I sometimes get tiny white chunks in the back of my mouth from my throat that have a vulgar taste and odor. I have heard that other people sometimes experience this. What are these things exactly?
by 
James Larrick
ANSWERS: 11
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This is probably just old food getting stuck in your tonsils. A popsicle stick can easily remove these. If you have had your tonsils removed or had oral surgery, you may experiance this more often.
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According to my doctor: These chunks you get are a result of oil build-up on the tonsils. The tonsils are glands which secrete oils, and over time the oils build up and crust over on the back of the tonsils. These nasty little chunks will usually break off and wind up going down your throat most of the time, or will find their way into the back of your mouth. They taste awful and should be spit out, though they are not really harmful to swallow. Another cause is sinuses...sinus infections, clogs and random bacteria will sometimes cause buildups of mucous which will form somewhat hard chunks which will find their way into your throat. If you get these frequently it may be a sign of an ear/nose/throat problem.
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Sounds like you have 'tonsil stones' or tonilloliths. I have them too. They're gross. You have my sympathy. Check out this link to Wikipedia. Hope it helps :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsilloliths
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These are called tonsil stones. You can find information about them on the internet.
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I'm so glad I came across this, I thought I was the only 1 suffering, although iv only spat out about 4, hopefully it wont happen again, I was trippin out cause I thought it was from smokin and nobodys mentioned anything but smokin could be related cause it weakens ur immune system ( not cigs ).
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Apereantly they might be related to drinking milk or eating red meat, now I eat and drink alot of both but I read somewhere else that someone who didnt drink milk still got them so maybe its false and maybe im the exception.
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Throat thingies or throat chunks. i have had these things in coming out of my throat for years, on and off with no pattern at all. here is the kicker, i think it is hereditary. it was so gross that i never wanted to talk about it. finally after three or so years my little sister told me she had them, later i found that so did my older sister, and brother. At one point i went to the doctors about them. she had never seen them but said my throat had large pores and they were filling with natural body fluids just like the pores on your skin do. i don't know if that's what it is but i did except it as a simple problem. during my readings on this the net i have seen some people advising to get your tonsils out. STOP don't do it. my older sister had her tonsils out as a child and she still gets the throat thingies. maybe they will happen less? i don't know. But i do know that they can happen to people with out tonsils, that's all I'm saying. i chew sugar free gum all day every day. most people with throat thingies are more ware of their breath. i drink lots of water because i think that is the cure for everything.
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I use to get this all the time. I new when I had something stuck in my tonsil ( that's what I would call it) because I could feel it, and I had a horrible taste. I use to pick to get it out, and then I would bleed. I know not smart. Gargle with warm salt water, this sometimes losens the icky's and gets them out. I got my tonsils out a few years back (worst pain of my life so far) and now not having to deal with that is great. I had gigantic tonsils, and I always had infections. Try the warm salt water, I found it made a difference for me.
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I'm 25 and had my tonsils removed when I was 18 (VERY PAINFULL but totally worth it) due to these discusting tonsil stones. You can chew gum and swish with mouth wash ALL DAY and your breath will still smell terrible due to them being there. I would sit and pop them out with anything available, but they are made deep in the tonsils and for everyone that comes to the surface, there are PLENTY more hiding in the deeper pockets of your tonsils. Also, they are totally genetic- recently I was helping my 4 year old to brush her teeth and made her say "aaahhh" and low and behold she had the gross white chunks in her throat as well. I was totally freaked out and discusted and took her to the doctor immediatly.. After telling him my horror story about having them, and having my tonsils removed at the age of 18 (NOTE- hurt WAY more than having a baby, seriously!), he agreed they would be a life long problem and took her tonsils out the next week. Chronic bad breath is definitely a reason to have your tonsils removed, and the tonsil stones WILL NOT come back, hence the name "tonsil stones"... Good Luck to you all!
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CrewGirl provided an informative link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsilloliths I use a gental/medium setting on a WaterPik to flush the tonilloliths out regularly. Works good. Sometimes I mix a little antiseptic or hydrogen peroxide with the water to help with bacteria build-up. The link provided mentions loosening the "stones" with your tongue. Since the stones are very pungent and filled with bacteria, I would resist the urge. This causes extremely bad breath and not to mention you've just swirled all that bacteria around in your mouth!
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If you see them and want them out press down next to the chunk lightly with a q-tip and it will pop right out!
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