gets stuck on back of tongue, now your gagging and you manage to hack it up and spit it out. So now you see the White Thing and wonder what the hell it is. So you pick it up and notice right away its like a piece of cottage cheese, and then you smash it in your fingers and naturally as a human being, you then sniff the White Thing. That was the wrong thing to do since you now know its the worst smelling piece of garbage you ever smelled before. So you throw it away. Now your thinking about it constantly trying to figure out what the hell it is, maybe a little afraid too. You ask your friends about their experiences with White Things and they look at you like your crazy. Now you either move on or go to a Doctor depending who you are. WHITE THINGS! I’ve woken up with a mouth full before and it was quite disgusting, thankfully I was alone for that. I think its more common in smokers and that’s why not many people know about them. But anyways thanks for reading, I hope I’ve made you laugh and understand that White Things affect everyone. Not just Black people. LMAO sorry.
Yea Rob you could have kept the last part. Silly!!
Thanks for the great info. I’ve had this for years. They were small and tiny and I would sneeze or cough and they would come out. I touched it for the first time it came put. The smell on my fingers oh boy. I would never do that again. I appreciate the info. Dont know if I want to get my tonsils removed but. Wow. Really thanks. I called them stink bombs lol.♡T
I’ve been getting these damn things my entire life – 50 years. And what a joy. A friend of mine is an ENT surgeon and he says they call them “Tonsil Curds” in his world and the only way u can rid yourself of them is a tonsillectomy. Considering they look like pieces of cottage cheese (eew) that seems to make sense. I always like to say, “Hey! Smell this!” when I can cough one up. Maybe that’s why I have no friends.
I dont know why,but i thought i was coughing up pieces of my brain and by the time i hit 50 id b done with. So happy i know what it is now and let me say”boi those things makes me want to drink bottles of mouthwash” the way they smell
I caught one up just now brushing my teeth and thought why not google it as i was always wondering my whole life whats that stinky little things are.. surprise, i came to the right site. Very informative article! “smell like they could wake up your dead grandma”, i rofled so hard! Thanks, now i know 🙂
I suffer from these aswell. I have had strep every year since I was a kid. I’m now 26 and just startinggetting these a few months ago. Although mine are super small and not that hard… Seems like when I use my stonepicker aka hooked dentist tool I have a hard time trying to get them out because my tonsils are kinda far back and always seem slightly swollen. I wish I could just cough them up, but it seems mine are softer I guess. Any ideas for me? And is it too late to get my tonsils out – I don’t wanna live my whole life with these…I showed my doc she said to rinse my mouth often. But I already do. Wish there was an easier way. I hate when I feel it… It’s so uncomfortable
First noticed I had this about a month ago. Felt like something was caught in my throat and when I inspected there was a big white chunk sticking out of my tonsil. Worked it out with my pinky and to my surprise another one just as big came out behind it. Really freaked me out but I just figured it was something random. I kept checking periodically after that and sure enough more popped up but most were smaller than the first time. Doesn’t really seem bothersome enough to get my tonsils removed and hopefully it stays that way.
Omg! I have always thought I was the only one with these things. When I was younger I believed it was rice that I hadn’t swallowed correctly but then started thinking this was a symptom of some disease.
Glad to know it’s not a terrible disease and that I am not the only one with this rather disgusting things.
A good way to remove them is using a forceful stream of water. For example: a large syringe with a thin tube on the end. There are also products available, like the WaterPik. For preventing them, it is important to do nasal irrigation often, which is basically a stream of warm saline water that flows into the nostrils and runs run the back of the throat into the mouth. Dissolve some oxygenating pills in the saline water to combat the bacteria that produce the stones. Gargling with the oxygenated saline water will help too, as well as doing the basics like brushing, flossing and tongue scraping.
honestly i’ve had these since i was maybe 2? they don’t make my breath stink. try brushing your teeth after hacking them up. cause hell yeah those “white things” stink.
I’m dying reading all these comments! But seriously, I’ve coughed these things up before and today was the first day I thought to google it!! My throat is hurting and the right side is swollen. I looked and saw a white spot and thought it was a puss pocket . Nope so much worse, I dug out like 6 little chunks. But hopefully that’s the only reason my throat and ear hurts.
@Alexandra.That’s True. Happy Holidays!
Thought I was the only one in the world with this problem. To say it is embarrassing is an understatement. Now I know it is a real condition, I could try to manage it more proactively. I must have used drums of mouthwash trying to manage this problem and admittedly, it has improved but I hate having to deal with it.
I’m 39 and been getting them since I can remember , didn’t know what they were up till a year ago , my mum and my 12 year old also get them we call them gobblers and yes they do stink and yes they do cause pain sometimes I got one last week and I’m so sick of my throat hurting .
I’ve had the same problem but since I’ve been sick I feel like a big one is stuck in my throat. How do I get it out?
I had the same thing about a month ago, but it turned out to be a mouth ulcer on the back of my throat. Try having a look in a mirror with a small torch, could be the same.
I am 27. I’ve had these a few times throughout the year and learned how to get it out by using a smooth ended chopsticks successfully. I was once very struggled on how to get them out because it was like a war with the tongue blocking your way. But you will learn that the poke is not painful and will not hurt your tonsil after several attempts. I can guarrantee you will get tonsilloliths after you ate KitKat. And to prevent, I will suggest to drink lots of water daily and eat fruits like watermelon.
I have had this for sometime and l thoaght l had got it from myboyfreind throgh kissing and wanted to dump him coz this smells awful l thank God its natural hope the salt will help.
Thanks for the laugh everyone! It’s 1:30 am and I think just woke up everyone from there sleep Lol
Back in the late 90’s before the Internet I suffered privately and shamefully with this problem. I told nobody and I’m a healthy good looking motherfucker dating tons of hot women! I could feel these things in my throat and would use a purchased Chinese chopstick that had a smooth black finish and needle like tipped at the edge that u pic food with. I have a very sensitive gag reflex so this chopstick was thin enough and long enough to stick back there surgically and I would use the bathroom or handheld mirror and plenty of white “daylight bulbs” and pic these things out or loose. They smelled horrid and I too would sneeze or cough these out unexpectedly. I’m mid 40’s now and realize over time they magically never came back and forgot about them. In Dec 2014 I had a friend asked me if I ever had this problem and now I Google it and find the whole country has been privately embarrassingly shamefully disgusted by the same problem behind closed doors, and it’s a relief! haha good luck hope a Chinese chopstick helps someone with Guage reflex problem. I still have my tonsils but mysteriously void of this problem that plagued me daily. Yeah my spelling sucks but I’m still a good looking motherfucker and your the one with the shit breath problem and removal probelm so just use my help if it helps.. Dallas Texas
LOLOL!! These things are so disgusting and I am waaaaaay to much of a good looking bish to have stank breath! I’ve suffered from this problem damn near my whole life, and I’ve always wondered what they are and what the hell my mother was doing in the mirror, with a pen, picking out white stuff from her throat *thats what she said*! I had some come up today
This makes me feel so much better. I was a zillion percent certain that I had cancer or something. I never had the bad breath problem but I just take my index finger and jiggle those little gross things outta there. I do know that mine are allergy related, specifically dairy related. You ain’t never gonna keep me away from pizza or lasagna though. Heck to the no. Anyway. We shall suffer in silence no more!! Thanks for the laughs btw, this is almost as good as poop stories.
I used to freak out when I was younger, thinking it was little bits of my brain. Like I was literally coughing my brains out. haha
Loool!!! The smell can wake up ur dead grandma. So true. I was sooo embarrassed to discussed this with anyone as i felt lìke my mouth is totally sick. Am so glad ive read this article. Thanks x
So I had a cold the last couple days and kept feeling the rough hard white bump and finally got sick of it. I got a qtip and scraped it out but I noticed there was a hole behind this spot. Therefore, I pushed on the tonsil and more stuff kept oozing out. Idk why or what it could be anyone know? Or is it this “tonsil stone”?
