White Bumps In Throat _{Page 5 of 90}

I was relieved to find that other people shared my frustration towards doctors' general lack of knowledge about "those white things". I'm not a doctor myself, but I did find that they are related to post nasal drip in some ways. I get post nasal drip from my down pillow, which I just found that I may have an allergy to. Many people are allergic to the dust mites that live in down pillows and comforters. Do you think there's any correlation?

albert22, I used to be very constipated as a child. I try to take fiber to be more regular now.

I am wondering if dairy is the cause, I am trying Lactaid pills and cutting down on dairy.

Otherwise, I don't know if my throat/tongue physiology is just such that it's conduive to bacteria growth (I can only scrape so far).

I am experimenting with chlorophyl to see if that makes a difference. I eat out on occasion, but for the most part, fairly healthy. I do seem to love dairy, which I know thickens mucus and can cause problems if not digested properly.

Unfortunately, this is something that I have been plagued with since I was younger...I recall kids in 7th grade saying I had bad breath despite my practicing good oral hygiene.

Yeah i started getting those when i went to uni.....read this and thought i might get my tonsils out. Tried cutting things outta my diet first like dairy etc. finnally i've realised it's either Beer or smoking. I gave up both and no longer get tonsil stones! Thank god! really miss beer tho but vodka does the trick.

P.S. I also have that post nasal drip thing which is really annoying (although it doesn't smell) and don't know how to stop it. so if anyone knows could you share? cheers

Whats most likely to take your infection, is Teucrinum 6, two times pr day, max14 days.

Ii will clear it out, it will clear it out,instead of the supressions suggestetions youve already have got , and gone trough..
When thats taken care of , you will need a remedy, that take care of your underlying problems,and a diet change is also to be considdered, not only a remedy presc as that wont hold, or do you harm.

I've only started paying attention to tonsil stones ever since my boyfriend said he smelled smthg bad when I exhale through the mouth and nose. Sometimes the smell is stronger when I breath out through the nose. That's when it hit me that these tonsil stones were the cause. Ever since then I've checked out many sites about them. Thanks to this site, I know I'm not the only one experiencing this and there are a few remedies to try out there.

The website about Therabreath products seems to explain the origin of tonsil stones and bad breath and they even provide remedies (google therabreath).
For the people that tried them (I think two people mentioned it): Which products did you use? How long did you use them for? Did it improve anything?

I just ordered the therabreath starter kit with a free tonsil stones kit. I'll keep you posted if this product works for me.

I have had a problem with tonsil stones in the past. I rarely get them now.

My favorite TheraBreath products are the AktivOxigen toothpaste and the TheraBreath+ Oral Rinse. I prefer the TheraBreath+ oral rinse (as opposed to the regular TheraBreath oral rinse) because it has Tea Tree oil and Zinc Gluconate in it. Now, I don't know if Tea Tree oil is something that has helped my tonsil stones go away or not, but I feel like it really helps my breath smell better. I also use Thursday Plantation tea tree oil toothpicks after every meal, which I feel really helps my breath. (available from vitaminshoppe dot com) I just bought a bunch of the regular TheraBreath oral rinse by accident, and I do miss the Tea Tree oil in it. So I bought some plain tea tree oil from Whole Foods and put 4 drops in a bottle of the regular TheraBreath and it tastes pretty good. So hopefully this will work just as well (and it is cheaper).

I really do like the TheraBreath products, and I think the key to them is that they don't dry out your mouth like regular toothpastes and mouthwashes do. They are kind of pricey, but I just place an order from their website once a year for one of those Bonus Paks. Plus you get a bunch of free gum and breath strips which are good too.

Oh yeah, I use the TheraBreath products in the morning (along with a tongue scraper) and regular Sensodyne toothpaste at night.

Ebay1308, that is interesting about the down pillow. I don't use a down pillow anymore, and that as well could be what has helped get rid of the tonsil stones. Great observation!

Just found this thread and I'm so glad to have found out what these wierd clumps are! I remember having them as a teenager and in college. I had a roommate who went to the doctor for this problem and he just told her to pick them out with plastic toothpicks. I haven't had them for years until the last few months when I keep getting them every few weeks (I'm now 33). I'm pregnant, and I've been incredibly congested/mucousy. I keep wondering if it's from dairy or allergies to pollen (which I don't think I've ever had before, but we've got an exremely high pollen count this year.) I was interested to see that there is a high sulfa content in the tonsil stones, because although I haven't really noticed these tonsil stones giving off a terrible smell (they aren't too big), I have had horrible sulphur smelling burping before, which I think is associated with digestion. Has anyone else had that? I don't drink or smoke and eat pretty healthily, I can't figure out why I get these tonsil stones, though.

