Tonsil is a pair of pink colored fleshy tissues present over the back of the throat. In our body, they act as the first line of defense against the invading organism that may get entry from the air or food. Tonsils are composed of numerous lymphocytes (tiny cells which belong to the immune system) beside many other tissue structures.
They engulf the invading bacteria or viruses within its tissue and the lymphocytes are released. The job of the lymphocytes is to kill the organism. These mechanism causes inflammation of the tonsils and there is severe pain in the throat with malaise and fever. With every episode of tonsillitis, the dead organisms and the dead tonsillar cells organize inside the tissue. Minerals like calcium and magnesium combine with this mass and they collies together to form a solid mass called tonsil stone, which is medically termed as tonsillolith. The stones are composed of calcium salts like calcium carbonate apatite or hydroxyapatie and magnesium oxalate.
After that, the core of the tonsil stone goes through a process of putrefaction under favorable circumstances. Sulfur producing bacteria are highly concentrated within the mass. They release gases like hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan. Hydrogen sulfide smells as rotten eggs and methyl mercaptan gives a rotten cabbage stink. Together they produce the fecal smell that comes from the mouth of a person having tonsil stone. Bad breath is often the primary symptom of tonsil stone.
Tonsil stones are very much common in patients having recurrent tonsillitis. It can sometimes be seen over the tonsil as a whitish or yellowish, round structure. It is very common for small tonsil stones to be coughed out or swallowed during the process of eating. But for the bigger tonsilloliths, this will rarely happen. They will cause constant pain in the throat and other flu like symptoms along with foul smell from the mouth.
Tonsil stone can be a size of mustard seed or up to the size of a normal sized pearl. Giant tonsilloliths often misdiagnosed as peritonsillar abscess or tumors of the tonsil.
Tonsil stones are often diagnosed accidentally when the patient is advised for CT scan or MRI scans for some other reason in the throat. As stated earlier, tonsil stones can also be seen from outside.
Small stones can be curetted and for the bigger stone, local excision with or without tonsillectomy is the surgical treatment. Recently a 3-step Chinese herbal therapy is getting popularity owing to its simplicity and complete cure from the tonsil stone. It has successfully and permanently cured tonsil stones from several patients.
Author Resource:
Learn how to remove tonsil stones for good - without surgery or read more about symptoms of tonsil stones
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")