Thank you! These stinky little “corn nuggets” have been popping up for the past few years now/ I’m in my late 30s, and often have blocked sinuses and eat lots of dairy. I thought they were some bizarre refluxed bits of food returning from my stomach, so bits of processed bile or worse! Recently I bravely asked my b-friend if he gets them? Crickets.
Shawna, it sounds like a tonsil stone. Where the hole is is where bacteria gets trapped, and if it stays in there for long enough, it hardens into a small mass. The stuff that oozed out after that is bacteria that hasn’t had time to harden.
I get these nearly daily, it’s awful. I started getting them in my early 20’s. For me, they’re related to my allergies. I take allergy meds daily, but generally am still super sneezy, etc…Because of the post nasal drip I have from the allergies, it collects in the gross holes in and around my tonsils and hardens into these delightful little disgusting stones. I have become very adept at getting them out-it’s gross, but I just do it with my fingers. I either push on the tonsil to get them out or use my fingernail to catch a part of it or scrape it. I also find that the mirror in my car is best for it, since it’s lighted and you can angle it…So gross, but you gotta do what you gotta do to get rid of them, right???
My breath isn’t particularly bad, but I think that’s because I’m like a detective every dang day taking these little guys out, often before they have time to harden, so they’re not super sulfuric. I know where they are most likely to form in my mouth, so I always check those areas, but I also routinely move those little folds of skin above/in front of my tonsils to make sure there are none behind there, either. I can feel one now somewhere in my throat but it’s not big enough for me to see it yet. I just have to try to not think about it for a day or two, and I’m sure it will present it’s nasty little self…
Glad I’m not alone!
I haven’t ate Pringles in over 2 years because I thought they were the reason and kept getting caught in my throat. Guess not this is my real problem. 22 and have experienced this around 3 or 4 times over the past 2 years
I’ve suffered for years – tried everything – the only thing that I’ve found that truly works is being proactive with removal. If you stay on it, your tonsils will become less swollen, which for me, resulted in the stones leaving completely for many months at a time (I will get them back and repeat).
The best method for removal I have found is a little extraction tool with a light at the end that I found on Amazon. You can find it if you go there and search “tonsil stones”. Much better than anything else I have tried including cotton swabs and a flashlight, gargling, poking with your fingers, etc. It’s a clever/convenient little design for this purpose and well worth it!
Hope this info helps you as it has helped me!
Thank you! That tool is AMAZING!
After years of dealing with these and the bad breath and horrible taste in my mouth I finally had my tonsils removed. I know a bit drastic but having a strong gag reflex I was never able to get close enough to them to get them out by pushing. According to my Dr my tonsils were “nasty” so I’m glad I did it.
That’s disgusting, I get these sometimes and now I’m even more grossed out, icky!
I used to cough these up as a kid and my mum called them “food lumps”. Now I get them quite regularly in my 20’s and I have to used a cotton wool bud to poke them out and them gargle so it cleans my throat out. Problem is when I do it, my throat bleeds! This can’t be good and I’ve noticed it’s always on my right tonsil and it does look a bit more swollen than it should. I use Listerine but have recently been using Cordysil mouth wash (which apparently stains your teeth, great!). The Dr – well nurse just called them “pockets of food” and apparently a mouth specialist won’t do anything about it! I really want to just have my tonsils removed so they go away forever but that might be worse and I might be to old to have them removed now. 🙁
I have the same problem when I attempt to use a cotton swab to dig them out: my tonsils bleed very easily. I take my time and gently push the sides of the crypts to pop out the chunks, but they bleed and I fear that it might be doing damage as they get tender and sore. I wonder how far down they go as I have been able to pull out quite large amounts! If I use tweezers to grasp some chunks, I make sure the tweezers are sterile as to not cause a possible infection. I also hate the smell. It drives me crazy because I brush, floss and use mouthwash but then I can still “taste” the chunks, often when I swallow…
I first got these things when I was like eight, and I thought they were little balls of cancer. I was freaking out so I grabbed the nearest object, which was a spoon, and ran to a mirror. I used the back of the spoon to dig it out. I was so worried that I through the spoon out and ran to tell my mom . (Turns out I was fine lol)
I’m 18 been getting them since 17 never freaked out about them thought it was normal. Never asked my parents about them, but today like everyone else, we had enough and it drive us crazy to find the answers
I had one doctor tell me they were pure strep & another doctor said it was food particles that had trapped. Thanks for the input, nice to finally know.
I’m only eleven and I have been getting them for ever. It was jut 6. Months ago I realized they were coming from the back of my throat. Ithough it was coming from boiled peanuts that I ate. They make my throat hurt and make my breath smell. Enen after brushing
Omg! Just left my dental office and my doc told me I had white bumps in the back of my throat. He said he wanted to see me in 2 weeks and if these bionic stink bombs ( what I call them) were still present he would refer me out to have them surgically removed! So I get home and after googling this I called my dog into the bathroom with me (he’s a trained medical dog). I decided to gargle first, did nothing. Then I took a booger bulb ( thing they give you at the hospital to take your babies boogers out) as it made me gagged and gagged and gagged where I almost felt them coming out. I was so involved in concentrating taking them out that when I looked up into the mirror I saw 3 fireman staring butt naked at me. So embarrassed by it all, I was told they got an emergency response from this address and they were there to help! Just then those bionic stink bombs arrived on the scene. I threw them up and grabbed the nearest towel for cover and told them the call was a false alarm! I was sooooooo embarrassed that I did not want them to go near me or my bionic stinkers! They wanted to check the house for “fires” and I told them not necessary. Back to my doc. When I see him in two weeks he will see they are gone but I’m too embarrassed to tell him I took them out myself! Thank god I’m not alone!
I have had these for 2 years now but I only spit out two. I am 11 now and I actually spit one out in class TODAY! I asked the teacher and someone overheard me and told me about them. I decided to look them up and that’s how I ended up here.
I used to have this problem, but found that if I didn’t have milk products that I didn’t get them. So, maybe Tonsil Stones are a sign of people having an allergy or intolerance? Then I went on the GAPS diet, to heal gut dysbiosis, several years ago and now find I can have dairy (mostly raw milk products) without having an issue i.e. no matter what I eat, I never get these anymore.
I had my tonsils removed when I was 6… I’m 45 now and don’t have tonsils but have what I call splits where they use to be…I do still get these nasty things and glad to know I’m not the only one. ..I can always tell when they are back… Either one side or both feels sore. .. so I take a long qtip and wet the end and run it down thru the split on each side. .. in between gagging. … but hey just having them removed does not guarantee to not get them
I’m 54 and first discovered I had these when I was 11 but didn’t know what they were till last year. I have never been able to see them, even with a torch, so removing them isn’t an option and nothing else seems to work. Some days I can’t even stand my own disgusting breath. I’m at my wits end with them. I call them my “barnacles”
I have had throat stones all my life & finally I am free of them in the last 6 months.
Take a high quality pure Zinc Tablet (No herbs or anything else in it) on an empty stomach.
You take Zinc at higher does for a short period of time, however, do your own research on this.
I also changed my bodies PH level via Raw Apple Cider Vinegar & Bicarb Soda.
By doing these 3 things I have gotten rid of them.
Everyone’s body is different & responds differently, all I know is this has worked for me, hence I thought I would share it.
I also experimented & stopped the Zinc & the other things for a month & they came back, so I know for my body I am on the right track.
Good Luck.