I am so glad to have found this website! Even though there are several good websites out there that describe the conditions of tonsil stones (aka tonsilloliths) and even offer cures, most don't work.

Within the past year, I have experienced an increasing number of tonsil stones. I have a chronic sore throat and cough up one or two tonsil stones a week. I have been to the doctor twice, but I really don't think he understands the severity and nature of this stinky beast. He put me on antibiotics and has blamed allergies for the condition (I have post nasal drip). I have tried Flonase and Allegra-D, but nothing has worked. Alcohol and milk make the conditions worse and I can always feel the tonsil stones in the back of my throat. Unlike a lot of people, I cannot see the stones or pick them out. I either gargle like crazy or try to hack it up, but it generally takes a couple of days before they come out. My doctor has finally referred me to ENT.

I would prefer not to have tonsilectomy, but I will do almost anything to cure this nightmare. My friends think it's one big joke, but they don't understand the pain and suffering!

I am interested to see how DarkLuv5's surgery went. I plan on purchasing a Water Pik this weekend to see if I can take the stones out.

Be very careful with the waterpik, by the way. I forgot if I said this in my last post, but I had it on too high of a setting the first time I tried it and one of my tonsils bled a little. I haven't tried the suggestion of using the tongue scraper attachment, but this sounds like a good idea (rather than the regular waterpik attachment that is a pointier spray).

Sorry, sorry sorry everyone for getting back sooo late. Thats cause I have been in excrutiating pain since my surgery. I just now got to catch up on everybodies posts. Okay before I tell you about the surgery let me respond to a couple of things.

The whole antibiotic treatment and allergy explaination though not completely false....they are complete wastes of time. Been there and done that. Thats because a lot of doctors just dont know whats wrong or they do know and would rather have you spending all kinds of money visiting them and buying drugs. Trust me. Get the tonsils removed unless you like living with the stinky suckers.

I must say I dont think my surgeon was the kindest to me because the ansthesia they used to put me to sleep burned as it went through my veins. I have been put to sleep before and never felt that. Anyway when I finally woke up I was in total pain. (it was worth it though) it has been a week now and sometimes the pain gets so bad I wanna pass out. Luckily I have good insurance that covers my time off work. It does get a little better day by day and I finally got to shed those few extra pounds I have been trying to lose. Not eating anything except ice will do that for you. Trust me that is all you're gonna want to eat is ice. A couple times I tried to cheat and eat real food...it just brought on more pain. My ENT said there will be no more stones and probably no more bad breath either. I feel relieved about that. There is a lot of scar tissue though after they remove them depending on how large your tonsils are. If your tonsils were allready big like mine were I feel sorry for you. the best part is all the attention I get from friends and family. Today my job just sent me a whole bunch of flowers. they miss me already. Honestly I am still in pain but at least now I feel comfortable walking around and such. Theres not much else to tell. If you decide to get the surgery load your freezer with ice...ice and more ice. It has become my favorite food. Popsicles are okay too just make sure they do not use citris juice to flavor them. Trust me the citric acid burns as it brushes across the scars. If you have any questions feel free. I will be checking this forum every day until I go back to work next thursday....Glad I had the opportunity to read this site though.

Bacteria in the pocket of your glands. I've had them for my whole life, I'm pretty sure that this is completely normal. They are white and ball shaped with a really bad smell, usually they go unoticed by most people and those of us who notice it get freaked out by it. If you open your mouth and stick out your tongue take a close look to where your pocket gland is you might notice them or not. Dont worry about it or plan on getting your tonsils removed this bacteria is good. I recommend you just leave them alone and dont stick anything in your mouth to try and remove them, they're there for a reason, to flush out the bacteria in your glands.

TONSILS..I made a mistake... ughh did i say glands sorry to those who misunderstood, i meant to say tonsils!And i been doing some research on this subject.

