In this article called, In Tonsils, a Problem the Size of a Pea, it talks about this strange thing that the human body is doing and it is happening to a number of people in the world. Doctors are calling it tonsil stones or tonsilloliths. These are little whitish, yellow "stones" that form in the pockets of a person's tonsils made up of mucus, dead cells, and other debris that get collected in the pockets. Not everyone has them, but there is a growing number of people who are coming out and saying they do, I am assuming because of previous sickness.I am one of those people, unfortunately. I suffered from mono about five years ago and every once in awhile when I brush my teeth, a little "stone" pops out of my tonsil and I spit it into the sink. It is a very weird feeling but, it happens so much now that it is a regular routine.
It is also a good warning sign if I am over working myself. When I overwork I tend to get sick. One of the first warning sign of my sickness is swelling of my glands and then I usually have an excess amount of tonsil stones. Right away I know that I need to relax and get a few extra hours of shut eye for a few days. It is one of the many interesting thing that the human body does.
The article states that there isn't a lot known about these little stones and most doctors tell their patients that the "stones" are just food that got stuck, but that is now known that is probably not true. Perhaps this will spark some interest for the ear, nose, and throat doctors of the world to up their game and figure out why these "stones" form and what they are really for?
If you want to see what a tonsil stone looks like, here is a photo, they kind of gross me out so I didn't want it on my page. :)
Sandi ... I never heard of tonsil stones. Strange that at least two of my students have them. I guess they're not uncommon. Good summary of the story.
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