Your throat has a pair of masses that are located at the backside of the throat. Your tonsils work as a controller that controls the entrance of germs into your airways. Sometimes a stone is formed in your tonsils which are also known as tonsil stones. Tonsil stones are also known as tonsilloliths. Tonsil stones are not harmful, they usually cause bad breath. Tonsils stones treatment includes some home remedies including washing your mouth with saltwater.
How Do Tonsils Stones Look Like?
Tonsils stones are white and yellowish mass that grows up at your tonsil’s site. A person may have one or more than one tonsils at a time. They vary in size from small to large stones.
What Is The Difference Between Tonsillolith And Tonsillitis?
Both are different but occur at the same location. Tonsillolith is a tonsils stone that looks like a lump while tonsillitis is a tonsils infection in which your tonsils get swollen. Both cause bad breath and throat pain. Another difference is that when you have tonsilitis you may have fever and headache.
What Are The Causes Of Tonsils Stones?
There are very few causes that are responsible for tonsils. When substances get stuck in your tonsils they harden the surface of tonsils and make tonsil stones. Substances that are responsible for the formation of stones are
- Food minerals such as calcium
- Remaining food particles
- Bacteria and fungus
- Poor oral hygiene
What is The Symptom Of Tonsil Stones?
As such tonsils don’t have symptoms but if they have they are like
- Bad breath
- Cough
- Ear pain
- Bad taste
- Painful throat
- Small white and yellow stones
- Difficulty while swallowing
- Feeling that something is stuck in your throat
- White patches on your tonsils
Now we all know what tonsils stones are, what are the causes and how you can identify them through their symptoms. Let’s move toward the treatment, tonsils stones are not dangerous, they can be treated through some easy tips that we are going to discuss and you can follow at your home.
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13 Tonsil Stones Treatment at Home
Tonsil stones get dissolved on their own or they get coughed out or swollen and it requires no treatment. If tonsil stones stay for a longer period of time the home remedies include includes:
Forceful Cough
When you cough the tonsils stones come out of your mouth. A forceful cough helps you to de-attached your tonsil stones from your tonsils.
Salt Water Mixture
Add one spoon of salt to warm water and gargle or rinse your mouth. The salt water will help you to remove saltwater from its location.
Non-Alcoholic Mouthwash
Non-alcoholic mouthwash is good for oral hygiene and prevents bad breath. Gargle or rinse your mouth with mouthwash and it will remove your tonsil stones.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Add one spoon of apple cider vinegar water and rinse your mouth with this solution. Apple cider vinegar works as an antibacterial agent that removes bacteria and holds bacterial growth within your mouth.
Honey Solution
Honey contains antioxidants that kill bacteria and reduce inflammation in your mouth. All you have to do is add one spoon of honey to warm water and rinse your mouth in the morning and evening time.
Forcefully Watering Your Tonsils
To remove tonsil stones you have to put pressure on them through any liquid so you can also use plain water and put pressure on tonsils while gargling. This will help you to dislocate the tonsil stones and they will come out of your mouth.
Take Care of Oral Hygiene
Poor oral hygiene causes many dental issues including tooth decay, toothache, and bad breath. When you eat food, some food particles are left in your mouth. When you don’t brush your teeth, oral bacteria attack your tonsils and cause tonsils, stones, and tonsil infections. A good habit of proper brushing might help you to get rid of tonsil stones.
Use a Tongue Scraper
Have you ever observed a pattern on the backside of your brush? This is a brush scraper. Almost every brush has a scrapper at its backside and you can rub your tongue with this scrapper. It will remove extra germs from your mouth and prevent you from trapped particles of food.
Chew A Clove Of Garlic
When you chew a clove of garlic it releases allicin. Allicin has some special anti-microbial properties that kill bacteria that cause tonsil stones and reduce inflammation. This also reduces bad breath.
Swish Oil
This is an ayurvedic remedy that works on tonsil stones. You can take any essential oil such as coconut oil, olive, or almond oil. Bring and hold on one sip of oil and swish it for 10 minutes. This will improve your oral hygiene and after swishing doesn’t forget to brush your teeth.
Brush With Essential Oil
Essential oils contain antibacterial properties that kill your mouth germs. Use any essential oil such as lavender oil, mustard oil, and lemongrass. Put a few drops of essential oil on your brush and rub your teeth with it.
Chew Carrots
Carrots have the properties to produce more saliva in your mouth. This saliva helps you to soften the stones and helps you to get rid of them.
Things You Should Consider
Tonsil stones are stones that grow above your tonsils and cause bad breath. There are some other symptoms such as headache, ear infection, sore throat, and bad taste. Tonsil stones are also known as tonsillolith and they are different from tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is the infection of tonsils that also cause bad breath and throat pain but you can differentiate it from tonsil stones as they are yellowish and white in color.
Tonsil stones are not harmful; they get dissolved, swollen, or cough up but if they stay for a longer period of time you can use different home remedies including saltwater, honey, apple cider vinegar solutions, and chewing carrots and garlic cloves.
These home remedies will remove the tonsil stones but if you find them hard to remove you can ask your doctor for surgery. Tonsil stones removal surgery is known as tonsillectomy.