The very first time I coughed out a tiny, white and soft stinky irregular shaped ball from my throat was many, many moons ago. I think I was still a teenager then or was I in my early 20s? I cannot really recall. But I can remember how disgusted I was when I smelled the tiny ball, which looked like a firm, lumpy, cuddled regurgitated milk. I was horrified, thinking that I had some kind of disease. I told my mum about it and she told me that she and my brother had experienced coughing out those stinky lumpy balls but they too did not know what they were. Whenever a sore-throat was impending, I would cough out these foul-smelling globs. This would be accompanied by bad breath and a general feeling of malaise. Whenever I felt this way, I knew that I would fall sick.

I never knew what exactly those stinky balls were until recently when I read about it in the Reader’s Digest. I was very relieved to have read that article and finally my almost 2-decade long curiosity was quelled.

Tonsilloliths, also known as tonsil stones, are irregularly shaped, whitish/yellow, foul-smelling globs of mucus and bacteria that get caught in the back of the throat. The tonsil stones form in the tonsil crypts which are simply small pockets or divots that appear in the tonsils of everyone. The scientific name for these white globs is tonsilloliths.

It is only recently that the oral care community has begun to understand what these white spots actually are – many people have reported that their dentist told them that they were just extra food debris, which is not true!

These tonsillar stones don’t do any physical harm, and sporadically coughing them up doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you. However, they can be annoying and sometimes they are an indication that you have tonsilloliths and bad breath.

If you have ever broken open a tonsil stone, then you know that they smell absolutely terrible! The smell is actually caused by a combination of volatile sulfur compounds (methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide), post nasal drip, and bacteria.

They will only form in people who still have their tonsils; however, that does not mean that you should run out and get your tonsils removed! Not too long ago, they were routinely removed for being swollen and inflamed. What was not understood then was that the tonsils’ sole purpose is to prevent organisms and bacteria from traveling deeper in the throat.

Tonsilloliths are not something that you have to live with – there are various treatments to get rid of them, without having your tonsils removed (which can be dangerous as people get older).

Whenever I feel Tonsilloliths in my throat (yes, I can feel those globs stuck at the back of my throat, thus irritating my throat), I will try to cough it out, using all my strength to force cough them out. Sometimes, it is only 1 huge ball while other times, there are many tiny broken up balls. The Chinese will say that I am very heaty. I will also gargle my throat with sea salt water, drink lots of coconut water, plain water, avoid deep fried food, heaty food, spicy food and sleep early.

Do you have Tonsilloliths too?