I hope this works for other sufferers.
i squeeze on top of the hole in my mouth and i ended up finding where they come out of, i kept pushing my gums with my finger for a half an hour and SO much of those white thins came out of my mouth
Omg!! I am so glad i decided to search this after one of the bigger ones came up tonight. THEY ARE AWEFUL!!! I have started getting these in the last few months, & im like what is going on with me now, what is this stuff coming from my throat & hurts after i cough them up for few hours, my ears too sometimes. But the smell; OMG… the smell is AWEFUL! !!
And worried me the most. Cuz when there is an oder thats usually means infection. Which when i was a kid i always had strep then when i became adult it was tonsilitis all the time. And now i have smelly, gross, things coming out of my throat. FUN TIMES!! But so relieved its quite common. So thanks all for having these too!!! Thank you for this article & thank you its nothing serious. Disgusting; but not serious. I wish all of you luck on conquering the demise of these tonsil stones. after reading all these comments , & laughing about it now, after being so freaked out,. Im gonna ask my kids if they ever get thes. Lol
I’ve suffered from tonsils my whol life. About a year ago my DDS turned me onto a mouth wash called CloSyst, it’s amazing and it’s so mild it’s like rinsing with water. Even my 9 year old uses it. My bad breath and tonsil stones are gone! I get mine at Walgreens.
Didn’t think I had any type of cancer or disease or anything like that, but all I know is that them lil mucas balls stink so bad!!! Yuck…. I am surprised that so many ppl have the same issue, lol
I would caugh these smelly balls up, squeeze them between my fingers and put finger under my wife,s nose while she slept.
Hahahhahaaa…devil is alive truely
I’ve had them since 2006. They are horrible. My tonsils are scheduled to be taken out next month because of them.
I noticed my first stone about a month ago for the very first time when I felt something stuck in the back of my throat. I opened my mouth and saw a giant white spot and immediately got so freaked out!! I asked my dad to try to pop it with a toothpick and it ended up falling out! I’m so glad I found this article, no one I know has ever had these and I thought I was alone!! I found it odd I just started getting them (just pulled out another today) until I read the comment about vitamins. About two months ago I started taking a daily multivitamin for the first time and it was shortly after I got my first stone. About 3 days ago I took emergen-c and I had another stone again!! Hopefully if I cut back on the vitamins these foul smelling stones will leave me alone forever lol
THROAT TRUFFLES
THE DEVIL’S CHEESE
STINKY PEANUTS
NECK TRASH
these are all names my friends and I use to describe this awful condition!
These little white nasty things have destroyed my throat. I swear mine are huge, nasty, and smelly! And some are so that they leave holes! And I don’t think they caused me bad breath somehow because I always brush my teeth and tonge really well but I also do check for them everyday! And I know when I get one because I feel it and it feels so annoying I swear one time I sticked my hand in throat just to get the thing out! Ugh! I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Get rid of the stones and pain by doing what I did. Get your tonsils out. I never have sore throats or stones anymore..Your immune system will be fine…in fact you will feel better without them since they are getting infected.
Never heard of it.
Every so often it happens to me. The other night it did as I was coughing. Sometimes they would look like little tiny squares. The other night there were 2 tiny squares and a large chunk. The smell, of course, is horrid. It’s been so long since that happened and I wished I had a microscope to look closely at it. In all my honesty, I was freaking out thinking it was bits of tapeworm! I have such a fear and phobia about worms and thought I would google this. I am much relieved now.
I had this problem for about two years, and yes people can be very mean, and I was super embarrased about my breath, it was affecting me big time. The issue for me is that I could get the ones in front but I could not get the ones on the back of the tonsil, so I had to wait until they grew so big and then came off they were huge by then! So I went to see a specialist and had my tonsils removed. I am still recovering but I will tell you if you dont want this problem just get your tonsils removed.
You Guys might want to get checked for allergies it sounds like it could be dehydration and allergies.
“Another reason people don’t dispense with their problem of tonsil stones is because they are embarrassingly nasty and foul smelling!”
Wow gotta find me some tonsil stones to cure my good breath!
Thanks for the post. I ate something a few days ago JUST as someone made me laugh and the food went down and up .. felt like it had wedged itself in my tonsils and larynx. One of these appeared exactly where I caused irritation. My dentist noticed it and asked if i had a cold recently and I couldn’t recall a recent one. Never had tonsillitis or one of these before. I’ll try to remove it through your recommended ways. Thanks.
I used to have a bad problem with these for years until my dentis had me use a special fluoride mouthwash for gum disease. After about a month of using it I noticed I wasn’t getting them anymore. Before that though, I had stopped eating sugar, and almost all dair, and that helped quite a bit.
I had this problem since I was 12 yrs old and my younger sister was always laughing at me because she’ll hear me cough /struggle to get them out. I’m now 32 and still having them. I visited doctors 10 times and no one gave me an answer, am now glad after reading this article because I thought it was not normal. Thanks very much for sharing this helpful info with us.
My sisters and I call them do do balls. they smell worse than do do when you smash them up.
It’s 12:28AM right now and I have one in my mouth that I’ve been trying to get out for almost in hour! I’m in my room doing homework and don’t want to go to the bathroom yet. I’ve been using my tongue to get it out and I think I’ve finally given up. I’m getting up to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW!
Thank you so much for this article. I am 38 years old and never had these in my lifetime until now. They just came all of a sudden a few months ago. I was wondering what they were. I thought something was happening to my throat. I would just cough and they would fly out of my mouth. Today I sneezed and the biggest one yet flew right out of my mouth. Thank goodness I was in my office and not around other prople. It would have been so embarrassing. The smell is so aweful. This explains why my breathe would smell so much. My son and boyfriend would tell me that my beath is smelling and I would brush and it would still smell bad.
I will try one of the solutions posted because the bad breath is really a bad thing and I want to get rid of this.
Thanks again for this aricle.
I have learnt and tried this and it works. Gargling some diluted Hydrogen Peroxide is very effective in getting them out. This is not a cure but helps to get them out and your mouth feels exceptionally clean thereafter.
I also get these things.. glad to know I’m not alone but I only get them on the left side. I NEVER get them on the right side. I shined a flashlight down my throat while looking in a mirror and it looks like there’s no hole in my tonsil on the right side but there’s two on the left. Is that a problem? Suggestions?….
I use to call them breath balls lol
I just found out about it always used to take them out and smell it … almost knock to hell out I want it too stop help me tell me what to do I doh wanna have bad breathe …..
I have had them for decades. I use my tongue to dislodge them. Doing this over the years has stretched my tongue to Paul Stanley dimensions!
I’ve asked my sister and mother if they ever got ‘those gross white things that come up… and they smell awful…’ but nope, no bells of recognition from them. I always get them out by doing this really throaty prolonged choking thing that makes it sound like I’m coughing up hairballs. It earns some spectacular looks.
I stumbled on this article and wow! I always just thought they were little flecks of vomit due to the smell. I used to get them all the time as a kid but I can’t remember coughing one up as an adult. Maybe because I smoke pot? Hmmm…I wonder.
I always thought that these were pieces of food being coughed up, too. I questioned the foul smell, but never enough to mention to my Dr. I do this a lot. But never necessarily have any issues with my throat aching, etc. Should I consult my Doc?
I THINK I FOUND A SOLUTION!
I have had tonsil stones since I was a young girl. Sometimes you can poke them out, but other times you can’t even see they are there. I’ve tried a lot of home remedies. I recently read that Oil of Oregano is a miracle cure for colds and throat infections. I tried it straight up. It tasted terrible and burned a bit. However, two days later a stone dislodged. I now use it as mouth wash by diluting several drops in salt water and gargling with it in the morning. It’s also help fight cavities and gum disease. This seems to work and it beats surgery! You can buy it online at Vitacost.com it’s called certified organic oil of oregano by natural factors. If you happen to try it I’d love to here your comments.
