instruction: hello doctor I think I have tonsil stones I have little white things in my tonsil pockets when I cough them up or manage to get them out they are whitish or yellowish hard clumps I have mild sore throats all the time bad breath I brush my teeth constantly and I make sure I do not eat food that makes breath smell bad and I get earaches it constantly feels like food or something is stuck in my throat and it is really annoying should I go see a doctor about this or is there any way I can get rid of them at home
output: hello you suffer from tonsilloliths tonsils which are lymphoid organs in the throat produce secretions through the crypts in them in a few people these secretions calcify and become stones called tonsilloliths in a vast majority of people it stays asymptomatic however in a few like you they produce symptoms such as food stuck in the throat and mild ache the presence of these stones causes stasis of secretions in the crypts which otherwise freely flow into the mouth the stasis causes the development of bacterial colonies which result in halitosis bad breath and associated throat ache the tonsils act as a source of infection to the ears as the bacteria rises up along the eustachian tube that connects back of the nose to the ears on each side sometimes a remnant of adenoids could also be causing the ear issue if this problem has been there for more than three to four months I suggest you go ahead and get your tonsils removed the procedure is called a tonsillectomy before that we would like to take a radiograph of your nasopharynx to rule out adenoids enlargement adenoids usually regress by 10 years of age but in some it remains longer and causes problems of mouth breathing ear block snoring and ear infections if adenoids are enlarged they also can be removed along with tonsils in the same setting adenotonsillectomy if you ask me the merits and demerits of the procedure in your case the merits clearly outweigh the demerits these lymphoid organs in you have turned more harmful than protective the tonsils are causing you bad breath foreign body feeling in the throat along with tonsillar stones the tonsils or the adenoids are causing you the ear ache as well post operatively you may face mild pain for two days and you can resume your work or college in three to four days time in my set up we do this operation on day care basis we use radio frequency ablation for removing the tonsils which is one of the most recent advances in the field of ent surgery medically the problem can be managed but recurrence are the norm you may gargle the throat using chlorhexidine dilution or betadine dilution multiple times a day drink plenty of fluids treat an acute infection on a case by case basis using appropriate antibiotics and avoid cold spicy food items that may irritate the mucosa however a permanent solution for the problem will be evasive unless and until you rid yourself of the tonsils I hope this helps ray of nasopharynx soft tissue lateral view for adenoids serum ice throat swab for culture and sensitivity