White Spots On The Tonsils? Tonsillolith Or Tonsillitis?

Pierre Van Zylhealth, Tonsillitis, Tonsillolith, White Spots On The Tonsils

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When you have a sore throat, the first thing that you will usually do is check your throat. If you have white spots on your throat, it means that you have more than just an irritated throat. There are a couple of things that could be causing the problem.
If you have an idea of which condition is causing the white spots on your throat, you will have a better idea of what it is and how your doctor is going to treat it. Because spots can be caused by different conditions, different treatments would be necessary to cure the condition. Since there are so many things that can cause white spots on the throat, you would need to see a doctor to determine exactly what is causing the problem.

What Diseases Cause White Spots on the Tonsils?

There are several conditions that can result in white spots on the tonsils. Each of them has a different cause and each of them causes different symptoms. Finally, each of them needs to be treated differently.

Oral thrush



Oral thrush is an infection of the mouth that is caused when there is an overgrowth of Candida species. This infection is most common in children, however, adults can develop the disease as well. It is often seen in people with weakened immune systems due to HIV, cancer, or other infections. This condition is characterized by the white patches and lesions on the tongue that it causes. The white pus can also be found on the roof of the mouth and the tonsils.

Oral herpes

Oral herpes is a sexually transmitted disease, and it is caused by the herpes simplex virus. When you contract this disease, it can cause fever blisters in your mouth, on your lips, in the back of your throat and on your tongue. This condition is recurring and there is no cure. It can be transferred through kissing or oral sex.

Syphilis



Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria. It is passed through unprotected sex and also through cuts or small abrasions. During the first stage of syphilis, you can expect to find sores in the mouth, in the back of the throat, around the anus, or on the genitals. Medication would be necessary to cure the disease.

Gonorrhea



Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease also caused by bacteria. It is transmitted through unprotected sex with a person who has the disease. The early symptoms include redness and swelling of the tonsils and white spots in the back of the throat.

Mononucleosis aka Mono



Infectious mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is often spread through saliva, which is the reason that many people call this the kissing disease. The most common symptoms of this disease include fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, a skin rash, and a red, sore throat with white spots or pus. In severe cases, it can result in enlargement of the spleen. Most people who suffer from this disease become fatigued very easily and cannot find the strength to get out of bed. They often lose a great deal of weight as well.

Trench mouth



This is a non-contagious infection of the mouth and the gums. It is caused by a bacteria which compromises the spirochetes and the fusiform bacteria. It can cause painful blisters in the mouth and white spots in the back of the throat.

Oral cancer



The early stages of oral cancer begin on the gums, the tongue, the lips, and the floor of the mouth. If the cancer spreads, it can affect the tonsils. When this happens, it can cause white spots on the tonsils. Oral cancer spreads very quickly, therefore, it is important that you get checked as soon as you suspect you are having any symptoms.

Pharyngomycosis



This is a fungal infection that affects the mucous membranes that line the pharynx. The most common and recognizable symptom is the white pussy spots that appear on the tonsils.

Tonsillitis and Tonsillolith



The tonsils are balls of lymph node that are located on each side of the throat, both above the tongue and behind it. They are also part of the body’s immune system, and they can help fight off infection. Tonsillitis and Tonsilliolith are the two major causes of white spots on the tonsils.

Tonsillitis

What Causes Tonsillitis?

In most cases, tonsillitis is caused by a virus. When a person who has tonsillitis breathes, coughs, or sneezes, it can get into the air in the form of a droplet. If you breath in these droplets, if you get them on your skin, or if the droplets are on an object that come into contact with eyes, nose, or mouth, you can become infected. It is a relatively contagious disease. In more rare cases, tonsillitis can be caused by having strep throat. In even rarer cases, it can be caused by a fungus or a parasite.

What Are the Two Types of Tonsillitis?

There are actually two types of tonsillitis. The first is acute tonsillitis. This is an infection of the tonsils that has only occurred once, maybe twice in your life. The second type of tonsillitis is chronic tonsillitis. This is a condition where your tonsils are either persistently infected or if they become infected very often. Not only can chronic tonsillitis be extremely painful, but it can also cause complications, such as tonsil stone formation which will be discussed further later.