I THINK I FOUND A SOLUTION!
I have had tonsil stones since I was a young girl. Sometimes you can poke them out, but other times you can’t even see they are there. I’ve tried a lot of home remedies. I recently read that Oil of Oregano is a miracle cure for colds and throat infections. I tried it straight up. It tasted terrible and burned a bit. However, two days later a stone dislodged. I now use it as mouth wash by diluting several drops in salt water and gargling with it in the morning. It’s also help fight cavities and gum disease. This seems to work and it beats surgery! You can buy it online at Vitacost.com it’s called certified organic oil of oregano by natural factors. If you happen to try it I’d love to hear your comments.
I get these a LOT. I use to be able to just suck on my tonsils and they’d come out, but recently they started growin under the skin of my right tonsil, and from then on its been getting bigger, I really wanna ask my mom to take me somewhere that I can just get the darn thing removed but she complains about the price and tells me to just pick at it, which feels physically impossible because of my gag reflex. I’m at a loss of options, and in a pretty big amount of pain right now, none of the gargling with salt water or stuff works, I’ve tried it! I’m done! I want my tonsils gone, I’ve had enough tbh.
Get rid of the stones and pain by doing what I did. Get your tonsils out. I never have sore throats or stones anymore. Your immune system will be fine…in fact you will feel better without them since they are getting infected
i am so greatfull for this post. I Had these throat demons since the age of 10 and always thought they were pieces of ‘ugali’ or fermented milk (Kenyan btw) that failed to go down the gut. The first time i coughed one out was in a classroom, but no one was watching so i braved picking it up and sniffing at it. My God! how could no one ever tell me that something could smell this bad! It actually defies description. its one of those things you have to smell in order to believe! but to fairly describe it, It smelled like a dead skunk in a dog’s poop.. I actually developed a way to get rid of them by sucking on my throat.. I never told anyone since it was so embarrassing and gross too. however, a friend once told me he had the same things.. i have had bad breath a few times though, of which i would always clean after. cleaning my mouth has been religious since then. Thanks for this post. now i know its common and equally normal..The names you guys give are so funny.”exactiles” hahaha
Fair enough. at least someone that I SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE WITH (Kalenjin). I was thinking I am the first person to develop the problem here in East Africa.
i thought they faeceal particles that had escaped fom the rectum. haha..life
They seem to pop out when I sneeze and cough at the same time. Although, understandably, I cannot do this on demand
I put one up my dogs nose the other night. That must have ponged like a good’un
That’ll teach him for farting when in my presence
i thought was cancer cells.. XDD
I agree the things smell awful stinky, as of lately i have been getting them a lot…LOL
throat boogers…!!!!!
I have my tonsils removed when I was like, 12. And i am now 23 and have these little boogers all the time. Is it still “Tonsil stones” or would that be something else than?!
“Studies have shown that people who have had their tonsils removed, under most circumstances, almost never experience tonsil stones.”
Gave me a good chuckle, thank you for including little bits like this everywhere 🙂
I had this problem before I went on a low-carb diet and lost 50#. The white solid stuff in my throat used to make me gag. I suspect the substance is triglycerides. Since my trig level is much lower, they’re gone.
Oh sh** I can’t imagine other people have the courage to share the smell to their friends and relatives. That’s too disgusting and might end up you being cursed by them. Those are like little super powers came from hell. I want to get rid of those!
I can’t understand myself why despite the awful smell, I still do observe it on my thumb, squeeze it, then smell it… then smudge it on the wall and smell it again. Weirdooooo!
I’ve had these for years and tried lots of different things to get rid of tonsil stones.Doctors are not at all interested.I spent hours looking for help.I read some information about the effects of dairy products causing tonsil stones,I’ve cut out dairy from my diet and the stones have virtually gone and only come back when I have dairy products.if it affects your life as much as mine you then it’s worth a go.
Thank you so much for the article Noreen and all of you for your comments. I mean seriously I’m glad to know I wasn’t crazy.
I’ve had these cheese balls popping up in my mouth for awhile and I was like wtf is this? I don’t remember eating anything close to this texture today? Was this stuck in my teeth the whole time? Hmmmm probly missed a tooth flossing today….
When I cough one time, one came up and I was like where are these nasty things popping up from? It wasn’t till last week i thought I felt like a popcorn shell (u know when it sticks in your gum?) stuck in my throat. I hacked and coughed, did all kinds of coughing and hacking but nothing. 3 days of discomfort passed, I decided I’m gonna take a toothpick and scrape that sucker out. But then when I inspected my throat with the toothpick I saw somethin like a baby popcorn stuck in a hole in my throat and I was like hmmmm I had popcorn months ago were u stuck in there this whole time? Where the heck did his hole come from and what a coincidence u fit yourself perfectly in it! and yanked it out
Boy! what relief but I felt a lil uneasy and like the rest of you started thinking cancer I was like damn I’m gonna need chemo and an artificial throat? Inspected that hole everyday and to my dismay another popcorn thingy started to appear. I was on Google in a flash and thank the Lord I didn’t run to a doctor….it’s embarrassing enough to have these thoughts much less to share wid a doctor. I would have felt utterly stupid.
Thank you so much for that information,been suffering with those balls forever.I still have my tonsils, which have been raggidy all my life.I’m 47 years old and I’m seeing them appearing more now,like every month.I’m glad to know the true name of the little dodo balls.Lol with my mouth close.
I have noticed that it is really bad when I eat very starchy foods… I am looking at you french fries.
i too had those foul smelling balls 2-3 times a week and my tonsils are very much infected. I used to suffer from tonsilitis during my teenage (now i am 22). I suffered it once every month or after 3-4 months per year. Thank god they donot appear frequently now but those white balls are very bad and i am getting my tonsils out (tonsillectomy). Should i prefer it or not?? will there be any adverse effects?? i m totally confused
I feel relieved reading this article… I thought I had some tumour in my throat or something.
Ok, now that I know what they are, how do I get rid of them. I feel like I am constantly choking. I have a fat tongue and a small mouth and I cannot see them to remove with a cotton swab. I don’t want to have to go to the doctor to have them removed. Help!
Wikipedia actually has a very informative article on them; I was impressed. I’m totally going to show my doctor today, as I just so happen to have an appointment that was already scheduled.
Check it out:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith
I get these, I have a very long and flexible tongue that lets me fish them out.
My wife calls them ‘Spit Rocks’. I made her smell one once and she gagged.
I’m so happy I came across this, my boyfriend calls them ‘fur balls’ because like a cat I have to cough them up. I think I started getting these age 20 (I’m now 26) and they go away for about a year sometimes but then they come back again. I have sore throats a few times a month and I catch a cold around every 2 weeks (in winter), I also recently started getting ear infections and I’m wondering if all these things are linked. I’m considering going to the doctor to discuss getting my tonsils removed but as I get colds so often I’m worried this would decrease my immune system even further. If I do go to the Dr I will definitely go armed with articles about this.
Get rid of the stones and pain by doing what I did. Get your tonsils out. I never have sore throats or stones anymore. Your immune system will be fine…in fact you will feel better without them since they are getting infected.
I always tried to take them off the back of my throat with q-tips and sometimes even a piece of hard spaghetti. Sometimes they came off quickly but other times there were little pieces I couldn’t get and it would drive me crazy. Crazy to the point I made the back of my throat bleed. Anyways had my wisdom teeth taken out, the dentist gave me a water pick to clean my wisdom teeth holes. Ended up trying it on the back of my throat and was amazed at how easily the ‘throat pearls’ (CS 2011) were removed. So use a water pick!
someone told me my breath smelled like ass… now i know it’s because of these stupid things.