Helllo everyone.. I just had my tonsils removed becuase of the same problems you all are having/had. I had tonsil stones that were getting worse it seemed. I tried virtually everything and obviously it didnt work and it wont work if the pockets are very deep like mine were. I had some pockets that you couldnt really see until some white stuff started poking out of them and then you could squeeze the pockets and a large amount of cottage cheese like substance would come out. It was/is disgusting to me so I told the doc to take these damn things out. Getting the tonsils out is painful, but not as painful as I thought it would be. Its been 7 days now and I think the healing is beginning, but im sure i have at least another few weeks for total recouperation. I didnt want to deal with the tonsil stones anymore. I tried a water pik, thera breath.. etc.. I just didnt want to have to deal with these things on a daily basis for the rest of my life, what a hassle! And the bad breath issue, I was more self conscious about it then anything but why even have to bother with that you know?

Anyway, if anyone has any ?'s regarding surgery or recovery, feel free to post and I will try and help anyone out. I know that i came across this forum before I had it done, and it helped me out. But in the end i think the only things that can be done is getting your tonsil crypts shut by lazer, tonsils shaved down, or full removal.

I opted for full removal just to make sure i dont have to deal with this problem ever again. Full removal is the only guarantee and the recovery is the longest and most painful

Helllo everyone.. I just had my tonsils removed becuase of the same problems you all are having/had. I had tonsil stones that were getting worse it seemed. I tried virtually everything and obviously it didnt work and it wont work if the pockets are very deep like mine were. I had some pockets that you couldnt really see until some white stuff started poking out of them and then you could squeeze the pockets and a large amount of cottage cheese like substance would come out. It was/is disgusting to me so I told the doc to take these damn things out. Getting the tonsils out is painful, but not as painful as I thought it would be. Its been 7 days now and I think the healing is beginning, but im sure i have at least another few weeks for total recouperation. I didnt want to deal with the tonsil stones anymore. I tried a water pik, thera breath.. etc.. I just didnt want to have to deal with these things on a daily basis for the rest of my life, what a hassle! And the bad breath issue, I was more self conscious about it then anything but why even have to bother with that you know?

Anyway, if anyone has any ?'s regarding surgery or recovery, feel free to post and I will try and help anyone out. I know that i came across this forum before I had it done, and it helped me out. But in the end i think the only things that can be done is getting your tonsil crypts shut by lazer, tonsils shaved down, or full removal.

I opted for full removal just to make sure i dont have to deal with this problem ever again. Full removal is the only guarantee and the recovery is the longest and most painful

Hello. Found this site via Google. Thanks to EVERYONE for sharing thoughts and experiences. I have noticed a white lump that looks as described by others in my own mouth this morning. Hesitant to pay a doctor $50 to tell me there is nothing to worry about, I decided to search Google first. After reading all these posts, it seems to me that removing the tonsils is the surest and final way to get rid of these guys. However, I have not heard back from Sandra (the original poster) to see if she had taken any of the advice from those who suggested less extreme methods. I'd like to know how her husband's condition is.
Since this is the first time I've seen this in my mouth, I'll try the salt water, over the counter stuff, water pik first. If this problem becomes very chronic, I'll possibly look at surgery.
A little about me. I have had very bad allergy issues for the past 6 years. The solution for me to be able to sleep at night has been Allegra D in the morning, Allegra at night, and Nasacort AQ nose spray in the morning. Although this can be expensive every month, it seems to work, and the moment I stop taking this medicine, unfortunately problems with my sinuses occur. I also like to sleep in a very cool environment, and living in AZ I keep the air conditioner running at night. Maybe I'll try easing up on the low temp to see if that helps. It does seem like in the summer I notice my allergy issue more. I don't know if this is related or not. Very inexperienced with the white lump in the back of my throat as this is the first time I've seen it. But I do experience post nasal drips alot, and I'm wondering if my white lump was a result of some of this.
I did work over 76 hours in the past 6 days and yesterday, my body shut down. Been experiencing back pain and now stomach pains. But taking a nap yesterday, sleeping last night, and not working today seems to be helping me to feel better. Now, I will just start with salt water and see if this helps. Also, I'd like to see this post continue as I'm curious to see how others are doing. I used to think I was being a hypocondriac with my allergy problem, but I am now convinced that many factors are involved when it comes to sleeping that may be causing issues with sinuses. Air conditioning, pillow types, stuff in the air, ventilation, diet, exercise, etc.
Why am I posting? I think there may be a few different situations on this subject. There may be those who see these guys in our mouths and do a few things and then won't see them again (for awhile possibly). Then there are some here who have these guys on a continual basis and probably need something more permament for a solution.
So, I'll try the temp fixes first and hopefully won't see these things again. Thanks again for everyone's time and advice on this subject.