What Are the Symptoms of Tonsillitis?

The symptoms of tonsillitis can mimic a cold at first. In the beginning, you will have a red, raw throat. After a few days, your tonsils will start to develop spots of puss. In more serious cases, the pus can cover the tonsils completely. It is not uncommon to run a fever a few days after a sore throat begins.



The symptoms that you have can give you an idea of how you caught the disease. If your have cold symptoms, such as a stuffy nose, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and a low grade fever, it was likely caused by a virus. Most people who have tonsillitis don’t even realize that they have the disease. They often believe that they just have a cold and they go on with their life. When after a few days the symptoms had not subsided, most people visit the doctor and find out exactly what they have.

If you have swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat, and a high fever, but you don’t have any cold symptoms, your condition was likely caused by bacteria. When this happens, your doctor will often run a strep test. If the test is positive, the doctor would treat it accordingly. If the problem is allow to persist, it can cause difficulty breathing, snoring while sleeping and disturbed sleep patterns, and a peritonsillar abscess. This is a collection of pus behind the tonsils, which can make it difficult to swallow and breathe. Also, the lymph glands in the front of the neck can become swollen. The sooner the problem is diagnosed and treated, the better. The longer the problem is allowed to persist, the more severe the symptoms will become.

How is Tonsillitis Diagnosed?



When you visit the doctor’s office, the first thing that they will check is your throat to see if your tonsils are swollen and red. They will also check for sores and white spots. If all of these things are present, they will diagnose you with tonsillitis. If the doctor believes that the problem is caused by streptococcus bacteria, they will run a strep test. It is relatively easy for the doctor to diagnose the condition in just one visit.

How is Tonsillitis Treated?

If the tonsillitis was caused by a virus, it will usually go away on its own in 5 to 7 days. There is no medication to make the condition go away faster. You would just need to treat your symptoms so that you can ease the pain and start to feel better. Drinking warm tea and taking over the counter medications are the best things that you can do to ease the pain.

If the condition was caused by strep, the doctor would prescribe antibiotics. They can stop the spread of infection and they can also prevent very serious problems that occur when the condition is left untreated.

Years ago, doctors had no problem removing a person’s tonsils the first time they had tonsillitis. There are many people in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s who don’t have their tonsils today because doctors always recommended surgery. That is no longer the case. Doctors realized over the past several years that surgery is not necessary for a one time infection. Today, doctors only advise surgery for a few different reasons. If you continue to get infection after infection, the doctor might suggest surgery. If your infections last for longer than usual or if you don’t get any better after medication, the doctor would advise surgery. Unless the situation calls for surgery, the doctor will treat you with medication.

How Can Tonsillitis Be Prevented?

You can keep yourself from getting tonsillitis the same way that you can keep from getting sick. If you know someone who is sick, avoid close contact if possible. Be sure to wash your hands often and carry around hand sanitizer. If the tonsillitis is caused by bacteria, fungus, or a parasite, there is really no way that you can prevent it.

Tonsillolith aka Tonsil Stones

What are Tonsil Stones?



Most people believe that the only body part that can form stones is the kidneys. This is not the case. You can also get stones on your tonsils. Tonsil stones are actually gland like structures that develop in the back of your throat. Most often, if you have tonsil stones on one tonsil, you will have them on the other as well.

What Causes Tonsil Stones?

Your tonsils are loaded with creases and holes where bacteria and other materials can build up. Dead skin cells and mucous can also build up in the tonsils. If this happens and it sits there long enough, the debris can become concentrated. If the trapped debris is allowed to harden and calcify, it can cause stones in the tonsils. Most people who develop this condition get small tonsilloliths. It is very rare to develop very large, solidified stones in the tonsils. This condition is most commonly seen in people who have chronic tonsillitis.

What Are the Symptoms of Tonsilloliths?

If the stones are very small, they may not cause any symptoms at all. Even the larger ones can go unnoticed until they are accidentally discovered on an X-ray or a CT scan. If the tonsilloliths are large, they can cause several symptoms.