I used to get these. Usually, I would be laughing or I would sneeze and these would come up from my throat. I too asked my dentist what they were, and he had no idea. Then I found just by using Listerine mouth wash after brushing and especially just before bed, they went away. I think it’s the germ killing properties that help.
You liar! selling listerine as an ad eh ??
listerine which contains alcohol, actually activates more of this rotten smell in your mouth about a half hour after washing up with listerine
listerine is the worst brand to use if you are suffering from tonsil stones
finally I know its not me only I try digging it out with my finger and I get them out or sometimes I cough them out but now im being extra careful about washing my hands when I finish playing with my dogs 😀
This is crazy I’ve gotten them before and never bothered to look it up which I’m glad I did I’ve tried taking these nasties out of my throat. . Not to mention how uncomfortable it makes my throat and ear feel that’s how I knw I got one when I start feeling the pain . Thanks everyone !
Get rid of the stones and pain by doing what I did. Get your tonsils out. I never have sore throats or stones anymore.
well im not gonna die :’) sweet tyty 😀
I noticed these bit of white gunk while studying one night while coughing & sneezing at the same time. A gigantic ‘cauliflowery’ gunk shot right out of my mouth & landed on my notepad. When I investigated this gunk, I cursed myself for having a nose. The smell was god-awful-terrible. I fake coughed again, and more gunk shot out, but smaller. Although I had no idea what these were back then, I didn’t freak out. I spoke to my brother about it, and he said he gets it too. We just did a lil bit of research & found that tonsil stones are pretty harmless, and good oral hygiene beats everything. I’ve noticed the frequency of these stones appearing a lot lesser now. I guess maybe change in diet could have been a factor (lots of greens & less meat & dairy products). It’s really alarming that doctors seem to have no idea, though.
grrrr!! now i know what these stinky.white little balls are 🙁 i suffer from thesw for the past few years… and i dont even have any idea what are those.. the only thing i do is to pick them up with a tiny spoon-like stick just to make me feel better.. but lately my tonsil sores more bigger 🙁 i’ve had a hard time.sleeping and swallowing .. tssss..
I had stones and sore throats for 20 years. Since I had my tonsils out, I never have these problems.
Old post but I just had to answer:
When I was a child I got these white chunks from time to time. For me there was absolutely a connection between the stinking chunks and drinking milk. When I was about 13 I stopped drinking milk and never had these white chunks again. Not drinking milk even lessened my allergy to cats.
I haven’t found that cheese, cream, butter or yogurt produces white chunks. I also wonder if drinking raw milk instead of pasteurized would make a difference.
+1 for dairy connection.
I started feeling very fatigued, having stomach aches and digestive problems, and getting these stones all simultaneously. A year or something later I realized it was diet, and tried removing milk/cheese/butter and anything else containing casein such as certain lunch meats or hot dogs. Stones went away.
This problem needs to be taken way more seriously and the pathology needs to be studied. I don’t understand why this affliction is so overlooked. The tonsils are part of the body’s lymphatic system which is involved in removing waste from cells. Anything building up in the system means you are inducing a severe problem in your body. One thing to explore is whether this is due to intake of calcium or casein. Somebody who gets these, try taking calcium supplements for a week or two (make sure they’re dairy free) to see if you get tonsilloliths. I believe when I eat food that has added calcium such as certain sports drinks or vitamin supplements, I also get a small amount of these.
Why is the body not able to regulate these minerals?
thank god that i found this post.. at first iam too worried about it. i though it was by caused by smoking so i quit smoking but it didn’t see any progress so i search and i found this post. what a relief .. yeah it smell like it could wake up
your dead grandma.
If you cannot pick them up by using all the above, try this – before going to bed gargle hot water (not too hot) make sure the water reach your throat the longer you can hold the better.. This can loosen the tonsil stones and the they will come out of their without too much effort.. I hope this work as well for everyone.. Cheers!!
Omg….how can I live life with these hot…fired …breath that keeps inviting himself in my throath….I started having these white looking rock when I was 21 I had it one time..then it stoped…now that im 26 last year I been getting them like ones every 3 months….as for me I cannot see them but I can feel them and jjeeessuuuusss smell them in my mouth ….wish no one had these issue so dammmm unconfortable…it gives the goosefirebumps when I get them out….extremely hot fire shit balls….i will not marry soon…..lol..yeahhh budddyyy
Smoking makes it worse.
I’ve had these since I was 12. I hava a small dental equipment (not sure how it’s called) I always take them out with it. My breath doesn’t smell. You just have to be very careful and gentle. With years I got experienced so no problem.
Alright fellas, thought I must share my very easy and quickest way to deal these folks.Ok what you do is,you take a huge volume of water into your mouth such that you can’t swallow at once but doesn’t fill the entire volume of your mouth then attempt swallowing the water all at once,this will cause pressure at the throat and force the water back and in this way clearing the tonsillitis as well,repeat it for around 3 times. I tell you it works.
Sixty years ago, when my younger brother and I were small, he got them all the time. The worst part was that he’d sneak up on me and rub them into my skin or hair. I still remember that. Death to little brothers!
I have these things ewe nasty
this make me feeling good but i have another problems too when coughing hard my throat will break its self shows little bit of blood when spite from the throat .I smoke some times not well does this is a problem for my throat or it cause anything danger?
I had this since i was little but very rare, maybe once or twice a year. I never had to squeeze it out, it’s not painful, it just came out naturally. I will feel something small rolls on the back of my throat and it lands on my tongue. I hope it’s normal. Since tonsil is like a filter and i dont have any problem with it. I’m quite surprised that many people have problems with this thing. I thought it just a normal process. My heart goes out to you guys who have to constantly poking in your throat and carry mints everywhere 🙁
I am 15 years old and ever since I was really young I’d pull tonsil stones from my mouth. I didn’t know what it was but I used to tell my parents that I felt something in my throat, they never believed me until I showed them about 3 or so at one time. There was still more in my throat. As the years went on my parents forgot about the vile white/yellow chunks that I’d spit up. Here and there I’d be sitting in class and start coughing which turned into choking until I went and got a drink which was like I always drank a river. Maybe I should tell my parents about them. They’re not going away and it’s been 11 or so years. I don’t know what to do.
Hi Bella, you really should tell your parents and your doctor about it
I had the same exact issue since I was very little. I was 30 years old before I finally had my tonsils removed. Its true that this procedure is much more difficult for adults, that’s why I think you shoulz consider asking for your tonsils to be removed now. Since mine were removed 13 years ago, I’ve never had tonsil stones again!
Hi Buckeye, with your tonsils removed, have you had any health problem after that? did it affect your vocal cord etc?
Get your tonsils out. The problem will be gone forever. I tell you this from my own experience.
I’m 61 and still get them; I can squeeze them out to avoid bad breath.
I ‘m 16 and I’ve been having those tonsil stones things since I was 8 and I never really knew what they were because they smelled so bad. Until I googled it and saw videos about these tonsil stones things. Now I know that I ‘m not the only one who has them.
Im having this problem for more then 5years….do i need to take any operation for it or jus tablets are enough!???
I want to know one thing that is it a chronic disease ? and how to get rid of this ? is there any treatment please tell me.
There is a permanent cure. Get your tonsils out. Best thing I ever did. Stopped my sore throats too.
Gosh good to know it’s not chronic,a feel a loads been lifted of me.this burgers are really annoying
Glad I googled to find out what these stinking balls were. I’ve had them for some time now and I usually suck them out with my tongue. A few days ago I sucked out so many of these creamish-yellow ‘stinking balls’ that I vowed to google. Thanks you for your comments, I’ve laughed so hard. At least am not alone. Right now I feel one & it’s giving me discomfort in my left ear.
