HOW TO GET RID OF TONSIL STONES
Before you know How to get rid of tonsil stones, it's important to first understand what they actually are. Tonsil stones or Tonsilloliths are these tiny off white balls that pile up in the crevices of the tonsils. This is due to some food particles and other residues that are not eliminated. When neglected, it can cause sore throats, difficulty in swallowing and even bad breathe.
Your tonsils protect the rest of your body from foreign bodies like bacteria and act as sort of a filter. Even when you practice good hygiene, it is possible to develop the tonsil stones that become stuck in the back of the throat.
Symptoms and signs
Small tonsil stones generally don't have obvious symptoms. Still some of the associated symptoms are throat tightening, a metallic taste, chocking or coughing fits. But larger stones have numerous symptoms like tonsillitis, bad breath, difficulty in swallowing, sensation of some foreign body stuck at the back of the throat, ear ache, sore throat, presence of white particles and bad taste.
How to get rid of tonsil stones
While you can go in for surgery and have your tonsils removed to permanently get rid of tonsil stones, it can be a costly and painful experience. Why go this extreme route when you can learn how to remove these small whitish masses on your own with minimal effort? Here are some ways to get rid of tonsil stones on your own:
Medicine dropper - If the tonsil stones are small,
you could use the suctioning power of a medicine dropper to remove them. Simply
squeeze the bulb at the end of the dropper and place the tip of the dropper
over the tonsil stone before releasing the bulb end. This action should suck up
the small stone to get rid of it.
Throat and ear muscle flexing - Sometimes, you can
flex the muscles in your ears and throat to dislodge the tonsilloliths. The
muscle action can help push the small masses out of the pockets of the tonsils
to you can spit them out.
Water pik - If you have a water pick or even a water
spray bottle with a stream setting, you can direct a pulsing stream of water to
the back of the throat where the tonsils are. The force of the water can help
dislodge the stones and help get rid of them.
Salt water gargle - Mix salt with some warm water
and gargle the mixture in your throat. The gargling action helps the tonsil
stones pop out while the salt water cleanses the area of debris so there is
less chance of the stones reforming.
Cotton swab or end of a toothbrush - You can use the
end of a toothbrush or a cotton swab to massage the bottom of the tonsils to
finesse the stones out. It may take a few tries before your gag reflex goes
away though.
Brush - You can brush the back of your throat around
your tonsils, if you can handle it, to dislodge and get rid of the tonsil
stones.
Home remedies to remove
tonsil stones - Apart from the above techniques in case of small stones you can
go for certain natural tonsil remedy:
- Vinegar gargle - Calcium is the mineral which binds these tonsil stones and vinegar is a good dissolvent of calcium. Hence gargling with vinegar dissolved in warm water helps to break up the stones and prevents reformation.
- Consume probiotic yogurt - Tonsil stones contain sulfur that produces bacteria which gives out a foul smell. When we consume sugar-free probiotic yogurt which is full of good bacteria they fight with the bad bacteria and helps us to do away with the bad odor.
- Aloe Vera and lemon juice - Aloe Vera gel which is used to clean the tongue removes tonsil stones naturally. Lemon has vitamin C which also helps us to get rid of stones.
- Garlic chewing - Garlic is considered as an excellent remedy because of it's antibiotic and anti-bacterial properties. So if you chew few cloves of raw garlic it will treat the stones naturally.
It is important to get rid of tonsil stones at its early stage to prevent it from worsening and later becoming a more serious problem. As much as possible, do the treatment at home since home treatments are still better than surgeries.
7 Easy Steps To Eliminate Tonsil Stones - Guaranteed
How To Get Rid of Tonsil Stones