Many times when those little white or yellow stinky balls came out of my throat I wondered, can tonsil stones lead to cancer or is it a symptom of another illness. For a long time I thought this was the case and even became concerned. I have since learned that many people have had the same question on their mind.
Although it took me some time to understand what those little balls were I eventually learned it was nothing to worry about. Well if it isn’t something as serious as cancer or another illness then what is it? What causes these weird and often gross things? The answer is much simpler than you imagine.
Tonsil stones are called tonsilloliths in medical terms. Tonsilloliths are often not even understood by doctors and are misdiagnosed. They grow on or behind the tonsils in the crypts or scars that pus leaves behind. The pus is often seen during a bout of strep throat or tonsillitis. These scars are the breeding ground of tonsillloliths.
Tonsilloliths are made by a combination of factors. Tonsilloliths are made up of dead white blood cells, oral bacteria, overactive salivary glands, mucous secretions, and enzymes on retained food. This combination causes their awful smell.
As you can see this is not a sign of something serious such as cancer. The cause is much simpler and not as complex as many of us think. The only problem it causes is annoyance and bad breath. The good news is the cure and treatment of tonsilloliths is easy and can be done at home.