I avoided dairy at first to avoid these nasty things…but then I discovered that I was suffering from a root cause of an undiagnosed gluten allergy, and after I stopped eating wheat, barley, rye, and whey (and any foods that have these ingredients to any degree) I was able to reintroduce dairy without any bad side effects (like the nasty white sulphur balls …or the boils that would break out under my chin and above my neck in that space in between) THANK GOD I FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM!!!!!
My wife had these until the practice of her giving me oral sex every morning . Her problems went away in less than 2 weeks and im rather happy every morning before work .
We all envy you.
Lol
May I have your address?
i am so happy that i am not all alone to have these stinky white tonsil stone thnk uh for the knowledge u provide.
Hello,
I have been suffering with these things for years and didn’t know what they were so I called them stink buds. I am now having frequent sore throats and keep having this painful sharp pain in my left ear. I think I need to call my Dr. today if they are open to see what’s going on. Glad i’ve found this site. Thank you
Get your tonsils out. I had tonsil stones and sore throats for 20 years until an ENT doctor told me I should have them out. Since then I never get sore throats or tonsil stones EVER! You don’t need your tonsils, especially when they are getting infected and causing pain.
These tonsiliths are practically entirely due to diet. The tonsils are an outlet for the lymph system. This all relates to how many self generated diseases occur, such as cancers of many sorts, congestive heart failure, athero-/arterio- sclerosis, arthritis, boils, cysts,.… and so forth.
The main causes are starches, particularly grain starches of any sort, and especially from refined starches, such as white flour products. Cheeses/dairy-products from animals who have a very intake of grains can also cause these, – because, you eat what what you eat eats in a roundabout way.
did you even read the article? it’s buildup from stuff that passes through mouth, it’s not like there’s a series of tubes connected to the tonsils that pushes shit through.
SOLUTION SOLUTION!!!!!
My computer keeps messing up so i don’t know if you got my previous writings.
solution
is to turn your open mouth up into the shower spray and let it flow
forcefully into your throat;SWALLOW TWICE. I do this a couple times a
week and wish i had known this in my high school days. I have a
successful business which I know I would not have if I had not figured
this out. Hope you find this and that it helps.
dont swallow shower water, that’s fucking disgusting
It’s the same water that comes out of your faucet… Do you not know how plumbing works?
yeah i’m a plumber and some hot water supplies come from mains fed pressurised hot water systems which should be ok to swallow, apart from bacteria on the shower head. hot water from a gravity fed hot water cylinder via a cistern is a very bad idea. can you tell which is which?
So, the hot water out of the tap shouldn’t be drunk, either? Don’t y’all know about chlorine and such in the UK?
Look, once you actually get hot water out of the tap, all the heat-leached substances have gone down the drain. Now you’re getting a flow of water whose residency time is measured in seconds. Even if the cold and hot pipes both used lead (which is highly unlikely these days) you would get far more from the cold (which you are likely to use as soon as it comes out) than from the hot! If you flush your cold pipes every time, then the differences are still going to be trivial.
The question then becomes the feed to the hot water heater, but again, that intake water is cold water.
PREVENTION AND SOLUTION!!!!! i find the best solution for me is brushing the back of my tongue frequently, as long as I keep that up I have no problems with them!
I had one of these for the first time in my life today. After removing it, I now have PTSD. The human body is freaking disgusting. God I hope that was the one and only one and it never happens again
I had these from when I was a teenager until my mid thirties when I had my tonsils out. They would occasionally dislodge and the smell from them is horrendous. People around you will notice. Finally an ENT doctor looked in my mouth and noticed the white lumps in my tonsils. She said I needed my tonsils and adenoids out. I had sore throats often up until they finally removed my tonsils. Tonsils are a source of infection for most people and can cause sore throats. Their contribution to helping the immune system is very little especially when they join the other side. Since my tonsils were removed I feel better, never get sore throats anymore and never ever get those damn stinking tonsils stones anymore either.
If you get tonsil stones just get your tonsils out and the problem is gone forever otherwise you will be fighting them and bad breath for the rest of your life. Also sore throats will be a thing of the past.
i typed what causes shitt ball in your mouth and i ended up here Dam
My tonsils are perfectly intact, and I’ve never heard of such a thing. I guess I’m more evolved than you repulsive and primitive life forms.
It may have been unhealthy decades ago. Nowadays, the difference would be trivial.
Has anyone had a problem where it felt lower in the throat almost like obstruction ?
The same for me.
I’m pretty sure you really shouldn’t be trying to pick them out as it can just make them come back faster and possibly inflame the area. Best to probably stick to the various gargles that can kill the bacteria which hopefully stops the stink.
I found mine were a result of acid reflux. Once I addressed the acid reflux, the white clumps cleared up.
Today’s my lucky day. I finally got it out. I was about to sneez, but i hold it. I mean, i made it silence and next thing i noticed i had something wird behind my tongue and i tried to do the same i sneezed and got it out, white shape big chunck of foul smell death cell. Damn, its just one of this days i feel like i hit the jackpot.
i have them too,i removed them on my own.all u need to do is to buy a 10ml syrine,fill it with water and pump it up in ur tonsil,those stone will bump out like crazy.
I thought i was the only one that had this…well thanks for explaining!
although the salt water things isnt working are there any other ways to get it out of your throat?
I get these periodically. Smeared one on slide at work and gram stained it. I was horrified. Then, remembered, just normal mouth and throat bacteria grabbing a snack. I noticed a direct correlation between eating pretzels and the appearance of these stones within 2 to 3 days afterwards. If you must eat pretzels, drink PLENTY of water with them!!
I put one on the end of my finger then asked my gf what it was, not telling her it was from my throat. She had no clue. Then I told her it smelled funny. She took the bait and smelled it. LMAO!! I thought her eyes were going to permanently cross. Wish I had recorded it!
I thought i had throat cancer tonight having this problem for several years now. I looked up tonight a few things and thought i have throat cancer and had a panic attack thinking the worst as i have anxiety i had a hectic panic attack heart rate through the roof.
Until i read this page i have slowly calmed back down.
Thank yu very much!!
Real term for them is tonsilar detritus.
Real term for them is tonsilar detritus.They are collecting in tonsilar crypts from food residue in our mouths.
Oh my god … I’m happy this is common…. I was afraid I have a problem with my mouth xD
A nod to the commenters. I have suffered with these digusting throat balls that smell like Satan’s butthole. I mean the smell ugh and it’s something you just dont want to discuss with someone because its so gross and so many just deal and suffer in silence. Its a lot off my mind to know i am not the only one and that i was right to think it might have something to do with my tonsils. A few reads of the comments and i go rinse with saltwater. Instant relief. You guys are awesome lol
I find that they tend to come up whenever I’ve been exposed to fine airborn particles such as dust from sanding or sawing wood, cutting concrete, etc. I never need to pick them out with an instrument as so many others on this forum do. I just give a good suck with the back of my tongue against my palate and voila they pop out.
Guys, I highly recommend just biting the bullet and getting your tonsils removed if you have stones! It’s so nasty to cough those things up all the time and have to go through a pack of mints every day. They only keep coming back too. I got mine removed a few years ago and have had no problems since! If they bother you as much as they bothered me then I can confidently say it’s so worth it. When I went to the doctor I came prepared with an up-close shot of the tonsil stones and that alone was enough to make her refer me to a surgeon LOL!
i am a singer so i am a bit worried it might affect my vocal chords 🙁
A few days ago i felt something that felt like a piece of popcorn at the back of my throat. I took a photo up close and I thought my brains were coming out through my tonsils! I was sooooo worried and so of course i did so much research to then come to this page. I was gagging so much and i felt a bit sick afterwards from poking around my tonsils, but so worth it. I would get them taken out but i’m so scared of surgery. I am gonna go to the doctor because i am still scared:(
I had these for years. They no longer formed after I started kissing a new man. His mouth bacteria must have helped change the type of bacteria I originally carried. I didn’t change any other products or habits. I also no longer get cavities since he’s been with me.
