Do you know what those stinky balls in your throat are?

Do you know those whitish balls that occasionally appear in your throat? We are not talking about pus plaques that can develop during more serious infections, such as tonsillitis, for example, but those pasty, stinky acorns that form in the tonsils and usually come out when we cough or sneeze. Do you know which ones?

cavities or balls in the throat

These are the little balls we're talking about! (Wikimedia Commons / Glacko2021)

So! These little balls, if you don't know it, are also known as tonsillar casts, tonsilloliths or caseum, and are nothing to worry about. According to Alina Bradford of Live Science, basically, acorns consist of benign accumulations of leftover tissue, food and bacteria in the recesses in the tonsils.

Why do they appear?

As we explained in an earlier article here from Mega Curioso, tonsils are clumps of lymphatic tissue that come into play when we inhale or swallow agents that can cause disease by activating the immune system. In addition, these structures act as a kind of protective barrier that prevents particles, food fragments and other objects from traveling through the respiratory system and reaching the lungs.

Person showing casts

Look at the stinkies there! (Fast Tonsill Stones Cure)

According to Alina, over time, all these fragments, along with dead cells and bacteria, accumulate in the cavities present in the tonsils. So our body sends white blood cells to attack these foreign bodies, and when these immune cells finish the "service", what is left behind are more consistent particles.

Most of the time, we just swallow these “battle remains” - yuck! - without even realizing it. But if the fragments become lodged in the recesses of the tonsils (or caves), they can grow larger until they become such stinky balls.

Undesirable Tenants

According to Alina, cases are more common in children and adolescents, but can affect people of all ages. Their presence in the tonsils can cause a little irritation and redness, and another very common symptom is bad breath - a result of the action of bacteria that proliferate on the acorns.

Person with bad breath

Bad breath is one of the symptoms of casse (Tonsil Stone Remedies)

Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to prevent bone from forming, but one way to help prevent it from appearing is to maintain good oral hygiene - that is, brushing your teeth after meals, flossing daily and not Forgetting to treat that tongue too to prevent the proliferation of bacteria!

As we mentioned at the beginning of the story, the cases are usually expelled when we cough or sneeze. However, it is possible to remove them with the help of a cotton swab, stick and, if you do not die of nausea, with the help of a toothbrush with very soft bristles. Gargling with mouthwashes or a water-diluted hydrogen peroxide solution can also help to dislodge the balls, and in very, very extreme cases, a specialist may suggest removing the tonsils.