post nasal drip tonsil stones
Many people suffer from tonsil stones and at the same time complain of postnasal drip.
Doctors say there is a clear connection between thick and chronic postnasal drip and tonsil stones. In this article, we are going to explain to you the connection of this problem with tonsil stones along with brief explanations about thick postnasal drip.
tonsil stones and postnasal drip
Specialist doctors believe that people who have chronic and thick postnasal drip are more likely to suffer from tonsil stones than other people.
To understand this relationship, it is better to first learn a little about tonsil stones.
Tonsil stones are actually accumulated masses, dead cells and thickened secretions that accumulate and thicken between the folds and cavities of the tonsils, and sometimes bacterial infections are added to them, and in this way, tonsil stones or infectious tonsil stones are made.
In fact, pharyngeal cavities, which are the most common place for tonsil stones to form, are holes in your throat through which secretions from the back of the pharynx and secretions from the mucous glands of the pharynx area in the throat are directed to the outside.
If for any reason these secretions are not removed naturally, the affected person will be at high risk of forming tonsil stones.
Tonsil stones are deposits of calcium crystals along with a mass of dead cells and thickened secretions.
What is a tonsil stone?
When people are told that they have tonsil stones, they wonder if it is possible for stones to form in the throat!
Tonsil stones are actually hard bodies that are seen in the examination of the pharynx. These hard bodies can be amber-yellow or white and their location is on the surface of the tonsils or inside the tonsil folds or tonsil crypts.
In terms of size, doctors say that tonsil stones can be as small as a grain of rice or even as big as a grape.
These stones usually bring the affected person to the doctor due to the unpleasant smell of mouth and bad breath.
All in all, most of the time, tonsil stones do not cause serious health problems for the affected person.
In a group of people, the folds of the tonsils are deeper and their number is more. These people suffer from tonsil stones more than others.
Also, if a person has thick phlegm in the back of the pharynx for any reason, the risk of tonsil stone formation increases because the thick secretions in postnasal drip repeatedly deposit in the folds and cracks of the tonsil surface and provide the basis for the formation of stones.
What causes the formation of tonsil stones?
Chronic and thick postnasal drip is one of the factors that increases the possibility of tonsillitis.
Our tonsils are made up of surface cracks and pits that sometimes become very deep. These structures are called tonsil crypts.
It sometimes happens that saliva along with the pieces of food we consume and sediments and contaminations of drinking water or dead mucus cells get stuck in these crypts or more simply in these pockets on the surface of the tonsils and concentrates and forms masses, and in this way, the environment becomes suitable for bacteria and fungi to use these accumulations for feeding.
The growth of bacteria and fungi along with their infection causes an unpleasant smell in people's mouths and their breathing.
Over time, these accumulations harden and appear as small or very large yellow, gray and white lumps on the tonsils.
The following factors are known as the most common and important causes of tonsil stone formation:
- Failure to properly wash the mouth and teeth
- In people with poor oral and dental hygiene
- People with larger tonsils that have deeper folds and crypts
- Chronic inflammation of the tonsils
- And the next cause is inflammatory and infectious problems or allergies, which simultaneously cause inflammation in the sinus and nasal mucosa and thus produce thick postnasal drip, which increases the possibility of tonsil stones.
Symptoms of tonsil stones:
In most people who have tonsil stones, it will be difficult to see tonsil stones, but the following symptoms may be present in the affected person:
- The first and most common symptom is bad breath or halitosis.
- The second symptom is sore throat or vague discomfort in the throat.
- The third symptom is difficulty swallowing.
- The Fourth sign is pain and ear problems.
- And the fifth sign is swollen tonsils or the sensation of a foreign body in the throat.
The relationship between the size of tonsil stones and its symptoms
Smaller tonsil stones, which are usually difficult to see, are more common than large tonsil stones.
In small tonsil stones, the symptoms that were mentioned in the previous part appear much less.
Halitosis or vague pain and discomfort in the throat are more common than others.
will postnasal drip cause tonsil stones?
