White Spots on Tonsils

White spots or patches on tonsils are known as 'tonsil stones' or 'tonsilloliths'. Our tonsils have small indentations on them which are known as crypts. At times mucus, bacteria and food particles get stuck in these crypts, which in turn gets covered by a tissue known as mucosa. This tissue lines our mouth and nasal cavity. This mass of mucus, bacteria, food particles and even some mucosa is seen as white spots. Everyone who has had these, knows that they are quite foul-smelling.

Causes

These spots can be quite a problem, as not only do they cause discomfort in the throat but they also cause bad breath. The tonsils tend to hurt and are slightly swollen and if that is not enough, one constantly feels as if these are some foreign objects stuck in the back of their throat. The primary cause is food, mucosa lining and bacteria that are stuck in the crypts. Other than that, it is believed that in some cases, it can also indicate a strep throat, in which case one should visit a general physician who will prescribe some antibiotics. Bad oral hygiene is also said to be one of the causes. Some also believe that lack of a proper diet along with lack of exercise and being overweight, could also be a cause but this is unlikely. Among other causes, smoking without a filter has also been linked to tonsil stones.

These tonsil stones or white spots on tonsils are not harmful or life-threatening but obviously when someone is dealing with a foul-smelling throat, it can be quite a pain.

Symptoms

• Itchy throat accompanied with a sensation of foreign object in throat
• Red sore and swollen tonsils which make swallowing difficult
• Persistent cough, pain in throat and fever, in some cases

Treatment

Tonsil stones have often been misdiagnosed as some other illness. So many times, antibiotics are prescribed and in some cases tonsillectomy is also recommended. These are not needed, as tonsil stones are self eliminating. Many times, coughing does dispel some of this white spots on throat. Some people squeeze or scrape out these stones using their fingers, this is effective but not highly recommended. Because this is very unhygienic and secondly, you could end up infecting your throat, all thanks to your dirty nails.

Many people do squeeze out these stone using ear buds, it is best to moisten these with water, to prevent the strands of cotton from sticking to your throat. This is effective only in cases of stones that are going to dislodge anyway. In some cases the stones are pretty big and deeply embedded, these can only be removed by a dentist. Gargling with salt water can also help remove these white spots on throat. In some cases, where these stones occur often, tonsillectomy can also help get rid of the problem for the time being but these spots do reappear.

Now that you know what these white spots are, you need not worry. Many people don't talk about having this problem because of the social stigma attached to bad breath but it is a fairly common problem among children and adults. It is best not to scrape out the stones and let them fall out themselves to prevent further complications. Till then keep gargling with salt water and consume lots of warm fluids.