I’ve had then for a couple years now. I had one pop out of my mouth in 6th grade and I was like, I think that I just spit up part of my lungs or something. I’m so happy to hear that other people get them to.
I never smoked, but than I started to smoke like 1 cig every 4 days. After the first cig I noticed I would get these in both sides. It feels like strep throat and I can’t get rid of them. I’m glad I found this bc I was starting to believe that I was the only one and I have freaky shit coming out of my mouth. This happens to me if I’m around smoke or if I smoke. It’s been happening to me for about 4 yrs now. When I’m not around smokers and I do not smoke I’m perfectly fine.
I’ve thought I was coming down wit a mouth disease or something and decided to look it up me being the hypochondriac i am
Had trouble with feeling like something stuck in throat since young.Sometimes just moving tongue around would lossen up and down the throat they go.Then as I got older noticed that feeling so opened mouth and check.For some reason stuck finger in and out came white semi firm balls.Would keep mashing till all was out.Mainly always more on right side.Notice when place on tissue and mashed smelled awful.Just started keeping eye on the tonsil area and would mashed, blamed it on eating sandwiches, thinking was loaf bread that got packed in there.Never thought to tell anybody.Was at dentist once for some dental work and heard dentist and assistant talking about something impacted.They seem kinda gross out.So I didn’t dare asked when he was done.Embarrrased thinking I didn’t get my impacted loaf bread out.Then noticed in recent years not as bad,but I kept regular check and would take clen forefinger and kept mashed for time to time which produced very small ones or a milky white liquid.I’m not a milk drinker.Just figured this oddity was caused maybe from sinus drainage or something. Tonsiles had all but disappeared because of years if tonsitis.From late teens to early 20’s.Only once did I ever heard anyone mentioned the white stinky things.A friend mentioned her son had them and the dentist told him how to care for them.Then today after a week and a half of sore throat,larginis ,and drainage and coughing,after brushing teeth ,got flashlight ,shine it and back of throat at the right tonsil s white spot.So with clean forefinger I mashed and out it came,but in tissue and mashed,semi hard but more soft.So mashed some more and out came more white stuff but this time was like mashing a pimple or cyst as long with and same consistent ,not balls.Kinda freak me out not in thinking some serious maylay,just they way it came out.So tonight I googled it and brought me to this site.Glad to know I not one of just 2or 3 but there are more out there.Been reading the other comments hard to keep from laughing out loud.Husband watching TV. I’m a cna and does in home work,have heard just about all ailments and personal problems but never this.So glad to read there are others.While mind not bad enough for surgery could see it being answer for some.I usually drink plenty of water which is my main drink.Think that my help in not usually having as many.
Dealt with this nasty stuff my whole life. I named them plaque balls because I thought the excess plaque from my teeth was somehow gathering at the back of my throat. I figure that must be the case because saliva starts the digestive process and plaque is just food stuck to the teeth while poop is digested food. So these poopie smelling balls that itch the hell out of my throat had to be plaque balls right? (I think I was fairly intelligent 9-year old lol). So as I got older and women I *ahem* got close too would comment that I “must’ve forgotten to brush my teeth this morning” I became really concerned because I had brushed my teeth! lol I became a serious nutcase about this… brushing several times per day, flossing ALL the time, gargling before bed and at random times during the day…
I also notice that they were around the most when I was having allergy issues.
I am over 65 years old. I had my tonsils removed by my ENT at 60 after suffering with this embarrassing problem for more than 30 years. My physician had absolutely no clue as to what was creating the problem. But I had consulted with him so many times on the problem I think he referred me to the ENT. Only God knew the serious stress this created on me and the many times I was offered a gum or someone would just take a step back away from me. In fact there were times I began to question, Why me? My career was one of leadership and I had to be constantly close to clients/staff. There were times I held my breath for such long periods to avoid anyone smelling my breath that I felt faint and weakened by the lack of oxygen. However, doing the tonsellectomy was a blessing but it did not totally take care of the problem but it helped a bit. Currently my mouth is always quite bitter and many times I scrape and brush my tongue so many times per day now I have actually lost the taste of food. But I will try the hydrogen peroxide and water as an alternative. I personally thank you all for sharing your stories they are quite encouraging and provides hope. God Bless to all
Sorry Mr Frantic, it is too bad that this small thing that come from our mouth can affect one professional life so much.
It is scary to me that you had your tonsils removed after 30 years of suffering, I had the first one in May and the second one this morning(2 deadly smelling ones jumped out like frogs). Remembering I am approaching 30, this really give a long term projection of stress. I thing I wanna reduce consumption of dairy to the least possible.
I wish you could discuss of the methods you tried in those 30 years so that we can lesrn from you which one can work and which may not.
Pole sana
People! Just take a single dose of an anthelmintic, like Pyrantel, and he done with it. It’s available at you closest drug store.
Ur Mom
This is MALICIOUS advice. It will give you explosive diarrhea!
Don’t take this kind of medicine unless under the direct supervision of an M.D.
Anthelmintic: A drug used to kill or drive out parasitic worms from the intestines.
From the Greek anti , against and elmins , a worm. Anthelminthic also(-mintic)
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may also be called vermifuges or vermicides.Wikipedia
Ever observed the effects on the animals dosed with anthelmintic medicine? They actually forcefully SPRAY feces (along with parasitic microbes) when they go for the day (or 2).
This person is giving malicious advice. Don’t take this kind of medicine unless under the direct supervision of an M.D.
I think this thread is fascinating because I feel almost everyone gets these yet nobody knows or talks about it because it is embarrassing….. I notice a lot of people just want to remove their tonsils, but I have a PhD in immunology and find it surprising how few people know that the tonsils are the first line of defense against infections! The reason your tonsils get sore when you are coming down with something is that the immune cells are gathering and multiplying in order to fight the infection. My personal opinion is that the little pits in the tonsils are there to intentionally trap things that come into or bodies in order to detect pathogens and mount an immune response. I think tonsils are there for an important reason and wouldn’t remove them. If you open wide and look at your tonsils, it is pretty easy to use a finger or q-tip to dislodge them and then gargle after…..gargling alone is not enough to get them to come out. I find that I get them if I’m feeling a little ill, too, so maybe if they are common for you try a better diet, more sleep, exercise, etc…and you might get them less often.
A PhD in immunology, interesting. You’d be surprised how much those in the medical field don’t know much in regard to the immune system.
I’m curious what the different roles the tonsils and adenoids have (compared to each other). I had my adenoids removed as a child because I couldn’t breathe properly, but the doctors left my tonsils.
Thank you for the information! i really wanted to know what was that wierd white thing that out of a sudden appear in my throat
Thanks so much for the experiences shared and possibly efforts used to cure this weird, chucky, smelling thing. I’ve had since about 8 too and i felt like it was some kind of food particle i didnt grind well that got stucked somewhere around my throat and had been there a long time so it stinks. i never knew it was called tonsils stone. Thanks so much guys i’m 20 now and i think i can deal with it . ps. i just coughed one out now..lol
oooh thats what it was i was confused on what it was whenever they came out i would squash them then wash my hands its nasty
Same issue too. Tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it. Finally changed my diet ( no milk/milk products ) and the stones went away. One of the people here mentioned a possible issue with calcium absorption. I’m with him/her on this one. Whenever I go back to milk ( in coffee, tea ) or take yogurt, ice cream or anything creamy/milky ( think cream soups, sauces ), this issue always comes back. Just my two cents.