Strange, I got up from the computer, coughed and spit out one of these things. Sure enough, they come out looking like oatmeal. Brownish too. Looked in the back of my mouth. Still white stuff on the wall of my throat. I spit out another smaller one. Got some salt water, started gargling. Spit out another one. I still see the white on the back wall of my throat. Is this "puss" that has been opened and keeps oozing out? Will it go away? Currently, I don't feel it with my tongue, but I'm hoping it is just an infection that will go away.

Also, in my post above, I meant to say Sonya (the original poster). Sorry about the wrong name.

I'm 32 and haven't seen these guys since college. They have recently returned and I think I know why. Recently, I have begun taking Prevacid to stop acid reflux. Bam! Within 3 weeks, tonsil stones reappeared for the first time in 10 years, which is about the length of time I've been dealing with acid reflux. Perhaps the acid was killing the tonsil bacteria? Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I went to the doctor and he gave me this handy plastic tool that is long and has a little hoop at the end and it works perfectly for removal. I just slide it in and the white stuff comes out

Found some info from another site:

Q: I hope this doesn't sound too gross, but both my sister and I get white particles in the pockets of our tonsils. She thinks it is food buildup but I think it is the bacteria that the tonsils build up. The stuff is like cauliflower, kind of hard and with a foul odor. She thinks she needs to have her tonsils out. Can you advise us on this? We both have it regularly, but our throats are not really sore.
A: Doesn’t sound gross to me, but it’s probably a pretty gross problem for you and your sister.
These things are called tonsilloliths ("tonsil stones.") You have described them perfectly. They are typically white, or whitish-yellow, irregularly-shaped, foul-smelling, and usually smaller than a pea. The tissue lining the tonsils (oral mucosa) is fairly sensitive, so people with this problem often report that they feel an irritation in the back of their throat and are able to pick these critters out of their tonsils.
Like your skin, oral mucosa sheds continuously. The dead cells become incorporated in your saliva and then you swallow them. Yum! One more anatomical fact that you need to know: the surface of your tonsils is pockmarked with deep pits, appropriately called "crypts" (since dead stuff accumulates in these pits.) Oral mucosa lines the crypts. Under normal circumstances, as this mucosa sheds, the dead cells leave the crypts and are swallowed. In some unlucky people, like you and your sister, the dead cells accumulate and glom together to form hard little balls. All of this dead stuff makes great food for bacteria, and of course your oral cavity is colonized by all kinds of bacteria. Consequently, the tonsilloliths are ripe with bacteria. This accounts for the smell.
The only sure-fire method for ridding yourself of this problem is to have your tonsils removed (tonsillectomy), but there are nonsurgical alternatives which you should certainly pursue before you ask an ENT to take out your tonsils:
– You could try gargling frequently with warm salt water (1 teaspoon of table salt mixed with one pint of water– gargle with about 1/4 cup of this mixture three times per day, after meals.)
– You could also gargle with a mouthwash called Alkalol, which is essentially salt water combined with a variety of natural aromatic extracts; some people prefer Alkalol to plain salt water. Most other commercial mouthwashes contain sugar or alcohol, which are pleasant-tasting but are, in the long run, fairly irritating if used frequently.
– There is a doctor in Los Angeles, Murray Grossan, who markets a water-jet device for "hosing down" the tonsils. Relative to gargling, this device provides a more aggressive technique for clearing out those nasty crypts.
– In the hopes of avoiding tonsillectomy, I will often put my patient on a long (3 to 4 week) course of antibiotics in the hope that this will allow the tonsils to "settle down" (become less inflamed.) I must admit that antibiotics are not a very effective cure for this problem.
If I had this problem, I would try all of these things before resorting to a tonsillectomy. You should also discuss your problem with an ENT, since he/she may have other suggestions to help eradicate these nasty critters, and could also give you information on what to expect from a tonsillectomy.

I have these stones. Is it possible that they could cause a feeling of something stuck in the throat every day for 4 weeks?

hi my name is Elle and i am 15 and i have tonsil stones, and just so everyone knows i call them cheeseballs cuz they look like balls of cheese... so anyway i hate them and they make me gag sometimes and so i went to a throat doctor and he was like gargle with half peroxide and half water like 3 times a day and day "agmentin" and so i am tryin that but i dont want to take pills and gargle with some crap for the rest of my life but he was like "well these days we dont just take out tonsils for nothing" so i dont know... someone reply to this so i can talk about this gross problems that i seem to be alone with!!! -Elle

Hello Elle - you aren't the only one with this problem... by far.

