# stupid question, but I gotta ask



## <<<Scarlet>>>

In the back of your throat you have a hangy ball right? what is that called?








And on either side of this ball is this spongy tissure, what is that called?








I have strep throat and my spongy tissue is trying to expel these little yellow, smelly balls. I've gotten these balls before randomly, (without being sick) and its really annoying,







: what is the purpose of these yellow balls?
Thanks!


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## stafl

the first thing is called your uvula
the other things are most likely your tonsils. If you can see them they are enlarged, and if they are expelling white chunks, they are infected. Often, yeast/candida/thrush causes the tonsils to emit white chunky stuff, too.


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## lauraess

ewwwwwww
get thee some remedy quick :LOL
sorry, usually im not so weak about stuff but somehow these descriptives..








well, guess it didnt quite 'go with' my big fat donut








I hate sore throats.. poor mama







get better soon.


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## <<<Scarlet>>>

LOL, sorry about the details...
I was trying to use natural remedies to heal my strep, but I got a really bad case, so I got some antibiotics yesterday, right before I posted. And weither it's the antibiotics or not, I'm feeling better this AM.
Thank you for the info!!!


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## angelamom25

I've actually had these yellow balls before--not sick either. I wonder what they could be???

Anyone??

Angi


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## <<<Scarlet>>>

Alright, Since I was informed what my tonsils are, I googled around and found this one site that explains it pretty well. I guess food accumalates in the "tonsillar crypts" and eventually expels its self.
For me, when i'm not sick, and I have one of those nasty things come out, There is a gaping hole that doesnt shrink, so it ends up collecting more. I wonder if I'll have to have my tonsils removed one day...


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## mavery

Are you sure the stuff is coming from your tonsils? The opening to the eustachian tubes is right there, and when I have a cold I sometimes get these bits of waxy, snotty stuff coming out - kind of a creamy-yellow colour. And it does smell (and taste) gross.


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## <<<Scarlet>>>

Ok, here is a nasty pic of a throat. The white on either side is on the tonsils right? If so then the hard smelly balls are defintely coming out of my tonsils, they are super swollen and sore, I tried gargleing with salt water and I was gagging, but the tea tree oil mouthwash is working good to expel them...


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## mavery

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommaToThree*
The white on either side is on the tonsils right?.

Right. If you look at the white spot on the left (as you look at it), that's on top of the tonsil. If you look just to the right of that spot you can see a line, behind which (swollen tonsil!) is the opening to the eustachian tube, I think. So if the stuff is coming from behing the tonsil, it's "ear snot" and if it's on the tonsil, it's something else.

Since you have a throat infection, the white might just be pus? I've had that with tonsillitis before, and that's what the pic looks like to me. Did it say what it was supposed to be a pic of?
Or it could be the thing you read about, which sounded really gross too.

I love discussions like this. :LOL


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## <<<Scarlet>>>

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mavery*
Since you have a throat infection, the white might just be pus?

Did it say what it was supposed to be a pic of?


When you say pus I think slimy and gooey like snot, OR at least liquidy....My discharge is a hard ball, about 1/2 the size of a pea and it usually only comes out when I'm NOT sick, but now that I am sick I had about 3 balls come out. (probley because the tonsil's are infected)
I actually took some pics of my throat I know its gross, but in the first pic the arrows show where the balls came from.
On the right you see a hole, I didnt used to have that hole, about 6m ago, a very large ball came out and the hole never closed and thats where they discharged from yesterday... On the left right where the tip of the arrow is, is where they discharged from. but the hole mostly closed.
I looked at my thoat and saw above my tonsils and can see where the mucus would come out.
I'm like 99% sure these balls are coming from my tonsils.
I wish I had taken a pic before they dislodged, or just of the balls themselves.

And no it didnt say what previous pic was. I googled tonsils the picked images. and this was one of the first ones...
I dont think that this is very common, I'm gunna go see if I can find out some more about it...


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## mavery

Your tonsils look pretty swollen to me - hope you're doing okay.
The hole and what you describe happening when you're not sick does sound like that tonsillar crypt thing. Maybe your tonsils being swollen from the infection pushed the stuff out.
Anyway, take care and feel better.


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## <<<Scarlet>>>

Ok so I looked and found this site. underneith tonsillitus is "White debris in the tonsils" I'm convinced thats what i have. so weird huh?


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## supakitty

Yes those are your tonsils, yes they are swollen and the things you're describing are called tonsiliths (tonsil-liths = tonsil stones). They are formed in the crypts of your tonsils from bacteria and other debris. They smell terrible and can be present normally and then in greater abundance when you are sick.

-Laura


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## mamakay

Quote:


Originally Posted by *supakitty*
Yes those are your tonsils, yes they are swollen and the things you're describing are called tonsiliths (tonsil-liths = tonsil stones). They are formed in the crypts of your tonsils from bacteria and other debris. They smell terrible and can be present normally and then in greater abundance when you are sick.

-Laura

I don't know who you are or how you found that out, but that sure sounds right.
I've freaked out over this in the past before. It's been several years since I've dealt with it, but it was really...unsetteling....when it was present.
The smell and taste made me wonder if it might be cancer.

To the OP,
This stuff goes away eventually. Your tonsils really are important parts of your immune system. Polio comes to mind, immediately. Don't have your tonsils removed.
Even this weird, gross symptom shows that they are doing something.


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## supakitty

Who I am? I'm an MDC mama since March 2002 and I am a medical professional.










Laura


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## mandib50

of course i'm way late as usual on a thread







but my dd gets those crypt dealies, even when she's not sick and they don't require antibiotics. however according to one surgery happy doctor, she needs them removed







: that was years ago and hey - she's one healthy happy girl today


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## sb111

I have been to the docs about 4 times with the same problem and everyone thst has said they have had em have had their tonsils removed, going back to the docs today. The first doctor said that i may have a cyst behind my tonsils in which a gunky stuff is collectiong in the crypts on my tonsils but the last doctor labelled it as acute tonsilitis, very confusing. I have been told to gargle asprin, gargle salt water and been on a couple of courses of antibiotics and nothing is working!! anyone got any ideas as to anything that may work?
xx
sb


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## thixle

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sb111* 
I have been to the docs about 4 times with the same problem and everyone thst has said they have had em have had their tonsils removed, going back to the docs today. The first doctor said that i may have a cyst behind my tonsils in which a gunky stuff is collectiong in the crypts on my tonsils but the last doctor labelled it as acute tonsilitis, very confusing. I have been told to gargle asprin, gargle salt water and been on a couple of courses of antibiotics and nothing is working!! anyone got any ideas as to anything that may work?
xx
sb

As freaky as it is, if your only symptom is tonsil stones, it is your body doing what it is supposed to do! Don't let them take out your tonsils, they are the first line of immune defense. From what I've read, even if you get your tonsils removed, you can still get tonsil stones in the pockets in your throat, so it may not resolve the issue at all.
I shine a flashlight in my throat and poke my tonsils with my finger







Gets the crap out, I do it maybe once a week since i figured it out (not long ago, actually). My breath is amazingly better! I think for me it happens because my sinuses (and my immune system period) is out of whack.
But tonsil stones are NOT an infection. Now that I think about it, I started getting them (or being bothered by it, or noticing it, whatever) about the same time i was on a long-term antibiotic therapy.


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