In case you didn’t know, tonsils are those roundish lumps on either side of the back of your tongue. They’re actually part of your body’s lymphatic system and help you fight infection. At first glance, the tonsils look smooth, but they’re actually covered tiny pits called crypts, kind of like a golf ball.
Saliva in our mouth starts breaking down the food we eat and washes it down the throat and into the stomach for digestion. But in some lucky people, food particles, bacteria, mucus, dead cells, and other gunk collects in those crypts. Over time this matter hardens and becomes tonsil stones.
Symptoms
In most cases, tonsil stones are pretty harmless, causing some minor discomfort and, as with me, an annoying sensation of something stuck in the throat. In more severe cases, though, they can cause severe pain in the throat or ears and difficulty swallowing. And let’s not forget about the really bad breath that persists no matter how many times you brush your teeth, scrape your tongue, floss, or gargle with mouthwash.
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