It’s Milk. Quit drinking it and these issues will go. Had the same issue too-for YEARS. Tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it. Finally changed my diet ( no milk/milk products ) and the stones went away. One of the people here mentioned a possible issue with calcium absorption. I’m with him/her on this one. Whenever I go back to milk ( in coffee, tea ) or take yogurt, ice cream or anything creamy/milky ( think cream soups, sauces ), this issue always comes back. Just my two cents.
Learn something new every day! I have had a career in the health care professions (medicine and nursing), studied in the ’80s and ’90s, and I NEVER HEARD of this issue! Did hundreds of physical exams and never saw a single person who still had their tonsils. Had mine out age 3 or so due to infections and was told they were big as hippopotami.
I have froat peris i don’t even no how to type OMG I called them vomit poo
i have this problem .but it was about finish i forget this also but from last week i feel it again even today morning i get up and have a big ball of this which comes out easily. just i feel weired but there is no bad breath.
Waw.. Thank goodness I found this, I have been disturbed thinking what could be the cause of the smelly discharge from my troat… Am relieved now knowing it can actually be treated
Thank God I found this.Mine smells like a rotten dead body!Gosh.So offensive
I’ve always thought those are trapped food…… Guess not!
I haven’t had tonsils since I was 3 and I am 63 now and have had these for the past 10 years. Were are they coming from if not the tonsils?
I think I answered your question below. Your sinuses is where it starts.
I canNOT believe so many in the medical field don’t know what these are! People who suffer from them often have sinus problems, and sinus infections, ear/hearing problems and are mouth breathers, especially when they sleep.
Like the article says, “deep throat” gargle with salt water in the morning and before bed, gargle when you get in the shower. Using the right allergy medicine and/or nose spray will help too, by keeping your sinuses clear. Check for mold in your home, dust and mop weekly, get rid of wall to wall carpeting.
For those who seem to get them only on one side, it’s probably the side you sleep on. And/or there’s an infection in the sinuses on that side.
I noticed this 2months ago…. Am so scared about it….. How can it be treated please…… This is really getting me worried
Thank you
Eat Oranges
Oranges, yep. Eating the skins also helps. Not too much though. Orange skins also good for bad breath. Did make a comment about brushing the tonsils daily and cleaning the tonsil crevices one a week with an ear bud. A tongue brush is also good to use as deep and far down as possible. Again to mention – it’s just a normal body function same as when one has to clean wax from your ears.
I also experienced this thing a year ago, now it makes me cough continuously as if i have chronic cough, my breath too is so bad. It becomes severe when i take in dairy products. Right now im thinking of removing my tonsils, thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad to read about this problem most of us encounter in our life but didn’t know what it was and are embarrassed about. The first time I spit it out was after I sneezed hard. I found this weird shape piece of chunky and rubbery texture. I picked it up to squeeze it to feel the texture and this nasty odor came out. I was shocked this came out of my mouth.
Then I realized afterward it was there again when I felt like I didn’t swallow a piece of food or something. I tried to dislodge it by using a finger and sometime it felt out easily and when it doesn’t I used the McDonald coffee stick to dislodge it and it was fairly easier that way.
I’m going to use use the hot water and salt trick to see if it’s working. I do consume less milk products in the last two years and it’s not appearing that often anymore.
Thanks for sharing!
I had the same problem few years back. A surgeon advised to remove tonsils. On having second opinion from another doctor, he suggested to take Vitamin -C enriched fruits. i used to eat alot of oranges. It vanished as i never had it ever.
Glad I found this site discussing this. A very, very, very long time ago my doctor told me about this and what I should do. For years I was telling my Hubby and daughter what to do because they suffered with bad sore throats that would just not get better. For a few years now they tried the method that my doc told me about and they have not suffered from sore throats again. I can’t remember the last I had a sore throat – long, very long time ago.
Anyway I would like to rub this article in their faces because even though they do not suffer from sore throats anymore, they are still disputing these THROAT PEARLS even though I hear them every morning rinsing them out … giggles …
I clearly understand why people shy away from this and do not want to discuss it. I am kinda very open-minded and sometimes can be humorously blunt. Whenever someone has a sore throat or their breath is foully I tell them about these food and bacteria left over particles that latch on for dear life to the back of tonsils. The looks I get are horrifyingly nose pulls when I tell them what to do … giggles …
I was 15 or 16 when my doctor told me what to do. I am now 52. It’s normal body functions and ok, a smelly one as well, but so are some farts. Anyway brushing the back of your tonsils every morning when you brush your teeth sorts the problem out. At least once a week use an earbud to clean the back of your tonsils – like just slightly move your tonsils out of the way so that you can get to the back crevices of your tonsils. At first it is disgusting because you feel like throwing up. Eventually you get used to it – your body adapts to that torture.
You will still get these THROAT PEARLS but it will not be disgustingly smelly anymore because you are daily annihilating them and constantly making sure that they do not pack on. It is the packing on that causes the bad breath and that causes these pearls to smell ewy. It is the packing on that also causes some of these pearls to lose their grip on the tonsil and that’s when you randomly find one or a few illegally roaming around in your mouth.
Sensodyne Whitening Repair Toothpaste – best for me and then mouthwash rinse afterwards. Haven’t had problems for as long as I can remember after that visit to my doc some three and a half decades ago.
My wife and I always call these things “White Poopie”.
ok….I am a ENT…did my residency at Baylor, degree from Okla Univ. The white smelly slimy balls that are in “pockets” of the tonsils are actually mostly puss. I had A LOT of them until I had my tonsils removed. I had a sore throat most of my life. I could usually use my tongue to pop them out or cough really hard but in college, I would sharpen a pencil and use it to dig them out. Once out, they are like wet biscuit dough with a hard center….AND STINK. If you smash them between your fingers and then smell it, you will NEVER forget the smell. If you have these a lot, look into having your tonsils removed. They need to come out…they are a chronic problem and even though they say its harder on adults having them removed AND IT IS, IT IS 100% worth it. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN!! Just have them removed and bye done with annoying puss balls
I suffered from tonsil balls from my teens until I turned 53 & finally said “ENOUGH”. I got so desensitized I could use my index finger to press the back of my throat hard enough they would pop out of the caves. Sometimes there were dozens of tiny ones, some were bigger, once I had one about half the size of a pencil eraser. It was disgusting and I was sure I was the only one who had them since no doctor had paid attention when I talked about the issue. I finally learned I wasn’t alone after describing them in a google search. It took 6-7 more years to decide to talk to a surgeon & get my tonsils removed. He said I had “kissing tonsils” – so big they touched. He assured me I wouldn’t have adenoids to remove, due to my age, but after the surgery he shook his head & said he ended up removing a pair of them too & they were big & “slimy”. Recovery from a tonsillectomy at 53 was a bitch & took a full month, but I would do it again. Barely a scratchy throat in 7 years, though I still cope with breath issues. If you have them & they make you miserable, don’t wait until middle age to have them removed!
I’ve had these little stinky white balls in the back of my throat throughout my teenage years and into my early 20’s. I remember getting sick with tonsillitis quite often and frequently and got worse as I got older. I ended up getting so ill that my throat almost closed all the way up and they put me on IV antibiotics. I had to fight with the doctors to have them take my tonsils out. They finally agreed as I was 23 at the time and it’s such a painful surgery the older you get. To this day it was the most painful thing I’ve gone trough recovering from that. But the doctor said that he had to spend and extra 20 minutes removing my tonsils because the calcification inside my tonsils were rock hard and he had to scrape forever to get it all out. So worth it though and I’ve rarely been sick since.
Haven’t had one since I was a little kid. My brothers and I used to call them “huh” things, because they usually flew out of your mouth when you made that sound.