The trouble is most Doctors don't realise how bad a problem is it. Though they would probably think quite differently about tonsil stones if they were suffering from them themselves.

You are quite right to be concerned about taking antibiotics for a long time - and they only help while you are actually taking them. As soon as you stop they'll be back again not long afterwards and as bad as ever. Antibiotics just don't work.

But let's look at the positive side! The good bit is that it seems when you have tonsil stones you don't get as ill as often as most people. (The last time I spent days in bed shivering with a temperature over 100F was about 25 years ago).

There is an option besides having your tonsils out - it's called crypt sealing (sealing the holes in the tonsils which harbour the cause of the smell). Not many do it but your Doctor should be able to find someone who will be able to perform the procedure. Having the tonsils removed will also solve the problem but that is best left to last - (if there is no other option).

The best thing to do is go back to your Doctor and get him to look at this forum. He'll realise how much of a problem it is and more importantly how much of a problem it is to you. He's possibly "forgotten" that you're 15 years old. You are gettting into boyfriend territory now and the last thing you want to be worrying about is "does my breath stink".

Go back to your Doctor and let us know how you go on. Good luck.

Glad to have found this site. I've had tonsiliths for a couple of years now. At first I barely noticed them. During a lot of physical activity or if I sneezed they would pop out or I'd swallow them and at first I thought it was food or something. Then they started irritating my throat, especially during illness. People often wondered why I was kind of clearing my throat often, and it was because of the irritation. Sometimes they get so bad that a couple of deep breaths, blowing, or singing can't be done without coming close to or actually gagging.

Everytime I'm about to get something done they clear up for a few weeks. It seemed to me like warmer weather helps, combined with the antibiotics I was given for bronchitis (I also suspect that my tonsils dealt me that favor). Then they popped up again. The irritation in the throat is bad, my energy level goes down, whether because of them or because I'm focused on dealing with them. I finally got to the point where I could see one in my throat. If you can't see yours, open wide, stick your tongue out and make the "ahhhh" sound the doctor makes you do, and shining a light in helps. You'll see the yellow/white spot.

As far as my temporary remedies, I've tried gargling salt water/mouthwash, doesn't help. Since I've had them come out during a sneeze I've tried sniffing pepper and sneezing, but they don't come out. I've had them come out after drinking alcohol a couple of times, but it doesn't seem to be a sure remedy and gargling it doesn't help either. They are very deep in the throat. I've shined a light in and tried to maneuver a very thin wodden pick (the cooking kind) but I wasn't able to get anywhere close to hitting it before gagging.

As far as the staying completely healthy advices go, the other thing they leave open for you to drink is water. I don't want to live a life without drinking milk, sports drinks, or drinking and eating most things that are actually essential to a healthy diet. My only real option left is to get them removed, which should be a real treat. On top of the week or two of being rendered useless and in pain is visits to the doctor, specialist, and finally the surgeon. The first two probably won't have a clue so I'll be forced to diagnose myself and convince them I'm not crazy. Just have to hope I don't get the time consuming trials to fix it, I'm ready to have them ripped out now.

One last thought...
How much significance do you think breathing through the mouth during sleep has?

Based on the taste in my mouth, how much worse my tonsils and tonsiliths get, and recalling a dental hygenist asking me once if a breathed through my mouth while sleeping I'm wondering how much of a factor this is.

I think it may be very underestimated just because we don't know if we're breathing through our mouth during sleep. Does anyone know how to stop this? I would be interested to see if it improves anything, if I am even breathing through my mouth. I can't think of medication that makes you change your breathing patterns during sleep of all things, so what am I supposed to do, tape my mouth shut? haha

Hi Sonya,

The white bumps in your husband’s throat are actually, Streptococcus aureus.

Streptococcus aureus, is a bacteria and is causing the white pustule like bumps.

So your husband has an infection in short.

I would stay away from stabbing it with any q-tips to say the least as this could spread it more and also cause the infection to worsen.

Hope this helps you out, in what is causing the end result of what you see.

Sincerely,

Common Sense Doc (Dr.)