According to the causes that we have said for the formation of tonsil stones, and also according to the mechanism of tonsil stone formation and the accumulation of thick secretions in the crypts and folds of the tonsil surface, it is obvious that people who have chronic and thick mucus in the back of the throat for any reason, this sticky mucus gets trapped in the crypts and folds of their tonsils.
There is a higher possibility of deposition of thick secretions and getting stuck in the folds and cracks of the tonsils.
So, if you are one of the people who experience postnasal drip for years due to some underlying diseases such as sinus problems or gastroesophageal reflux etc. and you have not yet taken any steps to treat it, it is better to see a specialist doctor as soon as possible so that you don't get tonsil stones as a result of postnasal drip.
How to prevent the formation of tonsil stones?
The most important recommendation of doctors is oral hygiene.
Washing your mouth and teeth regularly and twice a day, will help a lot to prevent the formation of tonsil stones.
It is natural that when you observe oral and dental hygiene, the probability of inflammation in the mouth and throat area decreases and the risk of phlegm formation in the back of the throat decreases.
The second point that doctors recommend is to consume a lot of drinking water. The drinking water should be purified and without non-standard mineral deposits.
The third recommendation is to quit smoking and hookah, because smoking increases lung problems, increases secretions from the lower parts of the respiratory system, and increases the risk of postnasal drip, thereby increasing the possibility of tonsil stone formation.
The next recommendation of doctors is to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks as much as possible and even stop their consumption.
Another recommendation is to avoid eating foods that contain industrial preservatives as much as possible.
But a here’s serious and important advice for you who don't want to suffer from postnasal drip and tonsil stones:
the opinion of doctors is that the most common cause of postnasal drip is gastroesophageal reflux and sensitivities and allergies of the sinuses and nose.
If you see the symptoms of any of these mentioned disorders, it is better to see a doctor as soon as possible to treat and control postnasal drip.
In this way, by treating the underlying cause, you will get rid of thick and chronic postnasal drip and you will no longer worry about the formation of tonsil stones.
Treatment:
One of the most important treatment solutions from the point of view of doctors, which is very important, is regular and high-pressure gargling at the end of the throat with salt water.
This action can cause the removal of thick secretions and as a result tonsil stones fall out.
On the other hand, salt water helps to change the chemical composition of the mouth and thus reduces the possibility of thick accumulations forming again.
But how Make this salt water:
It is enough to pour half a teaspoon of pure sodium chloride salt in a glass of warm boiled water to make it easier to dissolve, and use it after it cools down.
Another way to get rid of tonsil stones is vigorous and energetic coughing that can help loosen the stones. Sometimes it is necessary for the doctor to remove the stones himself.
The manual method is one of the treatment methods. In addition to manual treatments in a specialized clinic, which are followed by the removal of tonsil stones with a hook, your doctor recommends that you brush your teeth and clean your throat with regular washing.
Since tonsils are a delicate structure, manual removal of tonsil stones is a sensitive and specialized work. This method should only be used in clinics and offices, and it must be done by an experienced and expert doctor with a cotton swab or Abslang.
But if the stones are very big and cause severe pain and symptoms, and cannot be removed manually and there is a possibility of damage to the adjacent tissue, the doctor goes for surgery.
In addition to the above methods, today there is the use of laser to remove tonsil stones and this method can be performed with local anesthesia and the recovery time is very short.
Another method is that the doctor may try to break up your stone with safe radio waves.
In some cases, the doctor may decide to remove the tonsils altogether.
Tonsillectomy or surgical removal of the tonsils, which can be performed using different methods and techniques, is used only in severe and chronic cases of tonsil stones.
Final word:
Tonsil stones are hard yellow, white and gray compounds that are usually formed in people who have congenitally larger tonsils or tonsils with more and deeper surface folds.
Chronic and thick mucus in the back of the throat or postnasal drip is one of the factors that increase the risk of tonsil stone formation, which in most cases can be resolved by drinking plenty of water, observing oral and dental hygiene, timely treatment of allergies, infections, inflammations of the respiratory mucosa, and avoiding smoking.
Your referral in the initial stages and treatment of allergies helps to make the treatment easier and more effective.