Bad breath 

Bad breath is one of the most common symptoms of this condition. A study was performed on patients with bad breath and the study found that the patients with volatile sulfur compounds on their breath also had traces of tonsil stones.

Sore throat

If you have a tonsil stone, you will feel pain in the area where the stone is lodged. In some cases, the tonsillolith can cause tonsillitis, which can result in more serious pain, especially when swallowing.

White debris

In some cases, the stones in the tonsils are visible with the naked eye. If the stones are hidden in the folds of the tonsils, however, they can be very difficult to see unless the doctor uses non-invasive scanning machines, such as a CT scan or an MRI.

Difficulty swallowing

Depending on the location of the stones, it can be difficult and painful to swallow food and even liquid.

Ear pain

The ears and the throat share the same nerve pathway. Because of this, if you have tonsil stones, you could feel it in your ear. Even if the stone is nowhere near the ear canal, you can still experience an earache.

Swelling of the tonsils

When the stones develop on the tonsils and inside the folds, it can cause one or both tonsils to well. This can result in inflammation or an infection.

How are Tonsilloliths Treated?

Treatment

The treatment for this condition depends on a couple of things. First, it depends on the size of the stone, and second, it depends on where the stone is located and its potential to cause you harm.

No treatment

If the stones are very small and they are not causing any symptoms, no treatment would be necessary. In most cases, they will wash down or dissolve on their own. If symptoms start to show, you would need to see a doctor for treatment.

At home removal

If your tonsil stones are causing a problem, you can use a pick or swab to dislodge them from your tonsils. This is only possible if they are large enough to see and they are not embedded too deep into the folds. You don’t want to push the stones too deep into the tonsils and make the problem worse. Some people gag when they try to dislodge the stones on their own. This is a natural reflex, so you should not be too upset if you cannot treat yourself this way.

Salt water gargles



If you want to dislodge your tonsil stones a bit or if they are causing you pain an discomfort, you should gargle with warm, salty water. You can do this ever two to three hours as needed.

Eating honey



While honey isn’t going to dislodge the stones, it can certainly help ease the pain and discomfort caused by the tonsil stones. Chances are a small child will not develop this condition, however, if they do, they should not be given honey. Small children can develop botulism if they eat honey.

Antibiotics



In some cases, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the problem. They can be helpful for some, however, they will not treat whatever is causing the stones to develop in the first place. There are some doctors who choose not to use antibiotics. Many people have become resistant to these medications because they are given so often. Unless the doctor is sure that the antibiotics are definitely going to work, they will likely suggest that you try one of the home methods. It would only be if all of the home methods failed that the doctor would consider surgery.

Surgical removal

If your tonsil stones are very large or if they are causing serious symptoms that are causing you pain and ruining your quality of life, surgery might be necessary. In some cases, the doctor can use a local numbing anesthetic and the procedure is very simple. In other cases, if the simple surgery doesn’t work, the patient would need to be put under general anesthesia to remove the stone. Often time, the doctor will not know which procedure is going to work until he tries to remove the stones simply first.

Can Tonsilloliths Be Prevented?

Since the tonsilloliths embed themselves in the tonsils and people who have chronic tonsillitis
most commonly develop this condition, the best way to prevent this condition is to have your tonsils removed completely. This surgery is more serious and complicated than having the stones removed. While it is a minor surgery, you would need to be put under general anesthesia. Once the tonsils are removed, you can expect to have a sore throat and difficulty swallowing for at least a few days after the procedure. After your tonsils have been removed, you should have no more problems with tonsil stones or tonsillitis. If there are no more tonsils with nooks and crannies in the back of your throat, there is no place for the hard stones to embed themselves.

There are several causes of white spots on the back of the throat and on the tonsils. Some are easily treated with medication and others would need to be removed during surgery. The most common causes are tonsillitis and tonsillolith. The two are actually connected because the tonsillolith can be caused by chronic tonsillitis and the tonsillolith can cause tonsillitis. It is
important that you can tell the difference between the two conditions and understand that they are linked.

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