They’re a common cause of bad breath and sore throats and apparently a well-kept secret.

Recently, a friend asked me about tonsil stones. He has sore throats several times a year, which are instantly relieved by gargling to remove them. When I told him I thought tonsil stones were pretty rare, he asked: “Are you sure about that? My ear, nose, and throat doctor says they’re common as rocks.

It turns out, my friend and his doctor are on to something. Tonsil stones are surprisingly common and often quite annoying. Here’s what to know and do.

What are tonsil stones?

Tonsil stones (medical term: tonsilloliths) are small white or yellow deposits on the tonsils. They develop when bacteria, saliva, food particles, and debris from cells lining the mouth get trapped in tiny indentations called crypts.

They vary considerably between people, including

• Size. They may be so small that you can’t see them with the naked eye. Or they may grow to the size of gravel or, rarely, much larger.
• Consistency. They’re often soft but may calcify, becoming hard as a rock. Hence, the name.
• How long they last. Tonsil stones can last days to weeks, or may persist far longer before they break up and fall out.
• How often they occur. New tonsilloliths may appear several times each month or just once or twice a year.

While they’re more likely to form if you have poor oral hygiene, good oral hygiene doesn’t provide complete protection. Even those who brush, floss, and see their dentists regularly can develop tonsil stones.

How common are tonsil stones?

You’ve heard of kidney stones and gallstones, right? Clearly, those conditions are better known than tonsil stones. Yet tonsil stones are far more คาสิโนออนไลน์ UFABET ฝากถอนรวดเร็ว เริ่มต้นเล่นง่าย common: studies suggest that up to 40% of the population have them. Fortunately, unlike kidney stones and gallstones, tonsil stones are usually harmless.

What are the symptoms of tonsil stones?

Often people have no symptoms. In fact, if tonsil stones are small enough, you may not even know you have them. When tonsil stones do cause symptoms, the most common ones are:

• sore throat, or an irritation that feels as though something is stuck in the throat
• bad breath
• cough
• discomfort with swallowing
• throat infections.