White Tonsils - White Spots On Tonsils

White Tonsils - What Exactly Are They

If you’ve experienced a sore throat and a constant feeling as if something is stuck back there, you may have a symptom known as white tonsils. Another word for white tonsils is tonsil stones, because there are small whitish lumps that form in the back of the throat, which causes them to appear white.

While these little lumps seem strange and look even worse, there is quite a simple explanation for why they form in our mouths. As we eat and swallow, tiny little food particles can get trapped in the back of the tonsils, and lodge in an area called the tonsil crypts. In addition, things like mucous drip into the back of the throat, and also get trapped in the crypts.

The combination of food particles, mucous, and bacteria can build up over time and cause the white or yellow colored “stones” in the back of the throat. If they are not removed, they can increase in size and create the look of white tonsils. You can get rid of these using a variety of tonsil stones treatments, or by coughing them up.

They can also be manually dislodged by poking at the tonsil crypts gently until they come out and then can be discarded. Most of the time, the stones will come out on their own but by practicing good oral hygiene, you can help to prevent them from getting larger or from occurring as frequently. Once you know what causes white tonsils, you can then take steps to prevent them.